At Hireup, we're building a community for our Clients, which facilitates their control of their own support or services received through Hireup. We know that any successful community is built on a foundation of trust, so we've created this Code of Conduct (“Code”) to enable you to understand how you can participate positively in our community.
This Code sets out your responsibilities and will apply whenever you're participating in the Hireup community, including but not limited to when you are interacting with Hireup Users on the Platform, interacting with Clients or the Hireup team generally and when engaging in all forms of services offered by Hireup.
Capitalised terms within this Code have the same meaning as those in the Terms of Use unless otherwise defined in this Code.
The Hireup Principles
Everything that happens within the Hireup community is underpinned by our core principles. These principles provide us with a framework to engage with each other.
This is an evolving document—we're constantly rethinking our approach as we learn from the community. But these principles are the heart of what we've learnt so far, and we're always working to make sure they're enforced.
Choice and Control
We believe that our Clients should have total choice and control over the support or services they receive from Hireup. We've designed the Hireup model to ensure that our Clients decide who they work with, when they want their support or services to be provided, the scope of that support or service and how they would like those services or supports to be structured and delivered.
Recruitment
If you are a Client, you are in charge of your own services and supports, you are responsible for securing services from the Hireup community. In doing so you should ensure you are assessing the suitability of each Hireup User and person to join your support team (including but not limited to Home Care & Support Workers) that you engage with to provide your specific services or support. When building your Hireup support team (which may include 1 or more Hireup Users who provide a variety of different support or services) (“Support Team”) you should be clear with your goals and ensure that you are building a Support Team that can help you achieve them.
Direction
As a Client, prior to providing instruction and direction to your Support Team, you should consider the scope of support or services that can be provided through Hireup. Your Support Team may include a variety of services or supports, including but not limited to Home Care & Support Workers. You should only ask each member in your Support Team to complete work that falls within the boundaries of their job description.
You should provide your Support Team with all relevant information about your support or service requirements and you must provide each Support Team member with induction, training and direction on the services or support you need.
As a member of a Support Team, you must respect the instructions, directions and decisions of both the Client, their family or Account Manager and the Hireup team (except in cases that it is unsafe or illegal to do so).
You must make yourself familiar with the support or service requirements of the Client and any other support or service training documents that will help you deliver safe services. You must be responsive to feedback and training provided to you by Hireup or the Client and/or Account Manager.
Clients and Account Managers must not ask Support Team members to complete any activities that they are not qualified or skilled to perform, are not willing to perform, are unsafe or illegal or breach our Policies and Procedures. Neither should Support Team members complete activities that they are not qualified or skilled to perform, are not willing to perform, are unsafe or illegal to perform or breach our Policies and Procedures.
Management
As a Client or Account Manager, you are responsible for providing your Support Team with a good working environment. You should build strong relationships that are mindful of professional boundaries.
You should respect the time of your Support Team by communicating clearly and in a timely manner about expected hours of work, tasks to be fulfilled, the support or services you require and provide reasonable notice for any cancellations (in accordance with our cancellation statement) or changes in tasks, support or services. You should also ensure all completed shifts or hours worked are processed on time to ensure prompt payment of your Support Team.
Individualised Support
Support Team members should endeavour to provide a service that is individualised and is supporting the Client they are working with to achieve their individual goals. This can be achieved by asking lots of questions to understand the preferences of the Client so that their individual choices and requirements are guiding the work.
Strong relationships should be built with Clients and their support network while always being mindful of professional boundaries.
Professionalism
Support Team members must only provide support or services that they are engaged by Hireup to deliver. A Client may receive a variety of different support services however Support Team members must only work within the scope of their role as set out in their job description or any agreement they have with Hireup and the Client they are providing support or services to. Support Team members must always comply with Hireup's Policies and Procedures while using the Hireup Platform, engaging with Hireup Clients, the Hireup community and the Hireup team.
Support Team members must be punctual, reliable and act in accordance with the Hireup cancellation statement (Home Care & Support Workers) or the relevant provisions of their agreement with, Hireup and the Client. Support Team members must refrain from possessing or using drugs or alcohol when working with Hireup.
Health and Wellbeing
Support Team members should be aware of fatigue and exhaustion in order to provide the best services and support possible. Clients and Account Managers should also give consideration to other things that are going on in their Support Team members lives. Like a lot of things, quality is better than quantity when it comes to the provision of any support or services.
Dignity of Risk
We 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”. Everyone faces different risks based on factors including age, for our Client’s, the impact their disability has on their life, the type of support they require and the environment in which their support is delivered.
Dignity of risk is about respecting everyone’s right to assess the risks associated with their decisions and actions.
Enabling Risk
We firmly believe that our Clients, and/or their families or Account Managers are the best people to make the decisions about the level of risk they are willing to take in pursuit of their goals and aspirations. This means making their own decisions about the kind of support or services received, when it is received and who provides it. To make this support or service effective and safe, it’s important to understand that while a Client, their families or Account Managers will be making these decisions, it is the Support Team’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. We encourage all Hireup Users to approach these decisions with open and clear communication so everyone is on the same page.
