Support Worker

**Role Details**

**Job Title**:
Support Worker

**Reports to**:
Senior Carer/Care Coordinator

**Job Overview: (Note - In addition to these functions, employees are required to carry out such duties as may reasonably be required)**
- To provide care in accordance with best practice and legislative requirements, reflecting policies and procedures and agreed standards under the direction of the Senior Carer/Care Coordinator
- To support and enable service users to maintain skills and personal interests whilst delivering person-centred care unique to the service user
- To maintain skills at the current level and undertake such training and development as required, from time-to-time, to maintain and progress knowledge

**Location**:
The service user’s home.

**Working Hours**:
5 days over a 7-day period, with varying shift patterns as agreed with the Care Coordinator.

**Responsibilities and Duties of the Job**

**Role-specific Duties**:
The Support Worker’s responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

- Ensure that service users are at the heart of care delivery and their wishes and preferences enhance their wellbeing
- To support service users with all aspects of their day-to-day living, enabling them to enjoy the best possible quality of life
- Most of the employee's work will be alone with the service user in their home
- Compassion, good communication skills and a calm and caring manner are essential for this important role

**Role-specific Duties (continued)**:

- Ensure care plans and other information about how to support service users are followed
- Be responsible for informing the Senior Carer/Nurse of any changes in the needs of service users
- Be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of those individuals supported by the service

**Working with Others**:

- Develop effective working relationships with other employees
- Work in cooperation with members of the multidisciplinary teams to maximise opportunities for people
- If desired by the service user, maintain and develop relationships with family, friends and other people important in their life

**Other Duties**:
Other duties and responsibilities to be undertaken may include any (or all) of the items in the following list:

- Seek opportunities for personal and professional growth
- Be a role model for other Support Workers and be an ambassador for the service
- Be professional, polite and reasonable at all times

**Personal and Professional Development**:

- Attend statutory training and any other training as directed by management
- Commit to achieving the relevant qualifications commensurate with the role
- Understand and follow all policies and procedures relevant to the role
- Be open to learning opportunities

**Person Specification**

**_*The selections for essential and desirable have been left intentionally blank for you to determine these.*_**

**Specific Requirement for Qualifications**

**Essential**

**Desirable**

Good English - written and verbal

RQF in Social Care

**Specific Requirement for Skills**

**Essential**

**Desirable**

**Proficient Written Skills**

Maintain all care plans/care records in accordance with the service’s policy

**Leadership Skills**

Ability to induct and orientate new employees to the job role

Provide service users with support/assistance as they accomplish daily tasks, including bathing, eating, dressing, grooming and using the bathroom, as dictated in their care plan

Communicate any problems, concerns or changes to service users’ family members as needed

**Communication Skills**

Support Workers must build rapport with people by establishing personal connections and showing interest in their lives

Support Workers must be able to communicate effectively with service users

Support Workers must have the communication skills to inform colleagues, management and professionals about the needs of service users

**Problem-solving Skills**

Support Workers need to be able to adapt and address situations quickly

Plan, develop, implement and assess approaches to promote health and wellbeing, whilst recognising and reporting situations where there might be a need for protection

**Specific Requirement for Skills**

**Essential**

**Desirable**

**Disposition/Personal Attributes**

**Specific Requirement for Previous Experience**

**Essential**

**Desirable**

Previous experience of working in domiciliary care

Previous experience of working in similar role

Experience of working with service users, in particular, those that may have additional support needs

**Specific Requirement for Immunisations/Vaccinations**

**Essential**

**Desirable**

**Values-based Personal Qualities**

**Area**

**Specific Requirement**

**Working Together**
- Involve Service Users, families, external agencies and colleagues
- Speak up when things go wrong

**Respect and Dignity**
- Understand person-centred care and can demonstrate treating people as individuals and respecting choices