Support Worker

**The people who use our services tell us we’ve changed their lives.Our employees tell us they’re supported, enthusiastic and have opportunities to develop meaningful careers.We’re looking for someone great to join our team.** We have opportunities for full time Support Workers in our exciting person centred service in the west of Edinburgh where we support school leavers make a positive transition from childhood to adulthood. We help them to lead ordinary lives, participatingin their local communities and activities of their choice. This means creating a safe, secure and supportive environment and empowering them to take charge of their own lives and live life to the full. Our staff have come from all walks of life; some have a faith and some don’t.We don’t want you to be a cog in a wheel.We want you to bring your skills and experience either from the care sector or gained elsewhere - we know they are transferrable.Yourjourney won’t stop there though as, using the strengths of a large diverse organisation, we’ll support you to develop new skills and qualifications and give you the opportunities to put them into practice. We’re all about the people we support.We want them to achieve the highest quality of life they can and you’ll be more important in that than you know.You’ll need to be able to discern the person behind the behaviour and be able to develop strong supportiverelationships with colleagues There’s space to be creative and find ways to help the people who use our services achieve their goals so when you see a problem you’ll need to have the heart to fix it. If you would like to talk to someone about the types of opportunities we have, or have any other questions, please contact. **Main Function** As a member of the staff team the Support Worker, working without direct supervision, will be responsible for meeting the support and care needs of the service users as determined in their care plan. He/she will be expected to deliver the highest professionalstandards of social care practice ensuring CrossReach's aims, objectives and quality standards are met and maintained. **Main Duties** **SERVICE DELIVERY** - To implement and uphold CrossReach's aims, objectives, policies. - To be able to work without direct supervision in the delivery of support services to service users. - To provide personal support and care to service users in a flexible way which meets their needs over a twenty four hour period. - To undertake sleepover duties as required to meet individual service users needs. - To undertake autonomously the role of key working to service users. - As a sole worker carry out relevant risk assessments in relation to service users’ use of appliances and the security of the building. - Assist service users in their responsibilities with the maintenance of the safety of the dwelling. - Assist service users with their responsibilities for arranging minor repairs to and servicing of own domestic equipment and appliances. - Providing life skills training to service users to assist them in their responsibilities in maintaining the dwelling and curtilage in appropriate condition. - To participate in individual service users reviews and in the formulation of relevant support plans, reflecting the outcome of these reviews. - To work autonomously in drawing up and implementing service users support plans in order that maximum outcomes are achieved. - To support and promote the independence of service users with life tasks, such as domestic, hygiene and nutrition. - To support service users in the pursuit of work, leisure, education and employment opportunities. - To use initiative to assess situations and make appropriate decisions to support service users. - To ensure service users receive their maximum financial entitlement and that appropriate financial advice is made available. - Advise or assist the service user with personal budgeting and debt counselling. - Advise or assist the service user in dealing with benefit claims and other official correspondence. - To be directly responsible for assessing the changing needs of service users. - Without direct supervision, be responsible for maintaining accurate records as required by CrossReach's Policies & Procedures. - To liaise with relatives and friends of service users, where appropriate. - To make efficient use of the Service's range of resources. - To undertake without direct supervision all aspects of risk management. - To use initiative to ensure that all emergency systems are fully operational and to respond to any emergencies. - Without direct supervision, provide support and care which: - promotes equality for all individual service users - promotes service users' choice - promotes social inclusion for service users - promotes the protection of individuals from all forms of abuse - promotes sound management of aggressive and abusive behaviour - promotes communication with service users where there are communication difficulties - supports service users when they are distressed - enables service users to make use of available services and information - contributes to the health, safety and security of individuals and their environment - promotes the well being of all service users within a professional Christian framework in a sensitive caring manner affording them dignity and respect. **QUALITY ASSURANCE** - To participate in evaluations of the Service provision, ensuring that the highest standards of care are implemented and achieved. - To share responsibility for the quality of care, having particular regard to: - values of confidentiality, integrity and impartiality which govern the discharge of duties and responsibilities of members of staff - the worth, rights and responsibilities of the individual - the promotion of independent choice - the protection of people who cannot protect themselves - the promotion of equality of opportunity - maintaining and improving practice standards - supporting other staff, volunteers and befrienders - the achieving of objectives 2.9 responding to service users' comments and opinions **PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT** To contribute appropriately in determining the Service's future aims and objectives.