Personal Care Assistant

**We are looking for a Personal Assistant(s) for a friendly and sociable 24 year old woman. She lives with her partner and their two Labrador dogs. She has complex physical disabilities and chronic illnesses, as well as mental illnesses.
**Rate of Pay: £13.09 per hour**
**Hours Breakdown**:
1 Permanent 20.15 hrs per week post available OR 2 Permanent 10 hrs per week posts available Female Personal Assistant(s) to assist with personal care, home management, meal preparation and social support to ensure flexibility, safety and choice in relation to care needs.
20.15 hours are to be worked from Monday to Sunday mornings, lunchtimes and early evenings.
**Responsibilities and Duties**:
The tasks are varied and based around the employer's home and social life. As needs may vary, it is important that you remain flexible:

- To provide support with personal care needs as directed (showering and washing, support with dressing and undressing, hair, skin-care and make-up).
- To provide meal preparation, nutrition and medication.
- To provide domestic support in the home, general housework and maintaining safety in the home (making and changing the bed, laundry, washing the dishes, hoovering, ironing, and other general housework duties).
- To provide support to go out into the community to attend local services and social events, if required. The employer is actively seeking outreach into the community and is keen to go back to further education, which they will require support for. They are currently housebound so will need a Personal Assistant who can increase confidence in social settings to gradually build up to them going back to education.
- To help with administrative tasks (filling in forms, arranging appointments over the phone, sorting out the administrative and logístical side required for having a PA).
- To assist with shopping when required.
- To take them to appointments (hospital, doctors, physiotherapy, pharmacist, hairdressers, occupational therapist etc).
- To collect medication for them from the chemist. Respecting privacy and dignity of the employer are at the core of your work. You must understand the employer's independence. You must be able to always maintain confidentiality in all areas of your work.

**Person Specification**: A successful applicant must fulfil the criteria below. Essential criteria:

- The applicant must have experience working as a support worker/personal assistant with children or adults with mental and physical disabilities.
- Have a positive understanding towards people with disabilities.
- Have a genuine interest in working within social care.
- Have a high degree of initiative.
- Be punctual, patient, trustworthy, reliable and flexible with a happy, positive and caring nature.
- Respect confidentiality and act in a professional manner.
- The applicant must hold a driver’s licence, have their own car with business insurance.
- The applicant must be happy to be around dogs.
- The applicant must be a female (please see the exemptions below).
- Applicants will be able to provide references and be happy to provide details for an enhanced CRB check funded by the employer.

**Desirable criteria**:

- Experience working with adults with chronic pain and illnesses, physical disabilities and mental illnesses.
- Experience with autistic and ADHD women without intellectual disabilities.
- It would be ideal if the applicant had experience being a PA and doing the administration previously.

There are no formal qualifications needed to do this job, even though a background in social/health care or psychology could be beneficial as the theory can be applied in caring for the employer. Most of the tasks and assistance involved can be learned through the Personal Assistant and the employer working together. The employer is the person best qualified to know what their needs are and how they are best met. There will be a probationary period of 6 months.

**Key Responsibilities**:
**Services**
- Meal Preparation
- Personal Care
- Domestic Care
- Social + Leisure activities
- Support to remain independent

**Training**
- Essential PA Guide
- Safeguarding Adults/Children
- Moving & Handling

**Transportation**
- Full UK driving license
- Own personal car