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We understand that on occasion, Social Carers may be required to support Members in handling money. In such cases, you must always act with transparency, honesty, and accountability, and avoid situations that may breach professional boundaries.
In connection with the services you provide as a Social Carer, you may be asked to handle money on behalf of your Member. This could include running out to grab their grocery shopping or assisting them with the purchasing of a product or service.
When handling money that belongs to your Member, you must act in an honest, transparent, and accountable manner and take all reasonable steps to reduce your risk of seemingly compromising or unprofessional conduct.
Please note that under no circumstances are you to provide financial advice or assist your Members in the management of their financial affairs and that the information in this article does not relate to these unapproved services.
Money Handling Procedure
Consent and Agreement
Social Carers should only handle money if they have been given express permission to do so by the Member or their account manager. Like Family recommends that a written confirmation of the agreement be shared between all parties to ensure that the expectations and guidelines are clear.
Budgets and Plans
We recommend that all Social Carers who are required to handle money be given a money-handling plan or budget by the Member or their support network. These budgets and plans might include:
- Guidelines and limitations on what money can be spent on
- Daily/Weekly spending limits
- Other persons who may need to be involved in larger purchases
Record Keeping
Like Family recommends that at minimum, receipts should be kept for each transaction. Social Carers may wish to take a photo of receipts obtained for Members for their own records before providing them to the Member. Alternative record keeping methods can be discussed and agreed upon between the Member and Social Carer if desired.
Security of cash, cards, and pin numbers
Social Carers should ensure they have safe and secure processes for handling the cash, cards, and pin numbers of any Member they are supporting with money handling. If Members have preferred methods, Social Carers should accommodate these wherever possible.
Social Carer Expenses
The reimbursement of additional expenses incurred by a Social Carer throughout the course of a booking should be discussed and agreed upon by both parties during the Meet & Greet phase of the relationship.
Like Family recommends that Social Carers be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses such as entry fees, transport costs, parking, etc. unless previously agreed otherwise.
Social Carers should provide and/or pay for their own meal during the course of a booking, except in circumstances where they are unable to do so because of the nature of the shift.
Payment for these additional expenses must be managed by direct arrangement between the Social Carer and the Member.
Gifts and Loans
Social Carers should not give, ask for, or accept gifts, loans, or inducements from Members or their support networks. Doing so blurs professional boundaries and can influence decision-making and service provision.
Members and Social Carers may decide to exchange small, tokenistic gifts, such as a card or box of chocolates as a “thank you” or for special events, but Like Family recommends that these gifts should not exceed a value of $20-$30.
Exchanging or requesting gifts, loans, or inducements that exceed this value can create issues and conflict in Member/Social Carer relationships. Consider the following scenario:
Amy is a 25-year-old Member with an intellectual disability. She operates a small online business and receives support from Like Family Social Carer, Amanda. One day, Amy asks Amanda for a $300 loan for her business that she promises to pay back. Because of the closeness of their relationship, Amanda agrees in good faith and transfers the funds.
Several weeks pass and Amy is unable to recover the funds that Amnada lent her. Feeling uncomfortable about the situation and seeking to avoid conflict, Amy terminates her working relationship with Amanda and cuts all contact.
Amanda is now unable to recover her money