Support Worker

WHAT WILL THE ROLE INVOLVE?
- Support service users in developing their independent living skills.
- Work alongside relatives and outside agencies.

The post holder may be required to operate solely in one setting or in a combination of settings in accordance with the needs and requirements of the service.

**Semi-independent living support**:
Provide a caring, safe, secure, supportive, and nurturing environment that meets the physical, health, social, personal development needs, and rights of the young people.

Respect & promote the individual needs of each young person arising from their racial, cultural, and religious background.

Actively encourage and promote responsibility and independence ensuring that this takes place within a context of safety and well-being.

Assist and support young people to develop independent living skills e.g., budgeting, shopping, meal preparation, simple house maintenance, and other activities as required.

Actively work in partnership with relevant agencies and other professionals to ensure high levels of participation for each young person to achieve planned outcomes.

Ensure service users receive information, advice, and guidance around their support needs with specific focus on health, education, and independent living skills.

Comply with all aspects of the service agreement between the service user and the Placement.

Communicate in a professional manner with outside agencies on behalf of or with the service users.

Accompany the young person to appointments/meetings.

Attend review and other meetings and other decision-making forums concerning the young person as directed.

Proactively support the young person’s support plan - taking active responsibility to promote their health, education, independence, social, emotional, and personal wellbeing and complying with all aspects of the service agreement with the local authority.

Assist and take part in staff meetings, residence, and progress meetings.

Ensure the young people are safe within the setting through regular checks and maintaining vigilance to identify any changes and reporting any concerns.

Ensure that accurate records are kept of every contact made with the service users in order to prepare reports as necessary, and as evidence of the service provided.

Contribute to the maintenance of the residence through regular cleaning of the common areas, internal and external, and conducting regular checks including fire risk, health and safety and reporting any areas of concern.

**Community based support**:
Promote and ensure the wellbeing of the young person through providing support programmes designed to improve their health, education, relationships, and behaviour.

Actively promote the safety and well-being of the young person by reporting any concerns which might compromise their safety.

Maintain daily records, plans, reports, assessments undertaken with the young person for use by other staff and agencies.

Work pro-actively with the young person who may present challenging and at times socially unacceptable behaviour.

Organise and undertake activities with the young person as directed within context of safe boundaries.

Supervise contact between the young person and designated parents/carers /others as specified in conjunction with organisational policies and guidelines for good practice.

Contribute towards risk assessments and support planning for the young person.

**General Duties**:
Contribute towards own training and development.

Promote a friendly, non-judgemental, anti-discriminatory attitude in every aspect of the work, towards clients, co-workers, management, and members of the public/other agencies.

Promote IOMI’s aims and objectives as well as internal values and culture.

Ensure that IOMI policies and procedures are adhered to.

Adhere to IOMI’s child protection protocol and responsibility placed on staff to promote and safeguard the welfare of the young people in our care.

Operate within the Children’s Law guidelines.

Staff may be required to undertake other tasks as may be deemed appropriate to the post and/or necessary for the smooth running of the service.

Additional duties may also be required to cover unforeseen circumstances or changes in work that ensure the quality of the service is maintained.

IOMI Support Ltd requires a commitment from all staff to promote quality, equality, and diversity.

**Person Specification**

To be considered for this role, you will need a positive approach, a sense of humour and lots of energy and enthusiasm, flexibility, reliability, and integrity. You will need to possess the life experience and relevant values required for this role and beable to carry out your duties effectively and operate in a supportive and methodical manner.

**Essential**:

- Ability to safeguard, and promote the welfare of, the young service users.
- Knowledge of issues facing looked after children and a commitment to improving outcomes for this group
- Ability to communicate clearly in English, to produce written reports or to contribute to reports written by others
- Good interpersonal skills and ability to maintain professional boundaries
- Ability to work effectively and with confidence under pressure
- Ability to lone and team work
- Ability to deal with sensitive and confidential information
- Comfortable with working day/night shift pattern

**Desirable**:

- Experience of working with young people with challenging behaviour or at risk of exploitation, young people with mental health challenges or unaccompanied minors.
- Behaviour management experience
- Knowledge or experience of multi-agency working
- Ability to identify and control risk