POSITION DESCRIPTION

Accommodation Residential Support Worker

Organisational Context

Gateways Support Services Inc. provides a range of services to children and adults with disabilities and additional needs in the Western Region. The Accommodation& Specialist Support Services division supports adolescents and adults with disabilities through the provision of supported accommodation.

Gateways is committed to providing quality, safety and wellbeing to every person who uses our services. We have rigorous recruitment policies and procedures in place promoting the safety and protection of all vulnerable people we support.

Service Standards

Gateways accommodation services are required to comply with the Disability Act 2006 and meet the Victorian Disability Service Standards (Outcome Standards for Disability and Industry Standards for Disability Services) as a condition of funding. Responsibilities and duties in this position description are linked to the relevant industry standard.

Reporting Arrangements and Accountability

The Gateways Board of Management is responsible to clients, funding bodies and the community for all aspects of service provision and management of the organisation. This responsibility is delegated through the Chief Executive Officer to staff. Residential Support Workers report to and are directly accountable to the Team Leaders. The accountability structure is as follows:

Residential Support Worker’s Duties and Responsibilities

Gateways Support Services Accommodation & Specialist Support Services provides high quality; community based supported accommodation for people with an intellectual disability. This support encourages developmental opportunities and client choice, enabling maximum integration with the community and a lifestyle that emulates the general community.

Accommodation& Specialist Support Services provides high quality community-based supported accommodation for people with a disability. Accommodation & Specialist Support Services aim to enrich people’s quality of life through a Person Centred Active Support approach using every available daily opportunity to promote people:

  • Participation in household and community activities.
  • Relationship building with other people.
  • Choice in all aspects of decision-making that affects them.
  • Dignity and respect in all aspects of their lives.
  • Skills that are used and developed to create achievement.

This is based on a premise that all people with disabilities can:

  • Make informed choices.
  • Participate in activities of choice irrespective of their abilities.
  • Make a contribution.

Position Purpose

The Residential Support Worker works rostered shifts in Accommodation& Specialist Support Services to support people with a disability. The role is required to liaise with Team Leaders, fellow staff members, managers, families, program providers, community groups, and other interested parties in relation to client related and service delivery issues, and participate in the monitoring and evaluation of service performance and client outcomes.

Accountabilities

Operating at value range, you will:

  • Provide support to people with disabilities in areas such as personal care, health and well-being, accessing the local community, learning independent living skills and implementation of all support plans including Person Centred Plans, Behaviour Support Plans and Health Care Plans.
  • Create and maintain an environment that empowers people with disabilities.
  • Identify and utilise specific communication methods to interact with people with disabilities.
  • Advocate for people with disabilities.
  • Complete administrative work including maintaining client records and household accounts.
  • Plan meals and menus in accordance with food safety guidelines to meet nutritional, cultural and religious needs.
  • Participate and cooperate with managers and Team Leaders in consultative processes to improve health and safety, using the relevant tools and systems such as, procedures, guidelines and policies.
  • Observe the safe working practices you have been trained in, and as far as you are able, protect your own and others’ health and safety.
  • Attend all mandatory training and/or training requested by Program Manager or Team Leader.
  • Read and sign off on all policies and procedures.
  • Attend and contribute to staff meetings.
  • Participate in regular supervision and annual performance appraisals.

Pre-employment Requirements

Note: All applicants will be subject to National Criminal History Records Check.

To gain employment staff need to have the following prior to commencement

Current Level 2 First Aid Certificate

Current CPR valid for 8 months

Current Working with Children Card (WWCC) for employees

A satisfactory health declaration in accordance with Gateways Support Services Pre Employment Policy

Desirable Qualifications

Current Victorian Driver’s Licence

Certificate IV in Disability Services

Key Selection Criteria

Specialist Expertise/Role Specific Requirements:

A good understanding of the principles of the Disability Act 2006 and the State Disability Plan

An understanding of the DHS Standards and what they mean for people with a disability

Ability to advocate on behalf of people with a disability

The successful applicant will be required to work shifts as rostered, including morning, afternoon, active nights, sleepovers and on weekends and public holidays

Knowledge and Skills:

Verbal communication skills: Ability to clearly explain information and listen to feedback, speak clearly and concisely and keep people interested when speaking, use a polite and considerate manner when dealing with others.

Interpersonal skills: Polite and considerate in dealing with others, has awareness of people and temperament.

Responsiveness/stakeholder management: Ability to respond to client needs and promptly follow through on inquiries, requests and complaints. Maintain contact with client’s family, friends, advocates and other service providers as appropriate to ensure to access to relevant personal, community, social and leisure services.

Policy skills: Understands the purpose of policies, ability to use operational policies to guide their work.

Personal Qualities:

Client Focus: Listens to clients, actively seeks to meet their needs, seeks ways to improve services, committed to delivering high quality outcomes for clients. Valuing people with disabilities.

Empathy and Cultural Awareness: Pays attention to words, expressions and body language, paraphrases messages to check understanding, shapes responses to individuals, based on a range of information they have noted, communicates well with, relates to and sees issues from the perspective of people from a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds.

Integrity: Committed to the public interest, operates in a manner that is consistent with the Gateways Code of Conduct, inspires trust by treating all individual’s fairly.

Teamwork: Cooperates and works well with others in the pursuit of team goals. Collaborates and shares information. Shows consideration, concern and respect for other’s feelings and ideas. Accommodates and works well with the different working style of others.

Reliability & Productivity:Attends all shifts in the prescribed manner. Completes all house hold and recording jobs throughout their shift.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

As per the Gateways Support Services Inc and Health Services Union of Australia Disability Services Sector Certified Agreement 2005, plus specific conditions as outlined in the Employment Contract.

Classification - Residential Support Services Worker.

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