Introduction

Hireup is an online platform where people with a disability can find, hire and manage support workers who fit their needs and share their interests.

You will be joining the team as a disability support worker. At Hireup, we combine the flexibility of an online platform with an employment model for all support workers. As a Hireup support worker, we take on the responsibility of being your legal employer, so there are some elements of your job description that we are responsible for. Those elements are set out in this document to help you fully understand your role.

However, some elements of your role may be defined by the Client or the Account Manager. For example, the Client or the Account Manager will determine what hours of work may be offered and may provide direction regarding the duties you will be performing on a day-to-day basis. For your own safety and well being, it is very important that you have a clear understanding of the tasks, activities and duties you are being asked to perform as a support worker.

This job description will provide partial guidance, and you should seek clear instructions from the Client or the Account Manager to fill in any gaps as well as obtain essential documents such as Client Support Plan. If you're on a shift and you feel the instructions you receive from the Client or the Account Manager are unsafe, unclear or make you feel uncomfortable, we encourage you to have an open and honest conversation with the Client or the Account Manager. If things still aren't clear, you have the authority to stop unsafe work and contact Hireup immediately.

Performing duties outside the scope of 'support worker', as defined in this document, could put yourself or the Client at risk. It's also a breach of our policies, which could impact your employment and insurance coverage. It is therefore very important that you understand your role as a support worker, including the activities you can and cannot do, and contact Hireup immediately if you are unsure. You can also find more information on our Help Centre.

Position Overview

Duties and Responsibilities

The specific duties that you will undertake as a support worker will be set and agreed by the Client or the Account Manager. Please refer to the "Support Requirements" section of each Client’s profile for an overview of the duties required by each Client you support. You are invited to reach out to Clients where the "Support Requirements" section appeals to you.

Further verbal and/or written instructions may be provided by the Client or the Account Manager at the time of meeting. It is the responsibility of the Client or the Account Manager to explain to you exactly what tasks need to be performed on each shift. As a general rule, Hireup requires support workers to perform all tasks within the following guidelines:

• Adhere with the Hireup Standards and Procedures including the Hireup Code of Conduct. You can access these documents here.
• Perform all duties with professionalism and care.
• You must only work with one Client at a time, except in limited circumstances when approved by Hireup in writing. When you are booked by an individual on Hireup you must only provide one-to-one support. If you are instructed to work with more than one Client at the same time, you must advise us immediately and before undertaking that work. 
• At all times, work under general guidance from the Client/Account Manager, within clearly defined guidelines. This means that the tasks you undertake should be clearly explained to you, with guidance given should you need it as you go.
• You are responsible for managing your time, and for planning and organising your own work, within the general guidance which may be provided by the individual or Client you support.
• You may be asked to work with limited supervision. This is appropriate as long as instructions on how to perform the task have been given in advance.
• Perform activities requiring the exercise of sound judgment, initiative, confidentiality, and sensitivity in the performance of work. However, guidance should be available to you should you need it.
• Follow all Hireup guidelines in regard to incident reporting, mandatory reporting, providing feedback and raising concerns.

As a general rule, Hireup support workers may be asked to provide support in the following areas:

• Assisting Clients with personal care, health care and hygiene in areas such as dressing, bathing, toileting and eating.
• Assisting Clients to develop daily living skills by facilitating their participation in budgeting, shopping, meal planning and preparation, cooking and management of residence.
• Supporting activities of mobility and transferring, which promote independence. Clear instructions should be provided by the Client and/or the Account Manager to enable you to undertake this work.
• Supporting necessary household duties such as cooking, cleaning and laundry activities.
• Supporting Clients to keep themselves and their environments safe, clean and healthy.
• Support the health and wellbeing of the Client, such as taking medications or attending medical appointments. Clear instructions should be provided by the Client to enable you to undertake this work.
• Preparation for, and assistance with, leaving the home on outings for social, vocational or recreational purposes.
• Following specific support plans in relation to the Clients needs.to care plans for the Client or their representative.
• Provide the Client with assistance with administrative tasks.
• Supporting the dignity of risk of the Client, and supporting individual decision making.

Assessing Risk

Support workers must assess risk in determining whether tasks, activities or duties are beyond the scope that could reasonably be expected from someone in the role of support worker.

Examples of tasks, duties or activities outside the remit of support worker include:

• Any activity involving specialist knowledge, skill or abilities that you do not possess.
• Performing any sort of medical procedure or intervention without clear instruction, and which are beyond your skills, experience, qualifications and the expectations of the support worker role.
• Operating heavy machinery.
• Using substances, tools or equipment (e.g. hoists) not fit for purpose or without training or specific support plans developed by the Clients treating health professionals or Hireup’s RN.  
• Performing any activity that has the potential to affect health and safety tools without first assessing risks and ensuring effective controls are in place.

Please contact Hireup immediately if you are unsure about the duties given to you by a Client/Account Manager. It is always better to check than to make a mistake, and we are always here to provide clarification. You can also access the Hireup Stop Think Plan Risk Assessment to provide additional information on assessing risks.

Hours/Days of Work

The hours and days of work will be agreed between you and the person you are working with. As a support worker, you are free to engage with Clients of your choice in a manner which suits your availability. You will not be told who to work for or what hours you must work; it is for you to choose your hours based on your availability and the needs of the Client/people you are supporting. However, you are responsible for working safely as per Hireup's policies and procedures, as well as relevant health and safety legislation.

Remuneration

The pay rates for Hireup support workers provided on the Hireup website and apply to all types of support. The rate of pay you will receive will depend on the time of day, and the day of the week, that you are working.

If you are employed by Hireup on a casual basis, your hourly rate of pay includes any and all entitlements you may have under the Social, Community Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS), including but not limited to a separate and distinct casual loading of 25%, clearly identified on your pay slip. This is paid to you instead of certain entitlements provided under the National Employment Standards including, but not limited to, paid annual leave, paid personal/carer’s or sick leave and paid compassionate leave.. For all hours you work on Saturday and Sunday, your hourly rate also includes any penalty rates for weekend work.

Please note that support workers on Hireup are not paid for travel time. Hireup gives you the freedom to choose who you work for and we recommend that you engage with Clients who are located conveniently to you. Should you choose to work for two Clients with a large travel distance between, the travel costs involved in the commute are your responsibility.

Skills Required

The skills required to complete the job will vary depending on the needs of the Client. Please ensure you put as much information as you can about yourself on your online profile, highlighting your experiences, hobbies and interests. This way, a Client or their Account Manager will have a good sense of the skills you bring to the role and can determine if you are the right support worker for them. As a general rule, Hireup requires all support workers to have the following:

• Possess a NDIS Worker Screening Check, and where required, State Based checks 
• Hold a current First Aid Certificate
• If providing Transport Support, you will also need to provide a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check
• And if you wish to support children on the platform, you will also require a Working with Children/Vulnerable People check (depending on which state you live in) 
• Have completed the NDIS Worker Orientation Module: “Quality, safety and you”
• Have a working knowledge of Hireup policies, including our Code of Conduct and Health and Safety system, with special emphasis on the Risk Management, Manual Handling, Emergency Preparedness and Online Reporting. Information about these policies and procedures will be provided to you during your time on Hireup and can also be accessed by our Help Centre.
• Be a kind, caring and empathetic individual with a passion for supporting people to the best of your ability.
• Exceptional communication skills.