Lots of people in Hireup’s community love to travel and go on amazing adventures. When it comes to having a great holiday, clear communication and planning are essential for a safe and stress-free trip!
The most important part for planning any trip is making sure everyone’s needs are met, including your support worker’s, so you can use this checklist to make sure everything is taken care of.
- Managing support worker bookings
- Accessibility during your trip
- Financial considerations
- Health and safety
- Expectations and boundaries
Managing support worker bookings
When you create a booking on Hireup, your support worker will need to confirm the booking before the trip commences. Keep in mind that Hireup insurance only covers the booking times as reflected in the platform and is not a replacement for travel insurance. Make sure you consider the following:
- Is your support worker familiar and have they completed the required specialised training to offer specific supports during the trip?
- Confirm and discuss if there will be any Sleepovers needed, and if so, whether they’ll be active or inactive. These must be booked prior to the trip taking place.
- Is there time for rest in your itinerary? Bookings should take into account support worker fatigue, especially if there’s driving involved.
Accessibility during your trip
What accessibility needs will you have to consider for the trip?
- Is your accommodation accessible and meets any specific requirements, such as wheelchair access?
- How will accommodation be paid for? Does the accommodation have a flexible cancellation policy if plans change?
- How will you and your support worker travel to and from the destination?
- Clarify whether meals will be provided or shared during the trip.
- Additionally, check if either your support worker has any dietary requirements or preferences that need to be accommodated.
Financial considerations
Confirm with your LAC, NDIS Planner, or Plan Manager that your funding is adequate to cover the anticipated costs for your holiday bookings. It’s important to make sure this type of expenditure aligns with your NDIS plan goals and can be claimed under your current plan.
- Agree on a budget for the trip, including costs for accommodation, transportation, activities, and any additional support services.
- Discuss how expenses will be managed and who will be responsible for paying for various aspects of the trip. e.g. entertainment/activities, travel insurance, accommodation, transport? Will any meals be provided for?
- If you are travelling overseas determine your method of payment and confirm with your bank that you are able to use your card abroad ahead of the trip
Getting a quote from Hireup
Our team can offer an estimation of booking costs with a quote. This may assist with discussions with LAC, NDIS Planner or Plan Managers regarding funding availability. Please note the following in regard to quotes:
- Hireup can only provide you with a quote if you have booking times in mind. We are unable to provide quotes if you do not know what bookings you would like to make.
- Hireup will be unable to provide multiple amendments to quotes.
- Quotes are an estimation of costs and do not include any changes made to booking times or additional factors such as vehicle allowance.
Health and safety
Everyone’s health and safety is always a priority, so being prepared beforehand can help if anyone ever needs medical attention.
- Address any medical requirements, including medications, medical equipment, and access to healthcare services if needed.
- Establish clear emergency procedures and contact information for local medical services.
- Both you and your support worker must clearly communicate emergency contact information with each other and Hireup.
- Discuss and confirm who will be responsible for carrying travel-related documentation such as passports and tickets.
- Create a plan for how you will manage the movement of luggage throughout the trip including during transit through airports, bus terminals etc. Ensure that those manoeuvring luggage are doing so safely, particularly when handling heavy items
An important note on dignity of riskWe believe that a person’s quality of life is improved when there is the space to take informed and acceptable risks for themselves. This is known as “dignity of risk”. To make this support or service effective and safe, it’s important to understand that while you, your family or Account Manager will be making these decisions, it is your support worker’s obligation to find the balance between respecting the right to make these decisions and ensuring that the safety of both themselves and Clients during the provision of all support or services. Discuss the boundaries between dignity of risk for the Client and unsafe support, to ensure that everyone is on the same page during the planning process of a trip. For more information, Dignity of Risk (from Hireup’s Code of Conduct). |
Expectations and boundaries
Being open, honest and proactive with communicating your expectations and boundaries is the key to making your trip successful and fun. Discuss and respect personal boundaries and privacy to ensure both you, your support team and your other travel companions are comfortable.
- Clarify the roles and responsibilities of your support worker and yourself during the trip to avoid misunderstandings.
- Discuss how you would prefer to interact with each other and others during the trip. Consider how you will stay in touch when you are not on a support shift during the holiday. Do you prefer phone calls or texting?
- What are the expectations around alcohol or cigarettes during the trip?
- If there is a change to plans, how will shift changes and cancellations be managed during your holiday. For example, what happens if flights are delayed or cancelled or if someone is sick during the trip?