Sexual activity support

This is an Easy Read version of our Statement on Sexual Activity Support.

This is a policy.

A policy is a plan for how we should do things.

Policies are where rules come from.

Hireup wrote this policy.

When you see the words ‘we’ or ‘us’, it means Hireup.

We wrote some important words in bold.

We explain what these bold words mean.

You can find out what they mean in the Word list.

You can ask for help to read this guide. 

A friend, family member or support person maybe able to help you.

At Hireup we believe that everyone should be able to: 

• make their own choices
• learn about their body.

We believe everyone should be able to explore and enjoy:

• sexual relationships  
• sexual activities.

A sexual activity includes any type of sexual act:

• with another person

• by yourself.

When we say ‘sexual activity’ in this policy, it can include:

• exploring a sexual activity
• being able to find and use a sexual activity
• taking part in a sexual activity.

We have rules about how Hireup support workers can support sexual activities.

These rules protect:

• Hireup users
• Hireup support workers.

This policy explains what a Hireup support worker can do.

And what they can’t do.

Support workers cannot help with a physical sexual activity.

But they can support you in other ways.

For example, they can help you get ready for a sexual activity.

This policy explains what everyone must do, including:

• Hireup users
• Hireup support workers.

It also includes your rights.

Rights are rules about how other people must treat you.

On the following pages we explain what everyone must do.

And we share examples.

Not all support workers will want to provide support for a sexual activity.

So it’s important to talk about what support you might need first.

Then you can ask them to give you that support.

Support workers don’t have to provide support for a sexual activity.

But they must respect you.

And they shouldn’t judge you.

Support workers must also make sure Hireup users aren’t at risk of harm.

You can contact Hireup if you:

• don’t have a support worker who wants to support you with a sexual activity

• have questions about how to talk to your support worker.

Support workers can also contact Hireup if they are not sure:

• what to do
• how to answer a question.

Everyone needs to give consent before a sexual activity.

When you give someone your consent, you tell them it is ok to do something.

There are laws in Australia about who can give consent to take part in a sexual activity.

You must be over 16 years old to give consent in:

• ACT
• NSW
• NT
• QLD
• VIC
• WA.

You must be over 17 years old to give consent in:

• SA
• TAS.

You must understand:

• the sexual activity
• what you are agreeing to do.

To give consent you must want to take part in the sexual activity.

And you must agree to take part in it.

You can’t give consent if:

• you feel scared

• someone forces you

• someone makes you feel like you need to.

To give consent, you must also be able to:

• understand what choices you have

• make decisions for yourself

• tell others what you want.

When you can do this, we say you have capacity to give consent.

Support workers can’t decide if you have capacity to give consent.

This includes if they don’t agree with your decision.

Support workers should support you to make your own decisions.

If they don’t think you understand what you are agreeing to, they can’t support you with the sexual activity.

The support worker should support you to find a service that can help you understand more.

We explain these services on page.

Before you receive support for a sexual activity you need to:

• talk to your support worker
• agree on what will happen.

You need to clearly explain what support you need:

• before the sexual activity
• after the sexual activity.

You need to choose a safe and private place for the sexual activity to happen.

And you need to make sure you can use it.

You need to agree how you will tell the support worker when you: 

• finish the sexual activity
• need support.

You need to make sure everyone has given consent.

You must book support from at least 2 support workers when you want sexual activity support.

Unless you are doing the sexual activity by yourself.

Then you only need one support worker.

If you can’t book 2 support workers, please contact us to talk about other options.

If you’re not sure about any of the ideas in this section, you should contact Hireup.

We explain how to contact us below.

Support workers must make sure they have your consent before they help with any sexual activity support.

A support worker can talk to you about:

• your relationship
• what support you need for sexual activity.

They can support you to find services to help with a certain topic.

For example, a service to get contraception.

Contraception is products that can:

• help you have safe sex

• make sure no one becomes pregnant.

Support workers can help you find and use an adult shop to buy:

• sex aids 
• adult films.

This includes:

• finding the shop
• getting to and from the shop
• going inside the shop.

