Service Support Worker

**Service Support Worker**

**Location: British Red Cross Taunton TA2 6BD and throughout the county of Somerset.**

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**Hours: 21 per week**

**Contract type: Permanent**

**Salary: £19,838 per annum pro rata**

Do you love helping people in need? Are you looking for a rewarding role that could kick start your career in the health and social sector? We are looking for a passionate and enthusiastic person with great people skills to join our Independent Living team as a
**Service Support Worker**.

At the British Red Cross, we put the people that need us at the heart of what we do.

The Independent Living (IL) & Crisis Response (CR) service (IL/CR) supports people in the space between hospital and home and responds to the needs of people in crisis following an emergency; maintaining an extensive network of external relationships across health, social care and emergency services.

The team are dedicated to making lives of vulnerable people a little bit better. We're a small team dotted all over the country that shares the same goal - to help those that need it most. From picking up groceries to helping out around the house, we're there to make a difference. There's nothing better than knowing the time we spent with someone made them feel safer, happier, and more able to deal with crisis.

**A day in the life of a Service Support Worker will involve**:

- Supporting **Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital **by providing transport and aiding a safe discharge from either hospital for individuals within the **County of Somerset**.
- Providing practical and emotional support (telephone calls, welfare checks, shopping etc) and guidance to service users in the home to prevent an attendance or admission to hospital.
- Signposting to other services where appropriate to enable service users to live independently in their own home.
- Providing reactive, focused, and flexible support to adults either following a hospital stay to enable early discharge when clinical needs have been met or to those living in the community to prevent hospital admission.
- Assisting the Service Coordinator by undertaking duties required to meet the service users’ needs to re-enable them to remain in their own home and prevent hospital re-admission.
- Responding to referrals from Clinicians and Community Health Professionals, you will be required to have the ability to assess service users’ needs, complete and follow a support plan for the individual.

Not only will your role allow people to enjoy healthier, more fulfilling lives, but a career within Independent Living can be both rewarding and satisfying, providing extensive progression opportunities, and allowing you to build meaningful relationships with both colleagues and service users.

**To be a successful Service Support Worker, you'll need**:

- Knowledge of services provided by NHS and Social Care and a working knowledge of Health and Safety practices.
- To be comfortable supporting vulnerable adults.
- Experience in writing reports and support plans.
- To be IT literate particularly with Microsoft 365.
- A full UK driving licence with access to own vehicle.
- To be flexible. Working outwith normal hours suits you.

**In return for your commitment and expertise, you’ll get**:

- **Holidays**:You'll get 36 days annual leave (including bank holidays) and the option to buy an additional 5 days leave.
- **Pension Scheme**: We offer up to 6% contributory pension.
- **Flexible working**:We will do what we can to make sure you work in a way that suits you.
- **Learning & Development Opportunities**:We are one of the UK's largest charities and have a wide range of career opportunities. We also provide comprehensive learning opportunities for staff to develop themselves.
- **Discounts**:You'll have access to brilliant discounts through the Blue Light Discount Card and our own employee benefits platform.
- **Wellbeing Support** - Staff wellbeing is always priority. You’ll have access to mental health and wellbeing support.
- **Team Working** - You will be working as part of a team that is supporting our mission of helping people in crisis.
- **Season ticket loan** - We offer an interest free loan to buy a season ticket for travel between home and work.
- At The British Red Cross, we pride ourselves on our diverse workforce, and ensuring we have an inclusive environment for all our staff and volunteers. We remain committed to ensuring our teams can bring their true selves to work without risk or fear of discrimination. We do this through regular data reporting, and the support of our internal Race and Equality Network (REEN), LGBT+ Network, our Disability and Wellness Network (DAWN), Gender Network, Carers Network and Youth Network._

**_Connecting human kindness with human crisis_