Purpose & Scope 

Hireup considers safety one of its highest priorities. By creating a model that combines choice and control for people with disabilities and smart technology, we can harness powerful safeguarding. 

Hireup Support Workers must obtain First Aid Certification before being approved to provide support on the platform. More information about how Hireup approaches first aid for our Clients is contained within the First Aid Position Statement. 

This procedure documents Hireup’s approach to managing situations in which a Hireup Support Worker requires first aid treatment.  

Alignment to Hireup’s Values

This Support Worker First Aid Procedure has been developed to support and embody Hireup’s five values. Each aspect of this procedure is a reflection of our commitment to these principles.

The Person is the Point	Reduce the risks to the people in our care: Our appetite for risk is fundamentally framed by the impact on the person, not the impact on the business. Our approach is framed by the key concepts of Choice and Control and Dignity of Risk. This includes ensuring that we are, as much as is reasonably practicable, managing risks to the health and safety of our Support Workers while they are delivering our services.
We Champion Choice	Empowering through Dignity of Risk & Choice and Control: We recognise that the core principles of Dignity of Risk and Choice and Control must be framed in a way that balances these principles with the safety of Support Workers and Clients.  We champion choices that are informed by the safety risks that pose a danger to our people.
We Live the Power of "Yes"	Commitment to supporting momentum over perfection: This procedure supports how often we can say yes, and to what activities we say yes to. It recognises that we balance saying yes with understanding the risks to health and safety, and working with our Clients to understand those risks and how to control them.
We Use Business for Good	We manage the risks so the business can thrive: We want to deliver the best support and care we can. Recognising that our Support Workers might be injured in delivering services is part of a pragmatic, risk-based service delivery model.  We cannot provide excellent support to our clients if our Support Workers are not safe, and they do not have a procedure to follow if they are injured on shift.
We push for the best	Excellence in Safety: Keeping our people safe is one of our most critical commitments. We deliver support in a unique way. That brings additional risks. This procedure reflects our commitment to ensuring we have covered the bases in identifying potential issues and providing practical guidance on what to do if they arise.

Core Principles

• Immediate Response
  • Immediate assistance is to be provided to a Support Worker experiencing a minor or serious injury or illness 
  • This includes rendering first aid and contacting emergency services (000)
  • Clients and Account managers are to provide first aid as far as their skill set and capacity allow. 
  • Hireup provides 24/7 out-of-hours incident report support, with all incidents reviewed within 4 hours. 
• Prompt reporting
  • Support Workers must report all incidents, injuries and near misses to Hireup in spite of how minor they might be as soon as possible after the event. Detailed incident reporting also allows the capture of all relevant information about the injury, which aids in the management and prevention of future incidents
• Support and Follow-Up
  • All support workers have access to Hireup’s free and confidential Employee Assistance Program Service, which is provided by Sonder.
  • Hireup is committed to providing post-injury support, including assisting Support Workers with early intervention practices and the lodgement of workers' compensation claims. Full details of post-injury or post-illness support are available in Hireup’s Return to Work Program.
  • Hireup provides 24/7 out-of-hours incident report support, with all incidents reviewed within 4 hours. 
• Empowerment through Education: 
  • Support Workers must have current, relevant first aid certification, which is a mandatory compliance requirement for providing support through the platform. This ensures they are equipped with up-to-date knowledge and skills to handle various injuries or health issues that may arise during a shift, including injuries to themselves.
  • Hireup’s Stop Think Plan Risk Assessment and supporting training video are covered as part of the induction training. The tool can be used by Support Workers, Clients and their families to identify hazards and manage risks, including health risks or restrictions relevant to the type of support being provided and where bookings take place. 
• Emergency Preparedness: 
  • All Clients provide a support plan that outlines how to manage potential emergencies.
• Continuous Improvement: 
  • Hireup ensures the regular review and update of procedures and the Return to Work Program based on feedback and insights from incidents to improve safety and response strategies.

Procedure

The following apply to all incidents in which a Support Worker sustains an injury or illness:

• Always prioritise safety for all individuals involved.
• If there is an immediate risk of ongoing harm or the injury requires more than first aid support, contact emergency services on 000. 
• Contact Hireup as soon as possible after the risk of ongoing harm has been managed. You can call Hireup’s Community Support Team on (02) 9113 5933 between 9 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday. Hireup’s Incident report form is available 24/7, and all incidents are reviewed within 4 hours.
• Use the Hireup Stop - Think - Plan risk assessment tool to identify risks to both the Client and Support Worker associated with a Support Worker injury. The risk of a Support Worker requiring first aid during a booking should be considered, with controls identified depending on the type of support being provided and the location of the support shift.  
• Follow the training provided by Hireup and adhere to the First Aid action plans.
• Report all incidents, no matter how minor they may seem, to ensure proper documentation and follow-up.
• Support Workers should be trained to communicate their location and the nature of their injuries to emergency services if they are able to call but cannot administer first aid to themselves. 
• Support Workers should ensure they have easy access to emergency contact numbers, including direct lines to local hospitals, poison control, and a list of all client-specific emergency contacts. It is recommended that support workers carry a mobile phone at all times when safe to do so. 

The following section provides guidance on three core Support Workers injury scenarios:

1. Scenario 1: Support Worker is injured and is able to assist themselves.

2. Scenario 2: Support Worker is injured, is unable to assist themselves, but the Client or Account Manager can provide first aid.

3. Scenario 3: Support Worker is injured, is unable to assist themselves, and the  Client or Account Manager is unable to provide first aid

Scenario 1

• Ensure the Support Worker has immediate access to a comprehensive, up-to-date first aid kit. If there are concerns with providing/ accessing a first aid kit, please contact Hireup for assistance. The Support Worker should assess their own condition and determine the severity of their injury or illness.

• If capable, the Support Worker should administer first aid to themselves, following the steps outlined in their First Aid training. The Client/Account Manager may assist with first aid where comfortable and competent in doing so. 

• The Support Worker must then notify the Client/Account Manager or another designated Hireup contact about the incident, even if they have been able to fully manage the situation themselves.

• The Support Worker must then report via the Incident Report form. 

Scenario 2

• Ensure the Support Worker has immediate access to a comprehensive, up-to-date first aid kit. If there are concerns with providing/accessing a first aid kit, please contact Hireup for assistance.

• If a Support Worker is injured and cannot fully assist themselves, and another support worker is present, that worker is required to administer first aid. In the event only the Client/Account Manager is present, they should provide first aid as far as their skill set and capacity allow, including contacting 000. The assisting individual should apply first aid as per the injured Support Worker's guidance or by following their own First Aid training. It is crucial to ensure that any assistance provided does not put the assisting individual or the Client at risk.

• All incidents must be reported to Hireup as per the Incident Reporting Procedure.

Scenario 3

• Ensure the Support Worker has immediate access to a comprehensive, up-to-date first aid kit. If there are concerns with providing/accessing a first aid kit, please contact Hireup for assistance.
• All Support Workers are encouraged to check in with the Support Office if they identify any additional health or safety risks associated with the delivery of support for a specific booking. 
  • These risks will be considered by working with the Client and their family through the Client’s individualised risk assessment and identifying and documenting risk controls such as the use of alarms or emergency devices, if available.
• In cases where a Support Worker is injured and the Client is unable to provide assistance (due to physical inability, lack of training, or any other reason), the Support Worker should seek help by calling emergency services or signalling for help from another individual, if possible.
• Hireup should be informed of the incident as soon as possible to ensure proper follow-up and support.

Support Services

Emergency Services - 000

Lifeline - 13 11 14

Poisons Information Centre - 13 11 26