Support Worker Shift Coverage Policy And Guidelines
User Manual: Support-Worker-Shift-Coverage-Policy-and-Guidelines
Open the PDF directly: View PDF 
.
Page Count: 2
The Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of SA Inc
page 1 of 2
Support Worker Shift Coverage
Policy and Guidelines
STATEMENT
Support Workers will be responsible for organising cover for any shifts they are rostered for
but are unable to attend, except in cases of acute illness or emergency.
This cover will be organised from within the Support Workers own team. Only if such efforts
prove unsuccessful, will the Support Worker contact the Client Admin Officer and ask for
assistance to ensure the shift is covered.
Approved by:
Date: July 2008
The Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of SA Inc.(PQSA) is incorporated under
the Association Incorporation Act 1985 (SA) and conducts its business through
operating Divisions, namely Support Services and HomeCare+.
Please note that printed copies are not able to be controlled and the Shared Drive should always be
referred to for the most current version.
page 2 of 2
DEFINITIONS
Acute illness – Asthma attack, Appendicitis attack or similar. A headache is not
considered an acute illness
Emergency – a spouse or child taken to hospital, involved in a car accident or any
unforeseen incident which can have serious consequences
PROCEDURES
Support Worker unable to work a rostered shift
1. Support Worker will telephone each of their team members as listed on the bottom of
the roster and ask them if they are able to work the shift.
2. If unsuccessful, the Support Worker then telephones the Client Admin Officer at
HomeCare+ and asks for assistance to cover the shift.
In cases of acute illness or emergency
1. Support Worker will telephone the Client Admin Officer at HomeCare+ and ask for
assistance to cover the shift. (In cases of acute illness or an emergency Support
Workers are not expected to organise shift coverage from within their team).
2. If a Support Worker falls ill during the night, and is rostered for a shift before 9.00am
the next morning, they will telephone HomeCare+ at 6.00am and ask the Client
Admin Officer for assistance with covering the shift. (Support Workers are not
expected to ring team members during the night).
Support Worker taking holidays
1. When a Support Worker is planning to take holidays, they should contact their team
members as listed on the bottom of the roster, either by telephone or if there is one,
through the communication book located in the Client’s house, and organise for all of
their rostered shifts to be covered.
2. If unsuccessful, the Support Worker then telephones the Client Admin Officer at
HomeCare+ and asks for assistance to cover the shift.
3. The Support Worker must complete a leave form and send it to their Client Service
Officer to inform them of the dates and duration of the leave.
Note: The onus is on the Support Worker to ensure that the shift is covered. Failure
to ensure that a shift is covered may lead to termination of employment.
Both the Client and the Client Service Officer are to be notified or any changes or
temporary shift coverage which has been organised within the team and which affects
the roster in any way.
BREACHES OF THIS POLICY
A breach of this policy is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of
employment. Ignorance of these procedures will not generally be accepted as an excuse for
non-compliance. Only in extreme circumstances and where such ignorance can be
demonstrated to have occurred through no fault of the individual concerned will PQSA accept
such an argument.
DISTRIBUTION AND REVIEW
PQSA will ensure all persons engaged to provide services either paid or unpaid will be aware
of this policy and will have easy access to it in an appropriate format. All policies are to be
reviewed on a periodic basis or when legislation or government policy determines.
