Support Worker Code of Conduct

These are the key elements of the Code. It is important for all Support Workers to read them and keep them front of mind when delivering support via the Mable platform.

1. RESPECT – Treat members of the Mable community with respect and dignity, embrace diversity, and acknowledge individual rights of freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making.
2. PROFESSIONALISM – At all times act professionally, ethically and honestly and in the best interests of the Mable Community.
3. BOUNDARIES – Be aware of the appropriate boundaries and act at all times to protect those boundaries. Your Client is your customer and so your relationship with them should reflect this.
4. REPORTING – Follow the Mable Incidents and Complaints Management Policy and Procedure, including making reports to external regulatory authorities or emergency services.
5. ACCOUNTABILITY – Maintain quality support notes that provide details of the services you have provided. Document any accident/incident (via the Mable Incident Report Form or your support notes) that occurs whilst providing services.
6. PRIVACY – Keep confidential all personal information and records of Clients or any other person whose personal information requires protecting under the Privacy Act 1988.
7. HEALTH AND SAFETY – Provide care services with the highest regard for the health, safety and wellbeing of you and your Clients.
8. CONFLICT OF INTEREST – Avoid situations that may give rise to financial or other conflicts of interest.
9. GOOD FAITH – Act in good faith to the Mable Community, and do not act in a manner that is contrary to the interests of the Mable Community, your Clients or other Support Workers.

Breaking down the key elements of the Mable Support Worker Code of Conduct

To help you understand what it means to abide by the Code, we further explain what each element means and how you can apply it when delivering support via Mable.

Respect

Treat members of the Mable community with respect and dignity, embrace diversity, and acknowledge individual rights of freedom of expression, self-determination and decision-making.

Mable has zero tolerance for violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of Clients using the Mable platform. A culture of respect helps establish the trust that is required for positive relationships to form. These values are core to your success on the Mable platform, and you should enter into every interaction with them in mind.

You must support each Client’s dignity of risk, endeavouring to support their goals whilst working with them to mitigate the risks of their decisions.

The Mable community is an assortment of many different cultures and identities. As a Support Worker, you are expected to value and support diversity. Mable has a zero tolerance policy toward harassment or discrimination, and will take decisive action if this is reported to us. Diversity can include the following;

• Race, colour, or ethnic origin
• Age
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Religion
• Gender identity
• Physical or mental conditions
• Political views

PROFESSIONALISM

Act at all times professionally, ethically and honestly and in the best interests of the Mable Community.

Communication

When communicating with members of the Mable Community, you should remain professional at all times. This means communicating in a way that is clear, truthful, and polite.

The Mable platform empowers you to have open and honest communication, and sometimes that communication can travel quickly and unpredictably. You should stop and consider your message before sending it, and think how it may be received by the person you are sending it to.

Responding

Good communication begins with a response. You should try to respond to all people who message you on the platform. Responding in a timely manner is also important, so that no one is left confused, without support, or with a need that is not met.

Care Standards

Deliver reliable, high quality and personalised care, and act at all times in accordance with the instructions, care plan and/or goals of the Client.

Attendance

Being unable to attend a service happens. What is important is that if you cannot attend a service, you let the other person know as far in advance as possible. Working in teams can enable you to help your Client with alternative support.

Honesty

Ensure all statements you make, and information that you provide to Mable, and to Clients, is honest, accurate and up-to-date.

BOUNDARIES

Be aware of the appropriate boundaries and act at all times to protect those boundaries.

By providing support services, you are engaging in a professional relationship with your Clients. Respect and maintenance of boundaries are crucial to this relationship. This means you must not:

• Inappropriately touch a Client;
• Engage in a sexual relationship with a Client;
• Take unfair advantage or exploit any relationship with Clients in any way;
• Act in a vulgar manner, nor expose Clients or members of their household to pornographic, sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate material;
• Steal from a Client or a member of a Client’s household or accept any gifts of any kind;
• Be under the influence of drugs or alcohol whilst providing services to Clients, or supply drugs to Clients;
• Purchase alcohol for Clients under the age of 18;
• Become a beneficiary of their will;
• Bring another person to the support session with you, including friends or family members or arrange to meet up with another person during a support session without the express consent of your Client;
• If your Client is a minor, you must never meet up with another person during the support session, take them to another person’s residence or your own place of residence; or
• Purchase drugs or illicit substances for Clients.

