Care Partners

Care is more than completing tasks

Caregiving involves helping another person live with dignity, safety and as much independence as their circumstances allow.

A caregiver may help with everyday activities, provide companionship, support mobility within their training, assist with household routines or follow an agreed care plan. The exact responsibilities depend on the person’s needs, the care setting, the caregiver’s demonstrated capabilities and any applicable professional requirements.

At KarmaYoga, care-related work belongs to the Healthcare, Care & Community Support domain. The intended learning and work model connects practical capability with increasing responsibility.

The central principle is simple:

Provide the support agreed, respect the person receiving care, and never undertake a task beyond your competence or authority.

1. Understand the person, not just the assignment

Every person receiving care has their own preferences, routines, abilities, concerns and circumstances.

Before beginning an assignment, the caregiver should understand the agreed requirements and, where appropriate, learn directly from the person receiving care and their authorised representative.

Important questions include:

• What assistance has been requested and agreed?
• What can the person do independently?
• What assistance do they prefer, and how should it be provided?
• Are there relevant care instructions, safety precautions or restrictions?
• Who should be contacted if a concern arises?
• What tasks are outside the caregiver’s role?
• What schedule, communication and handover arrangements apply?

A person’s need for assistance does not remove their right to make choices about their everyday life. Whenever possible, explain what you are going to do, ask permission and respect the person’s preferences.

Care should support independence rather than unnecessarily replace it.

2. Protect dignity, privacy and personal choice

Caregivers may be invited into someone’s home, assist with personal routines or learn information that the person would not ordinarily share with others. This creates a special responsibility to maintain trust.

A responsible caregiver should:

• speak respectfully and avoid humiliating or dismissive language;
• ask permission before providing personal assistance;
• respect privacy during personal care and conversations;
• handle personal information discreetly;
• follow agreed arrangements for photographs, records and communication;
• respect cultural practices and reasonable personal preferences;
• avoid discussing the person’s private circumstances with unauthorised people;
• report concerns through the appropriate channel.

Consent and communication matter even when assistance is part of a regular routine. If a person refuses assistance, becomes distressed or expresses discomfort, do not respond with force or intimidation. Respect the person’s wishes, consider immediate safety and seek appropriate guidance.

Where a person has difficulty communicating or making a particular decision, follow the applicable care plan and legal requirements. Do not assume that another person can make every decision on their behalf.

3. Know the scope of your role

The word caregiver can describe different kinds of work. A companion, a home-care assistant and a trained healthcare professional do not necessarily have the same responsibilities.

The tasks a caregiver may undertake must be determined by their training, demonstrated competence, the agreed assignment and applicable law.

Depending on the role, an assignment may involve:

• companionship and conversation;
• assistance with agreed everyday routines;
• support with meals or household activities within the care plan;
• helping maintain a safe and orderly environment;
• supporting movement or mobility where appropriately trained;
• observing and communicating changes in the person’s condition;
• maintaining agreed records and handover notes;
• accompanying a person to an appointment where agreed.

These are examples of possible responsibilities, not a universal task list. Each care role requires a clearly defined scope.

Some activities require specific training, supervision, professional authorisation or other legal conditions. A caregiver must not assume that general caregiving training permits them to perform clinical procedures, administer or alter medication outside their authorised role, diagnose an illness or make clinical decisions.

When a task is unclear, request guidance before proceeding.

4. Follow the agreed care plan

A care plan or set of care instructions helps establish what support is expected and how it should be provided.

Before accepting an assignment, the caregiver should understand the relevant instructions, the agreed schedule, the responsibilities of other people involved and the process for reporting problems.

During the assignment:

1. Follow the agreed instructions within your training and authority.
2. Explain your actions and respect the person’s choices.
3. Maintain the agreed hygiene, safety and privacy practices.
4. Observe and report relevant concerns without making unsupported medical conclusions.
5. Record the information required by the care arrangement.
6. Communicate incomplete tasks or changes that may affect the next caregiver or responsible person.

A caregiver should not independently change an important care instruction simply because another approach appears more convenient.

If the person’s needs appear to have changed, or an instruction seems unsafe or unclear, seek guidance from the designated responsible person or appropriate healthcare professional.

5. Recognise concerns and respond responsibly

Caregivers may notice changes in a person’s comfort, behaviour, mobility, appetite or general condition. These observations can be important, but noticing a change is not the same as diagnosing its cause.

A responsible caregiver should:

• pay attention to significant changes from the person’s usual condition;
• report observations clearly and promptly to the designated contact;
• distinguish what was observed from what is assumed;
• follow the agreed escalation procedure;
• seek emergency assistance when the situation appears urgent;
• never delay urgent help while waiting for routine approval.

If there is an immediate threat to life or safety, follow the applicable emergency procedure and contact local emergency services as appropriate.

Caregivers should also know how to raise concerns about neglect, abuse, exploitation, unsafe conditions or inappropriate conduct. Such concerns should be handled through the applicable safeguarding and reporting procedures, with due regard for the person’s immediate safety and confidentiality.

The exact reporting requirements depend on the care setting and applicable law. These must be established as part of the relevant training and service arrangements.