A support worker can help you get to the place where you would like to have sex.

For example, helping you get onto the bed in a safe way.

They can help you get undressed.

They can help by setting up:

• aids or toys
• contraception.

For example, they can hand you a condom.

Or set up an adult film and hand you the remote.

A support worker can also help you find sex services that follow the law.

This includes getting there.

And helping you get set up, such as getting onto the bed or getting undressed.

A support worker can’t take part in any sexual activity with you.

They can’t be in the room or just outside the door while it’s happening.

They can’t give you any advice about:

• sexual activities
• sex aids or adult films.

They can’t help you physically take part in a sexual activity.

They can’t touch any of your private body parts.

They can’t put anything in or on your private body parts.

For example:

• they can’t help to put a penis inside a vagina

• they can’t help to put a condom on a penis.

We tried to include as many examples as we could.

But we know there might be situations that aren’t in this policy.

Some Hireup users might need extra support if their disability affects how they move.

If this is true for you, you need to talk to your support worker about the extra help you need.

And you need to make sure they are comfortable with what you are asking them todo.

Support workers cannot help you with the physical sexual activity.

If anyone asks a support worker to take part in a sexual activity, you need to tell Hireup straight away.

You can contact Hireup if you have questions about:

• this policy
• what support you need
• what someone asked you to do.

You should ask these questions before the sexual activity support happens.

Hireup and our support workers can’t give you advice about sexual health.

But we can help you find and use services that can give you this advice.

Anyone who takes part in sexual activities should talk to a health worker.

They can tell you how often to get a check up.

A health worker could be your doctor.

Or they might be a doctor or nurse from a: 

• sexual health centre
• youth health centre
• family planning centre.

You can also find sexual health services in each state and territory.

We included their websites below.

Sexual Health Victoria

www.shvic.org.au

Family Planning NSW

www.fpnsw.org.au/who-we-help/disability

Queensland Government Health

www.qld.gov.au/health/staying-healthy/sexual-health

Sexual Health Quarters – WA

www.shq.org.au/disability

Shine SA

www.shinesa.org.au/community-information/disability-sexuality

Family Planning Tasmania

www.fpt.org.au/education/tailored-education

Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT

www.shfpact.org.au

NT Government 

www.nt.gov.au/community/parents-and-families/support-services/sexual-health-and-well-being

ACON is an organisation that speaks up about sexual health.

They offer information and advice for anyone in Australia.

www.acon.org.au/who-we-are-here-for/people-with-disability

There are other Hireup policies that might be helpful.

You can find Easy Read versions on our website.

hireup.com.au/ee-au/important-documents

There are also other services and websites you might want to visit.

Northcott offers programs that support the sexual needs of people with disability.

www.northcott.com.au/sexuality-and-relationship-education

Stabilise makes sex toys for people with disability.

www.infostabilise.com

Check & Chat offers:

• consent education
• sex education.

Their services are for people with disability who need support to communicate.

www.check-chat.com

You might be able to claim these 3 services from the NDIS.

This means the NDIS might pay for it.

Touching Base is a service that helps people with disability connect with sex workers.

www.touchingbase.org

LGBTIQ+ Health offers information about:

• sexual activity
• relationships.

Their services are for LGBTIQ+ people.

LGBTIQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and questioning.

The ‘+’ is for people who are part of the LGBTIQA+ community but don’t talk about themselves using a word from this list.

www.lgbtiqhealth.org.au/disability_inclusion

Inclusion Australia has information about supported decision making on their website.

www.inclusionaustralia.org.au/topic/supported-decision-making

Capacity

When you have capacity, you can:

• understand what choices you have
• make decisions for yourself
• tell others what you want.

Consent 

When you give someone your consent,
you tell them it is ok to do something.

Contraception

Contraception is products that can help you: 

• have safe sex
• not become pregnant.

LGBTIQ

LGBTIQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and questioning.

Policy

A policy is a plan for how we should do things.
Policies are where rules come from.

Rights

Rights are rules about how other people musttreatyou.