In the words of the late & very great David Bowie - ch ch ch ch anges.....
The world of home care is changing - with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme for people with a Disability, and Consumer Directed Care for the elderly. The world of self directed services are not too far away... unlike One Direction!
Both of these provide people with much more flexibility about who, when and how their care services are delivered. Perhaps one of the most exciting possibilities is the opportunity for the person receiving support to hire their own support workers.
In the perfect world this would be easy - easy to find the right person, that is easy to get on with all of the time, who always turns up for work, who always meets all the requirements of the job, and never leaves.
Unfortunately its not always easy, and while there is a lot of positives in hiring your own workers (getting to hire the person you are comfortable with, avoiding any agency fees, having full control over when / how the service is delivered) there are some pitfalls, and these need serious consideration before you dive in.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Finding the right person may not be as easy as you think. It takes time, so if you are going to hire your own staff - start early!
WHAT IF THEY AREN'T PERFORMING TO A GOOD STANDARD ?
Do you feel comfortable and confident telling someone they are not performing to standard and where they need to improve, OR in the worst case - terminating someone's employment in a way that meets the requirements set out by Fair Work Australia?
ARE YOU AWARE OF THE 'ON COSTS' ?
If you employ your own staff you are responsible for their pay as you go tax, superannuation, workcover and other insurances. Either you need to have these covered, or make sure the staff member does.
WHAT IF THEY DON'T ARRIVE FOR A SHIFT ?
Do you have a backup plan in place if your worker doesn't arrive or resigns unexpectedly? Consider having a team of workers rather than just one or two, that way you always have back up.
WHILST THERE ARE CHALLENGES
it can be the perfect fit for some people, and there are resources to help you find the right person.
Do your research and have a back up plan to cover all eventualities - and perhaps consider using an agency to assist in recruiting, managing and processing payroll for your staff.
Keep an eye out for our next blog in this series, about how and where to find the right staff for you and more regarding what NOT to do!
