Providing support whilst adhering to Government hygiene and PPE standards

Introduction

Hireup acknowledges that these are unprecedented times. This policy is communicated with the intention of setting expectations about how Hireup Support Workers should be working to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading coronavirus (COVID-19). We all have a duty of care to ourselves and the people we support to take reasonable care of our own health and safety and to not adversely affect the health and safety of others. 

This policy applies to support that generally applies to Support Worker and People Seeking Support who are considered to be at low or no risk of COVID-19 as per the following: 

• Support Worker and Person Seeking Support have not travelled internationally;
• Support Worker and Person Seeking Support do not live in or have not travelled to a COVID-19 hotspot;
• Support Worker and Person Seeking Support have not had any close contact with someone who has a confirmed case of coronavirus; and 
• Support Worker and Person Seeking Support do not have any symptoms of being unwell e.g. coughing, fevers, difficulty breathing, etc.

Your safety

The safety of our community is very important to us. We want to ensure that people with disability receive the support they need from support workers who are operating  safely. If you have any concerns, please contact Hireup.

Hireup will continually monitor relevant information sources and update our policies as required. By following the below recommendations, you will be complying with Australian Government, and the World Health Organization's guidelines. Further information can be accessed at https://www.health.gov.au/. 

If you have been exposed to someone who has returned a positive result for COVID-19 testing or is at risk of COVID-19 due to exposure to a confirmed case or returning from overseas travel or travel to a hotspot, please contact Hireup immediately for further instruction and support. 

Protection Measures for Everyone 

You can reduce your chances of contracting or spreading COVID-19 by following some simple precautions:

• In line with the position of the Australian Government, Hireup recommends vaccination against COVID-19.
• When providing face to face support, we strongly recommend wearing a face mask which covers your mouth and nose if you can not socially distance, even when it is not mandated by government restrictions. Please refer to Our Approach to PPE for the latest in PPE recommendations for each State and Territory.
• Regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water including before and after eating and after going to the toilet. See below for more information on safe hand washing. 
• Carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when you are out of the home and clean your hands regularly.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces regularly including frequently used objects such as mobile phones keys and wallets.
• Maintain at least 1.5 metres distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
• Increase the amount of fresh air by opening windows. 
• Wash your clothes at the end of every shift/day.
• Moisturise hands to prevent dry skin.
• Cover any breaks in your skin e.g. using a bandaid.
• Keep your fingernails short and avoid using artificial nails.
• Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing,  stay more than 1.5 metres away from others and seek medical attention, calling  in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.
• Practice social distancing by avoiding handshaking and other physical greetings, consider what travel and outings are necessary and go to open places such as parks. 

Utilising PPE in a safe and responsible way

PPE is one way to create a barrier between yourself and the virus. You can reduce your chances of contracting or spreading COVID-19 by utilising relevant PPE according to the situation you’re managing:

• For face to face support, we strongly recommend wearing a face mask which covers your mouth and nose even when it is not mandated by government restrictions. Please refer to Our Approach to PPE for the latest in PPE recommendations for each State and Territory. The Department of Health & Human Services Victoria recommends that unless damp or soiled, workers may wear a surgical mask for up to four hours. Hireup have modelled Support Worker allowances based on replacing a surgical mask every 3 hours. 
• For face to face support, we strongly recommend wearing eye protection e.g. goggles/safety glasses even when it is not mandated by government restrictions. Where there is a requirement to wear eye protection during a shift, Support Workers may choose the most comfortable eye protection, however must ensure that it meets the AN/NZS 1337.1:2010 standard. Eye protection that meets the standard generally includes this information in the advertisement and packaging. If this is unclear, Support Workers should ask when purchasing eye protection.   
• Where there is low or no immediate risk of transmission of an infection disease (including COVID-19), Support Workers who wear glasses during their shift are not required to utilise additional eye protection. If the person who is being supported becomes symptomatic with an infectious disease, the Support Worker would be required to utilise either a face shield or prescription safety glasses that meet the AN/NZS 1337.1:2010 standard. If the infectious disease is COVID-19, this must be reported to Hireup who will provide case management support.
• You can still pick up COVID-19 contamination when wearing rubber gloves and infect yourself by touching your face. Good hand hygiene provides greater general protection against COVID-19 than rubber gloves. If you are working with someone who has a confirmed case or is at risk of having exposure to COVID-19, please refer to Exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace. 

Additional information regarding preventing and managing exposure to infectious diseases can be found at Infection Management Guide.

Safe hand washing

The World Health Organisation guidelines for hand washing recommend singing ‘happy birthday’ twice. While singing, the following steps should be followed:

1. Wet hands with water and apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces
2. Rub hands palm to palm, then right interlace fingers and rub
3. Palm to back of hand interlacing - both sides
4. Rotating hand around thumb - both sides 
5. Cup hand and rotate fingers of opposite palm of hand - both sides
6. Rinse hands with water, palms facing down
7. Dry thoroughly with a single use towel.
8. Turn the tap off with the towel and dispose.

When providing support, adopt the 5 moments hand washing principle. 

1. Before touching the person you are supporting - this is done upon entering the work zone 
2. Before providing direct contact support
3. After providing direct contact support
4. After touching the person you are supporting
5. After touching the persons surrounds

If you are unable to wash your hands before entering the home. Ensure you have hand sanitizer made up of at least 60% alcohol.