Personal Care Assistant

**Job opportunity for a Personal Care Assistant in South Bristol**:
This will be an enjoyable and varied role for the right applicant who will be employed to mainly support me to access social, creative, well-being, and other activities and to spend time in nature.
This role is for 4 to 6hrs a week.

You will be given set shifts but the ability to be flexible occasionally is advantageous.
My recovery goals are to create strong social and support networks; slowly build my confidence and physical stamina; find new hobbies; engage with the local and wider community and to better manage my health, my home, and my physical and emotional well-being.
You may also at times assist me with other aspects of everyday life including domestic duties; attending hospital and medical appointments; liaising with professionals; providing advocacy support when needed, and general support and companionship.
About me:
I am a 44yr old female who lives with two cats in a small upstairs flat. I have physical disabilities that affect my ability to carry out everyday tasks, and chronic mental health difficulties.
I would describe myself as funny, intelligent, insightful, creative, enthusiastic and determined, with a real passion for the outdoors and nature.
I live alone and do not have any support other than the PAs and other professionals who work with me.

I have a very strong sense of independence and need the people supporting me to be very respectful of my home and my choices, and to allow me to maintain my sense of autonomy: therefore you would need to have the ability to communicate skilfully, and to always be compassionate, considerate and mindful of my needs.
I really enjoy working as a team with my PAs, with them assisting me in a way that empowers me to live my best life: taking some of the load off me to reduce my mental and physical fatigue, but still allowing me to feel in control of my home and my life choices.

**Tasks will be varied and could include**:
Well-being
- Assisting with well-being activities eg arts & crafts, relaxation, time in nature
- Supporting to find and attend accessible social or sporting activities
- Assisting to spend time in, and maintaining the garden
- Providing companionship
- Empowering and enabling me to remain independent and autonomous of my own decisions and my home

Physical activities
- Taking responsibility for remembering to pack bags and vehicle for outings
- Finding new activities
- Driving (to activities, woodland, beaches etc)
- Route planning
- Loading and securing equipment carefully and safely into the vehicle
- Providing companionship and emotional support to assist with overcoming anxiety and panic attacks
- Assisting with maintaining a good routine for physiotherapy and hydrotherapy exercises (exercise guides are provided by specialists)

Domestic
- Assisting with meal planning and batch cooking nutritious gluten-free food from fresh ingredients
- Maintaining high standards of hygiene and cleanliness in the home
- Assisting with organising and tidying
- Personal care
- Looking after pet cats

Secretarial
- Taking the mental load of remembering things eg tasks, routines, appointments
- Finding accessible places and activities
- Planning days out and taking responsiblity for route planning, parking, accessibility, packing bags etc
- Advocating for me and liasing with other professionals or organisations
- Making notes during medical appointments
- Making phone calls, letter writing, completing on-line forms
- Liaising with mental health professionals, pharmacy and GP
- Record keeping

Practical
- Manual handling (eg carrying wheelchair up and down stairs)
- Driving (transportation to appointments and activities)
- Shopping, running errands, collecting medication and other odd jobs

**Skills required**:

- Caring personality, cheerful nature, and an enthusiastic and positive attitude
- Highly respectful of other people's homes, beliefs, and ways of doing things
- Careful, amenable and respectful when carrying out duties
- Ability and willingness to follow direction
- High level of compassion for mental health difficulties
- Reasonably strong and fit and able to undertake physical activities
- Careful and confident driver
- Good personal and professional boundaries
- Highly reliable
- Willingness and ability to occasionally be flexible with shift pattern
- Attention to detail
- Love of animals and experience of caring for cats
- Clean and considerate personal habits
- Ability to cycle would be advantageous
- Ability to work independently, self manage, and use own initiative to get tasks done
- Fast learner who can carry out tasks with initiative, confidence and independence
- Naturally takes responsibility
- Confident and professional phone manner
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent listening skills
- Planning skills
- Good organisational skills

Days and hours are negotiable.
Some flexibility may be required to accomodate ad-hoc medical appointments.
This is a permane