REPORTING

Immediately report any form of abuse, neglect or exploitation in accordance with your state or territory requirements and any episode or incident to the emergency services and/or regulatory bodies.

If something isn’t right, or doesn’t feel right, call it out. You have a duty to let the appropriate regulatory authority (such as the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission or the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission) and Mable know of issues when they arise and keep a record of them. Feedback is important and without it we cannot take action or provide support. Mable takes each report seriously.

As a Support Worker on the Mable platform, you must prevent and respond to any inappropriate behaviour by anyone towards a person with a disability or an older person. This means you must make any necessary report in accordance with the Mable Incidents and Complaints Management Policy and Procedure.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability means taking ownership of the support you provide. This includes documenting all details of any accident/incident (via the Mable Incident Report Form or your support notes) that occur during service delivery and maintaining detailed support notes that reflect the service you have provided.

Sometimes, support sessions may not go to plan and incidents may occur while you’re providing support. If an incident occurs during a support session, fill out an online incident report form.

As well as maintaining a safe working environment, you must ensure that accurate and timely records are kept about your Client’s history, support needs and/or medication. You must provide detailed support notes to ensure the Client’s ongoing wellbeing and safety, and that any change in health is documented in a timely manner to enable any necessary interventions on behalf of the Client. If an insurance claim is made, the support notes you submit are an important part of the claim.

PRIVACY

Keep confidential all personal information and records of Clients.

Privacy matters. Honouring Client privacy enhances trust in the relationship you build via the platform. You are also legally required to handle personal information of Clients appropriately. This means you must not share or take advantage of any personal information or sensitive information (including health and financial information) of Clients obtained during the course of providing care services.

By using the Mable platform, you agree to adhere to the Mable Privacy Policy, which can be found here.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Provide care services safely and with the highest regard for the health, safety and wellbeing of Clients.

In providing care services to Clients, you must act with the utmost care for the health, safety and wellbeing of you and your Clients.

To keep everyone healthy and safe when providing services, it is important that you only provide care services that you are qualified and approved by Mable to provide. You should say no to a Client if they request you do something you are not capable of, and in some cases, not qualified or trained to deliver.

Restrictive Practices (NDIS)

If you provide service to an NDIS participant that has restrictive practices in your Behaviour Support Plan you must use an NDIS-registered provider who is registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

If you enter into an agreement with a Client and:

1. They have not disclosed that they have restrictive practices in their Behaviour Support Plan; and/or
2. Restrictive practices are used during a support session; and/or
3. Your Client requests that you use restrictive practices during a support session.

If any of the above occurs, you must:

1. Inform Mable’s Trust and Safety Team;
2. Notify the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission; and
3. Cease receiving services via the Mable platform immediately.

Restrictive Practices (Aged Care)

In respect of Aged Care, you are not permitted to use restrictive practices with any Client you provide support services to on the platform unless you are authorised to do so. If there is inappropriate use of restrictive practices, you must:

1. Inform Mable’s Trust and Safety Team; and
2. Notify the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission as it could be a Priority 1 or 2 incident under the Serious Incident Response Scheme.

For more information on restrictive practices please refer to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission resources and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission resources.

GOOD FAITH

Act in good faith to Mable and our community, and not act in a manner that is contrary to the interests of Mable and our community. The Mable platform offers many safeguards to ensure the safety and wellbeing of you and your Clients. If you perform support sessions outside the platform, you are not protected by these safeguards and potentially putting members of the Mable Community at risk. We therefore expect that you will not offer to provide or provide services to Clients you meet via Mable outside the platform. If a Client approaches you to provide care services outside the Mable platform, it is important that you immediately notify the Mable Trust and Safety Team.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Avoid situations that may give rise to financial or other conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest may exist when your personal interests are inconsistent with those of Mable or your Clients.

You must not use your role as a Support Worker to benefit your family, friends or associates or defraud the NDIS or Home Care Packages Program. Examples of conflicts of interest include:

• Management of accounts – Support Workers must not be in control of a Client’s Mable account and in / general, must not deal with a Client’s finances. You should seek approval from Mable if a situation arises where it is necessary for you to control a Client’s profile.
• Family members must not provide support services to family members as a Support Worker unless you can provide us with proof that you have permission from the NDIA or Department of Health and Aged Care for you to provide those services as a Support Worker.
• When financial transactions take place, record these details in your support notes and, where possible, advise the Client’s chosen representative;
• You must not accept gifts of any nature from Clients.