6. Communication with family members and other care professionals

Care often involves several people. A family member may arrange the service, another caregiver may cover a different shift, and a healthcare professional may provide instructions relevant to the person’s care.

Clear communication helps prevent missed tasks and misunderstandings.

A caregiver should understand:

• who is the authorised contact for routine matters;
• who provides or updates relevant care instructions;
• which information can be shared and with whom;
• how urgent concerns should be escalated;
• how shift handovers or changes in responsibility are managed.

When reporting a concern, describe the facts as accurately as possible. For example, report that the person was unable to complete a usual activity or appeared unusually confused, rather than presenting an unverified medical diagnosis.

Conflicting instructions should not be resolved through guesswork. Seek clarification from the appropriate responsible person, and do not carry out an instruction that would create an unacceptable risk or fall outside your authority.

7. Prepare for a care assignment

Care work requires preparation, just as other occupational assignments do. The caregiver should not accept a task without understanding its requirements and determining whether they can carry it out safely.

Before accepting an assignment, confirm:

• the person’s care needs and the agreed support tasks;
• the location, schedule and expected duration;
• the level of assistance and supervision required;
• the resources or equipment that must be available;
• any relevant safety precautions;
• the person to contact if circumstances change;
• the agreed compensation, payment terms and completion conditions;
• any tasks that are specifically excluded from the assignment.

If the assignment requires a capability the caregiver has not demonstrated, the appropriate response is to disclose the limitation and seek clarification, additional training or a different arrangement.

Caregivers should never feel compelled to accept work they cannot safely perform.

8. Complete the assignment and hand over responsibly

A care assignment should end with a clear understanding of what was completed and whether anything requires follow-up.

The caregiver should complete the agreed tasks, record relevant information where required, communicate any unresolved concern and ensure that the handover follows the established arrangement.

A handover may need to cover:

• the tasks completed and any tasks left incomplete;
• relevant observations during the assignment;
• concerns reported and the person contacted;
• changes to the agreed routine that were authorised;
• information the next responsible person needs to know;
• any outstanding action requiring follow-up.

Records should be factual, respectful and limited to information relevant to the care arrangement. Personal details should be shared only with authorised people through appropriate channels.

The caregiver should not conceal a mistake, omit a material concern or claim that a task was completed when it was not.

9. Capability, training and progression

KarmaYoga’s intended occupational pathway connects increasing capability with increasing responsibility.

Foundation: Skilled Worker

The Foundation pathway develops defined capabilities for work performed under the appropriate supervision. In care-related work, this means learning the relevant routines, communication practices, safety requirements and boundaries of the assigned role.

Certificate: Independent Worker

The Certificate pathway aims to develop the ability to accept and complete defined occupational work independently within the demonstrated scope. This includes planning tasks, following instructions, checking one’s work, communicating concerns and completing a responsible handover.

Independent work does not authorise a person to perform regulated healthcare activities without the required qualifications or permissions.

Diploma: Service Provider

The Diploma pathway focuses on organising work as a service or business. Depending on the intended service, this may involve coordinating suitable workers, scheduling assignments, communicating with customers, maintaining service standards and managing delivery responsibilities.

Organising a care service brings additional responsibilities. A Service Provider must ensure that the people assigned to particular tasks have appropriate capabilities and that the service complies with applicable requirements.

These are intended internal KarmaYoga stages. They must not be presented as nationally recognised care qualifications or professional licences unless the relevant recognition and authorisation have been established.

10. Caring for yourself is part of responsible care

Caregiving can be physically and emotionally demanding. Fatigue, unclear expectations, difficult situations and repeated exposure to distress can affect a caregiver’s ability to work safely.

A responsible caregiver should recognise their own limits and communicate when they cannot safely continue a task or fulfil an assignment.

This includes:

• following safe working practices and using appropriate equipment;
• seeking assistance with tasks that exceed physical capability or training;
• reporting unsafe working conditions;
• taking agreed breaks and respecting working-hour arrangements;
• asking for support after a difficult incident;
• maintaining professional boundaries with the person receiving care and their family.

A caregiver is not expected to solve every problem alone. Requesting appropriate help is a sign of responsible practice, not a failure of commitment.

11. What joining the KarmaYoga care pathway means

The intended KarmaYoga model seeks to connect practical training with suitable work opportunities. For care-related occupations, this requires particular attention to the dignity and safety of the person receiving care.

Training, assessment and onboarding should establish what a worker has demonstrated, what responsibilities they may undertake and what supervision or permissions remain necessary.

The intended commercial Marketplace role belongs to Wara Systems , while Wara KarmaYoga Foundation and Trust focus on education, training, community development and livelihood preparation. Suitable external organisations and providers may also participate in the wider Marketplace model.

The specific care services, onboarding checks, safeguarding arrangements and operational procedures must be established for each service before they are represented as available.

Joining the pathway does not guarantee an assignment, employment or income. It provides a route for developing and demonstrating capability that may support suitable work opportunities.

The responsibility at the heart of care

Good caregiving combines practical ability with patience, respect, clear communication and sound judgement.

The caregiver must understand the person’s needs, follow the agreed plan, protect privacy, remain within their competence and speak up when something is wrong.

Care with dignity. Work within your competence. Communicate clearly. Protect the person who has placed their trust in you.