Personal care assistant to Christopher and Daisy Kettle

Job description

Position: Personal assistant to Chris and Dais Kettle

About us:

We are Dais and Chris. We are happily married, aged twenty-eight and thirty-four, both with cerebral palsy and in wheelchairs. We need assistance with most practical aspects of daily living, from dressing to cooking and beyond. Although we have both suffered mental health problems at times, Daisy still finds life a daily struggle and needs help and understanding to ride those waves. We would love to be each other's sole care giver, but this is impossible, so we need to find people we don't mind hanging around to help us.

The team:

Chris is funded for twenty-four-hour support, Dais for a bit less. We therefore need the team to collectively cover at least twenty-four hours every day, including holidays, sickness, etc., plus some additional hours every day when we need more than one carer.

The team you would join includes two types of employee: the live-in assistant works around twenty-four or forty-eight hour shifts on a weekly pattern, the part-time assistant works alongside them for a few hours each day. In practice, the live-in carer works mostly with Chris and the part-time one mostly with Dais. However, it is important to us that both employees on duty are ready and comfortable to assist either of us, and to at least be open to providing cover for each other. Therefore, there is no difference in job description between the two, even if those duties a particular employee is regularly asked to take on do not cover everything listed here.

This listed position is for a part-time, maternity cover employee.

Basic requirements:

You must:

· Have evidence of your legal right to work in this country.

· Have no convictions under any jurisdiction for criminal offenses of a violent or sexual nature, and be willing to disclose your full record of criminal and professional misconduct.

· Be comfortable with cats called Thumbelina.

If you take on the full-time live-in position, you must additionally hold a valid manual driving licence.

Pay:

Between 07:30 and 23:30: £12.21.

(£18.32 for daytime hours in which you support both of us in transfers etc.)

Between 23:30 and 07:30: £12.21, or national minimum wage.

Responsibilities:

You will be delegated responsibilities by us including, but not limited to:

· Assistance dressing and undressing.

· Assistance in manual transfers (e.g. getting into bed or up from the toilet).

· Assistance showering.

· Assistance preparing meals.

· Assistance with exercises, as directed.

· Mental health support.

· Housework.

· Shopping.

· Speaking on the telephone on our behalf.

· Scanning documents.

· Wheelchair cleaning and maintenance.

· Handling our money and sensitive information with discretion, as directed.

· Accompanying us on social engagements upon request.

· Giving us our own space upon request.

You are not always or totally responsible for any of the above. Part or all of any such task may be done by us ourselves. Please wait for us to give you that responsibility when we need help.

We have full control of our lives and will always make our own decisions. Importantly, we want to remain 100% responsible for the following things ourselves, and do not employ people to manage them:

· Making decisions about our own health or safety.

· Our medication, treatment, and engagement with medical professionals.

· Our calendar.

· Our responsibilities as tenants.

· Scheduling, reviewing, and dealing with the misconduct of staff.

· The relaying of information about us to anyone, including our family, friends, professionals, or your colleagues.

· Anything more obvious than the above.

Training and experience:

We are not looking for experienced or well-qualified carers. We would much prefer candidates with compatible personalities and the openness to learn from us. We will provide shadowing experience with the current team. Life experience is more relevant, particularly when it comes to mental health or making you an interesting person.

Hours:

The open position is for 12 hours a week.

There will be occasions where we require different hours. Flexibility is important. We are prioritising candidates who could cover colleagues' sickness and holiday.

Breaks during the day of up to a few hours with no-one coming in to cover can be easily arranged during longer shifts, especially with good notice. Leaving us alone is even preferred when all duties have been covered. However, we reserve the right to keep you here throughout your agreed shift if we think we will need you. Any such breaks will be paid, with the expectation you will return within an agreed time if called.

Given the nature of the work, we need people flexible enough to cover emergencies, such as a colleague's sickness, and holidays like Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, spreading the load across the whole team. On such occasions, we are happy to make allowances and work with fewer hours and/or shorter shifts, but we do expect every team member to chip in.

Facilities:

We live in a well-adapted property that makes transfers, showering, storing many wheelchairs, etc. easier. The staff have their own room, with bed for the live-in assistant, TV, small storage, and a basic kitchen set-up. The staff are free to use the main kitchen as well as other utilities.

It is important that you leave the staff room clean and tidy each shift. This includes performing any necessary housework, like vacuuming, washing-up, stain removal, airing or air-freshening, and the removal of all items not in allocated personal storage.

We ask that you do not come to the address for any reason (unless invited) when not on duty.

About Chris:

Hi, I'm Chris. I'm thirty-four years old. I have travelled the world, started businesses, and helped run a charity. I have two degrees from Oxford, specialising in the ancient history of the Middle East, and hope one day to do a doctorate. I have an interest in coding and web design, and play far too many computer games. I am absolutely devoted to Dais, and to helping her reach a safe and happy place. I believe nothing is impossible if you accept the consequences of failing. Dais says this is naivety protected by my being a lucky bastard so far, but I occasionally have success in persuading her to reach out for the things she wants.

I am looking for a person who is comfortable accepting my judgement about all aspects of my life, from the way I manage my health to how I spend my time. I am willing to accept advice from a friend, and hope that any successful candidate becomes one, but I need people who feel no more responsibility for my wellbeing than they would for a friend, and professional responsibility only to do as we instruct. One of the most important traits is flexibility, which works both ways between boss and employee.

About Dais:

My name is Dais. I'm a twenty-eight year-old person who identifies as non-binary, and I'm happily married to Chris. We both have had mental health problems, which for me affects daily life, socialisation, and relationships. I also need help with personal care, cooking, and house work, for example. I would like to do more things, such as going to concerts, festivals, and going to amazing places. I'm very sensitive to noise and big crowds, but do enjoy music, I love animals and the water (swimming, lakes, beach etc.). I have a cat, Thumbelina, who is my pride and joy. I couldn't live without her.

I have some behavioural problems. I get annoyed with people, and often at myself too. I need someone who is open to somebody a bit strange, and willing to go out of your comfort zone as you come into my crazy life.

Job Types: Part-time, Temporary

Contract length: 10 months

Pay: £12.21-£18.32 per hour

Expected hours: 10 – 16 per week

Language:

• English (required)

Licence/Certification:

• UK driver's license (manual) (preferred)

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person