Assessing Risk
Support Team members should also feel empowered to make risk-based decisions; this means assessing the risks and making decisions about whether to complete certain work or undertake any task at the request of Hireup or our Clients. When assessing risks, Support Team members must consider the duty of care they have to Clients to ensure their safety and wellbeing whilst on shift. Respect should always be shown to a Support Team member's right to decide to provide any support or service if they do not feel safe, comfortable or qualified to do so.
Working Safely
Clients, Account Managers and Support Team members have the responsibility to ensure that quality support and services are delivered in a safe working environment.
Safe Environment
Clients and Account Managers are responsible for ensuring that the work environment provided is safe and appropriate for their Support Team. This includes but is not limited to maintaining equipment and ensuring that the environment is free of hazards that could cause injury to you or anyone in your Support Team.
Zero tolerance for abuse and neglect
Hireup has a zero tolerance policy for abuse, neglect, negligence, violence, discrimination, bullying and harassment. This means the prevention of and response to all forms of violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse towards Clients or anyone in your Support Team. You must report any concerns of abuse or neglect to Hireup as soon as you are aware of them.
You must not assault, harass or intimidate any Hireup User, any member of our community, or deliberately or negligently expose another Hireup User or any other member of our community to a risk of physical, psychological or other harm.
Security and Privacy
You must maintain the confidentiality and privacy of the personal information of our Clients, members of your Support Team and other members of the Hireup community. This means you must not share information about our Clients, your Support Team member, other people you are working with or any other member of the Hireup community with anyone else without their consent. You must keep your Hireup Account password secret and not provide anyone else access to your Hireup Account.
If you become aware of a potential or actual privacy or confidentiality breach, you must report it to Hireup immediately.
Inclusion
You should contribute positively to an environment that is free from discrimination, bullying and harassment, including on the basis of disability, race, age, sex, gender identity, religion, political or other opinion or affiliation, or criminal record.
Authenticity
You must not use the Platform or communicate with Hireup Users, Hireup or any member of our community for a purpose which is not related to potential or actual support or services.
You must not provide any information that is incorrect, misleading or deceptive on your Hireup profile or in any communications you have with other Hireup Users, Hireup or any member of our community. You also must not include any offensive, defamatory, derogatory or inappropriate material in your Hireup profile or in any communications you have with other Hireup Users, Hireup or any member of our community.
Reporting
Support Team members have reporting requirements, some of which may be mandatory, including situations where it is believed that there is a significant risk of harm to the Client. This includes physical harm, sexual harm, emotional or psychological harm, financial abuse, neglect or exposure to domestic violence. Use of restrictive practices must also be reported.
Support Team members also have a responsibility to report any issues or incidents that occur during or in relation to any support or service provided through Hireup via our 24-hour online reporting tool, as soon as possible or at the very least within 1 day of the incident occurring.
Hireup Users must work transparently and honestly with Hireup to resolve any complaints, issues or incidents. Every Hireup User is accountable for their performance and behaviour while engaging with Hireup, other Hireup Users and the Hireup community.
You should always feel comfortable to share any concerns with Hireup, whether or not an ‘incident’ has happened.
Positive Communication
Communication is one of the strongest tools we have to build strong working relationships. Words can be powerful in shaping how we think and feel about ourselves and each other.
Respectful conversations
Disability is often talked about with sweeping assumptions, which doesn't help us accurately or positively represent the variety and diversity of disability. We expect every Hireup User to engage in respectful, nuanced and open-minded conversations within and outside our community and to be aware of the words and language you use.
Effective communication
You will maximise your work opportunities (Support Team members) and your success with Hireup by engaging in open, effective and timely communication with our Clients, Support Team members, the Hireup community and the Hireup team.
Other Responsibilities
Hireup Policies and Procedures
The Hireup principles outlined in this Code and our Policies and Procedures will help guide you and our community. Understanding and committing to your role and responsibilities as outlined in our Policies and Procedures is vital as we all work to maintain a healthy and supportive Hireup community. You must comply with the Policies and Procedures which apply to you. If you want more information on these Policies and Procedures or are unsure where to find them please get in touch with our team.
NDIS Worker Code of Conduct - Support Team Members
As Support Team members, you will often be supporting participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has set out an NDIS code of conduct that applies to anyone involved in delivering support or services to people with disability. The NDIS code of conduct imposes civil penalties on people who fail to follow it, so we're committed to helping you understand your role in bringing the code to life. The code asks that you:
- act with respect for individual rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making in accordance with applicable laws and conventions;
- respect the privacy of people with disability;
- provide supports and services in a safe and competent manner, with care and skill;
- act with integrity, honesty and transparency;
- promptly take steps to raise and act on concerns about matters that may impact the quality and safety of supports and services provided to people with disability;
- take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against, and exploitation, neglect and abuse of, people with disability; and
- take all reasonable steps to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.
You can access the laws and regulations managed by the Commission here.
Also, if you're based in Victoria, Hireup and Hireup Support Team members also have to follow the Victorian Code of Conduct for support workers. The code has five obligations for workers, which you can read here.