Sw19 Weekend Complex Care Support Worker

**Title**: Weekend Complex Care Support Workers
**Location**: SW19
**Nearest Tube/Station**: Southfields
**Wage/Salary**: £17.00 Gross per Hour Weekdays | £19.00 Gross per Hour Weekends
**Driver Essential?** No
**Essential**:Previous experience supporting a young client (early years) with complex care and medical needs
**Start Date**: ASAP
**Days & Hours**:Saturday and Sunday (alternate weekends) 12-hour day and waking night shifts available. 8.00am - 8.00pm, or 8.00pm to 8.00am. The family are looking for Support Worker to commit to days OR nights on an alternate weekend basis.
**Family/Client Pets. **No

**About this client/child**:
Thomas, aged 3, lives at home surrounded by his loving family including his 1-year-old brother Thomas responds with a smile when his mum or dad plays ‘Peek a Boo’. Thomas sustained a Perinatal Hypoxic Brain Injury at birth resulting in profound developmental delay, and complex care and medical needs. Thomas has dystonic cerebral palsy, a PEG in situ, epilepsy, and requires suctioning. Thomas has several medical issues arising from his brain injury and continues to receive a high level of support from multiple medical professionals and teams. More information is available on his medical needs when you apply. Thomas has a team of Support Workers providing round-the-clock support and they need additional team members to work on a bank basis, picking up shifts as and when. ‘Team Thomas’ works like a well-oiled machine and ensures that he receives the highest level of care, support, and therapy input.

**Overview of role**:
Thomas benefits from structure and routine throughout the day, he is unable to verbalise his needs, wishes, and wants, so it is vital that his care needs are anticipated; however, he will give you a big smile when he is happy. There will be a lot of OT and Physiotherapy input so it will also be incredibly important for Thomas to experience less stimulating types of activities, such as listening to music or just having cuddles and quiet time, as he can become anxious and distressed when overstimulated or generally unwell.

The waking night shift begins at 8.00 pm. His nighttime feed needs to be prepared and set up once Thomas is in bed. Thomas requires constant monitoring during the night so you will be by his bedside throughout your shift. On a good night, Thomas has slept for about 4 hours but, he tends to sleep for around two hours and will be wakeful for long periods. He can become very distressed for lots of reasons, perhaps the noise from the suction machine, buildup of secretion, seizure, or other external noises. When he is awake, he needs gentle comforting; holding, and soothing until he is ready to be put back into bed. The morning staff arrives just before 8.00 am for handover. This is a part-time weekend contract, with 12-hour shifts (days and nights).

**Who this job would suit**:
You will come into this role with excellent experience supporting a very young child with complex medical needs. However, you will also come with a compassionate, thoughtful, nurturing nature. Thomas’s family wants a support worker who can see him for who he is You are going to be part of ‘Team Thomas’ so you will work alongside your colleagues, supporting one another, and ensuring Thomas is safe, comforted, and happy.

**What’s great about this job**:
The Support Worker will receive excellent training in all areas of Thomas care, including suctioning, PEG Feeding, and Epilepsy management. There will be ongoing training, reviews, and support. And you will be very fortunate to be a part of this little boy’s life and care team.

**Who is recruiting for this role?