Job Description

Job Title: / Support Worker / Job Ref: / DOM
Service: / Home Care Service / Section: / Domiciliary Care
Reports To: / Senior Care Worker / Location: / Community based
Employment Status:
A contract can be offered as either guaranteed hours or as a more flexible bank worker.
Hours of Work:
The service is provided seven days a week from 7am to 10pm, 365 days per annum. You will be paid for the hours of care that you deliver and also for any training/meetings that you attend. You will be required to give notice if you are unavailable to work or need to take sick/annual leave. Once you have accepted a shift or customer visit, you will be expected to fulfil this. We will agree a flexible pattern that meets both the needs of our customers and your own circumstances.
Service Purpose:
To provide the best level of support to all of our customers whilst supporting independence and choice with a warm and respectful approach which preserves the dignity of our customers, and enables them to remain living in their own homes
We will work with the customer to design a Careplan that provides a flexible, person centred domiciliary care service to individuals in their own homes by respecting their choices as to how they live their lives.
Job Purpose:
To work collaboratively with colleagues and other professionals to provide an effective and seamless service to individuals in their own homes and within the community.
As a support worker, you’ll help customers retain their independence by assisting them in their own homes. Visits vary in length and can be anything from 15 minutes to several hours, and a customer can be seen anything from once a week to numerous times per day.
You’ll assist with various tasks, including helping with personal care and domestic tasks, accompanying them to the shops or on social outings, and helping them to be a part of their community. Most importantly, your support will make a real difference to our customers in enabling them to get the most out of life.
All the work undertaken must be completed in a kind, calm and professional manner that makes the customer feel respected and dignified at all times, whilst adhering to professional boundaries.
Training
We are fully committed to ensuring that all of our staff members receive comprehensive training to carry out their specified job role to the highest standards. There will be a combination of classroom based, on-the-job and online learning. .
·  Health and safety
·  Infection Control
·  Food Hygiene
·  First Aid
·  Fire Safety
·  Personal Safety
·  Safeguarding
·  Moving and handling
·  Medication management
·  Common Induction Standards
·  iConnect Training
Health and Safety responsibility
In accordance with the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and of other persons who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work; and co-operate with the Company to enable Optalis to perform or comply with its duties under statutory health and safety provisions

Main Tasks/Accountabilities

Personal Care Activities:-
·  Washing and Dressing
·  Toileting and Continence Management
·  Manual handling, safely and sensitively
·  Medication Management
·  Preparation of meals and assistance with eating and drinking.
Domestic Activities:-
·  General household cleaning
·  Bed making and Laundry
·  Shopping and prescription collection
·  Fridge and Food hygiene
Other Activities(may include but not restricted to)-
·  Keep accurate observations sheets
·  Keep accurate medication sheets
·  Attend review meetings
·  Transport customer to appointments, e.g. Hospital, hairdresser etc
·  Work with other care professionals e.g. District Nurses, GP,s etc to ensure that the customers needs are met
Encourage customers towards independence and activity appropriate to their abilities
Supervise customer and be aware of the appropriate action to be taken to prevent a crisis or an emergency situation
Report any significant changes to the office which may result in a change of care package and report observations/comments as required to Senior Support, Staff
To undertake regular training to ensure compliant with all mandatory requirements
·  To undertake your duties in a professional manner always having respect and empathy for the customer, their circumstances and their property.
All work must be undertaken and compliant with the Essential Standards of Quality and Safety, Section 20 regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Person Specification

Please ensure that you read the person specification carefully as this will be used to assess candidates as part of the shortlist and interview process.

(Please indicate if the criteria are essential or desirable.)

E = Essential to carry out role to minimum required standard

D = Desirable but not essential to carry out the role

Knowledge/Qualifications:
NVQ qualification or a commitment to work towards one / D
Skills/Abilities:
Basic numeracy and literacy
Ability to undertake QCF qualification
Clear and precise communication skills
Ability to report accurately, verbally or in writing
Ability to record observations/actions accurately
Flexibility
Ability to respond to different situations quickly / E
E
E
E
E
E
E
Experience:
Previous experience of delivering care – not necessarily in a domiciliary setting / E
Personal Qualities:
Team player
Caring but professional attitude
Good listener
High sense of responsibility
Positive attitude
Non-judgemental / E
E
E
E
E
E
Special Factors:
Prepared to travel and have own available transport
Prepared to work agreed shift pattern
(The service operates 7 days per week, between 7am and 10 pm) / E
E

Behaviour Profile

Degree Required / Behaviour Statement
Core Behaviours
ü  Personal Effectiveness / Acts / Acts in a positive, flexible, organised manner, is receptive & adopts an assertive style.
ü  Impact / Acts / Is aware of their impact on others &reflects on their own behaviour to improve performance; considers & acts on feedback.
ü  Resilience / Acts / Accept and adapts to both significant and day to day change; seeks to identify the benefits & opportunities created by change; maintains effective performance under pressure & ambiguity.
ü  Joined Up Thinking / Acts / Acting in accordance with Optalis values will demonstrate partnership working to obtain the best outcomes for people.
ü  Analysis & Judgment / Acts / Acts with & uses ‘common sense’ in reaching a solution; does not ignore problems – tackles them by breaking them down & considering all factors; complies fully with Optalis Risk management Policy.
ü  Interpersonal / Acts / Co-operates & works well and with others pursuit of team goals; support colleagues; develops positive working relationships with both colleagues & customers.
ü  Customer & Community Focus / Acts / Acts appropriately to internal & external customer satisfaction takes responsibility for correcting issues.
ü  Respect / Acts / Acts with dignity, respect and with integrity towards everyone; acts as a positive role model; flexible in approach when dealing with colleagues and customers.