Community Support Worker

Age UK Tunbridge Wells

JOB DESCRIPTION

SUPPORT WORKER

Responsible to: Operations Manager

Line Manager: Designated Service Managers/Team Leaders

Hours: To be agreed, zero based contract

Location: Wood Street Day Centre, Meal delivery service, and in the community.

Salary: £11.80 per hour depending on qualifications and experience

Services Overview and Job Purpose

Age UK Tunbridge Wells provides several services designed to enable and encourage older people to improve and maintain their independence, including services that will support older people with their personal care needs. Our Care Support Workers may be asked to work within any of our services to ensure we are able to maintain the level of support our clients may need, therefore staff need to be flexible and versatile.

The Wood Street Day Care Service – offers older people the opportunity to spend the day in a safe and stimulating environment, where they can socialise and participate in activities. The service, whilst recognising its limitations, aims to ensure each older person’s care is designed and delivered around their personal needs and preferences. The service is aimed at those who are living within the community but need extra support to spend the day away from home, this may be physical support and assistance with personal care, or it may be support for those who are becoming isolated as result of poor mental health, depression or loneliness or the early onset of dementia.

The Wood Street Dementia centre - The number of people with dementia is steadily increasing and consequently so is the need for support services tailored to their needs. Enabling people with dementia to stay in their own homes as long as possible often requires frequent respite for their carers, which day centres can provide, as well as offering a stimulating outlet for clients. Clients with early onset dementia who have attended the Wood Street Services are referred to our Dementia services and when their needs and preferences dictate.

The Dementia Day Centre facility aspires to be a place where people with dementia feel safe, happy and at home, and where their carers feel supported, can be signposted to advice and guidance and can enjoy time out secure in the knowledge that their loved ones are experiencing high quality care. Working within the group you will be part of a small, dedicated team providing a fun, friendly and professional support service on a day-to-day basis for up to 18 clients.

Independent Living Support Service – Age UK Tunbridge Wells offers a service to people over the age of 55 years who would like to continue living in their own homes by having some extra support by a support worker. The service is delivered across the borough of Tunbridge Wells and surrounding districts and is designed to enable people to continue to live at home independently with support and reassurance. The service provides support with domestic tasks, light housework, shopping, Medical appts, social outings, household correspondence and any other tasks the client would like to undertake. The service is not for personal care support.

Dementia Outreach Support – Our Dementia outreach service offers professional one-2 -one support for those clients living with cognitive decline who would like to continue to enjoy activities either in or outside of the home with a like minded person, this service also has the added benefit of offering the caregiver some respite.

Meal delivery service – We offer a hot meal delivery service that runs 5 days a week through the local areas of Tunbridge Wells, the service delivers between 12-14.

Key Responsibilities:

Each service will have a detailed job description that will outline the duties and specific tasks as a guide for staff, and part of your induction to the organisation will ensure you are familiar with these. However, as all of our services are person-centred and are designed around the older people, we support we have a generic approach and individually and as part of the team, you will be expected to take responsibility in the following areas:

Helping to Build and Maintain a Quality Service

• To help create a warm, person-centred ethos and welcoming atmosphere.
• To contribute to establishing a pool of resources and stimulating activities to offer to clients, with consideration to how these can be adapted to their needs and abilities.
• To facilitate and engage in a daily programme of activities with clients, in small groups, individually or with the group as a whole, depending on the nature of the activity and individual preferences.
• To actively seek client feedback during and after sessions with a view to developing a service that best meets the needs and interests of the clients.
• To participate in staff debriefing and meetings, discussing ideas for new activities or improvements, sharing any concerns and showing willingness to trying out new ideas from other members of the team.

Care and Support of Service Users

• To encourage social interaction, remaining respectful and mindful of individual preferences and free will.
• To encourage and enable clients to participate in their own care and to be independent.
• To offer emotional and practical support whenever the client or the situation requires it, seeking help from others in the team when necessary.
• To work with colleagues to tailor and adapt activities during the day according to the needs and levels of functioning of individual service users, with the aim being that clients enjoy their time at the centre.
• To share any identified changes in needs and/or abilities of the individual clients with the Service Manager/Team Leaders.
• In conjunction with the Service Manager/Team Leaders, to make sure that service users’ personal support plans are accurately maintained and regularly reviewed.
• To participate in operating a collection service for clients to and from the centre where carers are not able to do so.
• To ensure that the individual rights of service users are respected at all times in terms of, for example, privacy, choice and participation in decision-making.

Working with Carers

• To take regular opportunities to communicate with carers, pass on messages and report and discuss any concerns.
• To offer reassurance and support to carers and refer to the Service Manager/Team Leaders and/or signpost to advocacy and advice when needed.
• To regularly ask for carer feedback on the quality of provision and ideas for new service developments.

Other Duties

• To represent and promote the values and services of Age UK Tunbridge Wells and encourage positive attitudes and raised awareness of older people and the issues that affect them, ie disabilities, dementia, loneliness, mental health.
• To observe all written policies, procedures and guidelines for good practice agreed by Age UK, including maintaining confidentiality at all times.
• To help to ensure a safe, clean environment which adheres to policy.
• To be receptive to regular supervision and any suggestions for improvement in work performance, discussing training needs with the Line Manager and attending training courses once agreed.
• To assist with some administrative tasks necessary for the smooth running of the service.
• To respond to general enquiries regarding the centre and services offered and refer to the Service Manager/Team Leaders as necessary.
• To work flexibly and be prepared to perform other duties commensurate with the role.

Desirable Qualities and Skills

A positive attitude is crucial to this role as is the ability to adapt to the differing needs of the client group and how these may change over time. Other desirable attributes and skills include:

• An NVQ 2 or above in Health and Social Care or equivalent or desire to work towards
• Good verbal and written communication.
• An understanding of and empathy with older people.
• Some experience of working with people with dementia.
• An ability to listen sensitively to others and adapt communication to meet the needs of individuals.
• An ability to develop productive relationships with clients, their families and the team.
• An adaptable and resourceful approach, and an ability to find creative and practical solutions.
• A willingness to try out new ideas and to remain positive and enthusiastic in changing situations.
• Some knowledge of IT.
• A full, clean driving licence and use of own car (Business Insurance)
• Mobile phone

Training:

Opportunities to undertake NVQ in health and Social care if not already in place

Care Support Workers will be required to undertake the following training:

• COSHH
• Dementia Awareness
• Equality & Diversity
• Fire Prevention & Awareness
• First Aid
• Food Hygiene Awareness
• Health & Safety
• Infection Control
• Manual Handling
• Medication Awareness
• Protecting Personal Information
• Safeguarding Adults

(This is not a finite list and training will be ongoing)

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent

Pay: From £11.80 per hour

Day range:

• Monday to Friday

Shift:

• Day shift

Work Location: On the road

Reference ID: Community Support staff
Expected start date: 22/07/2024