Relief Farm Support Worker

VSA is a well-respected local social care charity, helping support the people of Aberdeen for over 150 years.

Our mission is to provide the best of care to enable the best of lives; supporting individuals and communities to fulfil their potential.

VSA provides vital support and services to people of all ages. At VSA we support a person's physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing through a range of residential and outreach support Services.

Working in social care is a hugely rewarding career, and you can help change the lives of vulnerable children and adults. At VSA, we are looking for motivated and compassionate individuals to join our team.

VSA currently have an exciting opportunity as a **Relief **Farm Support Worker, providing 1:1 support for our trainees with learning disabilities who work on our farm based at Easter Anguston in Peterculter, **Aberdeenshire, as well as caring for the animals and plants.**
You will need to be able to get to our farm which is in a remote location with limited public transport nearby.

**Service Information**:
Easter Anguston Farm is an operational farm, and local community resource, which serves as a training facility for adults with learning disabilities and other additional support needs.

Situated in Peterculter, the farm has 75 acres of arable land, used as a working farm, plus 20 acres of woodland which normally attracts over 20,000 visitors from across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and beyond. Our animals include alpacas, Shetland ponies, donkeys, goats, pigs, rabbits and budgies.

The farm and its associated woodland, conservation and education areas provide a vital community resource that is invaluable. As a charity we do not charge any entry fee for the community to access this resource. Instead, we rely on voluntary donations to enable us to provide free access for all.

**About the role**:
To contribute to the day to day running of the farm and support an individual service user on a 1:1 basis to successfully participate in the operation of a working farm.

We are currently looking for **Relief Support Workers** at Easter Anguston Farm, on an ad-hoc basis to cover staff holiday, sickness and extra help for our opening to the Public during the school holidays e.g. October, Easter and Summer Holidays. Please note that the farm is based in Peterculter, so a driving licence would be beneficial.

**Hours**: 8.30am - 4pm weekdays; 9am - 1pm at weekends.
**Rate**: £12.20 per hour
**Location**:Easter Anguston, Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, AB14 0PL.

**Responsibilities of our Support/Care Worker will include: -**
- Contributing to the day to day running of the farm.
- Communicating effectively with individuals according to agreed standards and procedures, accessing and updating records in keeping with guidelines and policy.
- Helping to provide a safe and protective environment by complying with health, safety, and security procedures, including medication, and reporting accidents/incidents when appropriate.
- Supporting service user to successfully and safely participate in the activities and tasks on the farm, according to their recognised and agreed needs and adhering to practices which promote well-being, choice, and treating people with dignity and respect.
- Assisting service user in developing and maintaining social networks and relationships and promoting social inclusion and participation in the local community.
- Assisting and encouraging service user to develop skills and knowledge to live as independently as possible.
- Contributing to the development and implementation of care plans in consultation with key stakeholders.
- Performing the role of key worker for identified service user.
- Participating in the development, implementation and review of personal plans with service users.
- Developing one's knowledge and practice continuously through participation in training and development activities.
- Carrying out any other tasks from time to time, provided they are reasonable and within the postholder's capabilities.

**Essential**
- Experience of adults or children with learning disabilities
- EITHER experience of working with animals, ideally within a farm setting OR able to demonstrate your love of animals
- Ability to communicate well verbally with individuals
- Ability to write short reports
- Approachable
- Ethical
- Non-judgemental
- Team-worker
- Health and Safety aware
- Client Focused
- Organised

If our **Support/Care Worker** role sounds like you, then click “**Apply**” below and start your career journey with VSA today