Job description: City Carers Support Worker

Location: Various/ central London

Line Manager: End of Life Project Manager

Salary: £15,600 for 24 hours p/wk

Hours: 24 per week, to include some unsocial hours as required to meet the needs of carers

Holiday: 25 days plus bank holidays pro rata’d for part time role

Pension: 7% employer contribution

About this role

We are seeking an excellent candidate for the role of Carer Support Worker within oursmall, friendly and dynamic team working in diverse boroughs in central London.

The post holder will be responsible for delivering our unique, brand new carers service in the City of London,providing unpaid carers with information, advice and support.

This is a highly independent and flexible role,and will suit a self-starter with a passion to support unpaid carers and desire to develop project delivery skill. It will involve travel to Carers Network’s offices and Camden Carers Centre on a regular basis.

The role includes working on Wednesday evenings (covering a telephone advice line until 7pm) and occasional additional evening and weekend working. Other hours and locations worked are highly flexible. This role does not involve managing people but does include project management, plus the support of any volunteers recruited.

About Carers Network

Carers Network’s vision is thatevery unpaid carer is recognised and leads a healthy, fulfilling life with control over their caring role.

For more than 25 years we have been working with carers to provide information, advice, advocacy and support, along with social events, breaks and other services to ensure that carers are well informed, supported and healthy.We currently work with more than 3,000 carers in the London boroughs of Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham. We are excited to have this new opportunity to support carers in the City of London.

Carers Network is a charity. We are an equal opportunity employer and service provider that recognises and celebrates diversity. We hold a quality mark from PQASSSO and Carers Trust, we are also a London Living wage employer.

Staff structure

Aims of the post

To identify and support unpaid carers who look after someone in the City of London,by:

  • providing direct information, advice and support to carers,
  • working in partnership with Local Authority and NHS agencies and the voluntary and community sector to increase the number of carers identified and improving recognition of their role,
  • supporting and developing methods for carer involvement.

Duties

Supporting Carers

To provide support to unpaid carers, including emotional support at times of crisis, help with raising their concerns about services where necessary, and in-depth casework with some carers, using the Carers Outcomes Star.

Support and develop opportunities for peer support through activities.

Facilitate support groups.

Organise events, training and workshops as required (working with the Carers Network Communications Officer).

Identification and Recognition of Carers

Work with partner organisations to help identify ‘hidden’carers who are not currently known to services.

Ensure that the City Carers Service is promoted across City, both to carers and to other services which then make regular referrals.

Ensure that carers’ rights, needs and views are included in all relevant local strategies and initiatives.

Information and Advice

Ensurethat relevant, up-to-date and accessibleinformation for carers is available at appropriate venues across City.

To provide information and signposting to carers by telephone and email.

To provide information and advice to carers face-to-face at drop-in sessions, home visits, through the phone advice line and other suitable venues, signposting and referring onwards where appropriate.

Telephone advice line

To provide phone-based advice to City carers each week at Camden Carers Centre, alongside their existing phone advice team (12pm-7pm).

Carer Involvement

To encourage and support a small number of carer volunteers.

To support and develop the involvement of carers in the City Carers Forum.

Facilitate the involvement and consultation of carers via various consultation methods, events and E-newsletter.

Record-Keeping and Report-Writing

To maintain information on individual work with carers on our online database in line with Carers Network’s policy.

To contribute to reports for management and for funding and monitoring bodies

Organisational and Professional Development

To work largely independently but with regular attendance at team meetings.

To attend and actively participate in regular supervision and annual appraisals

To undertake relevant training and staff development activities as required.

Additional Tasks

To undertake, in consultation with your manager, other specified duties which may from time to time be required, in relation to the day-to-day running of the organisation.

Carer Support Worker

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities / Measured by
Excellent verbal and written communicator / Application form and interview
Experience
Experience of working with a diverse range of clients with differing levels of needs. / Application form and interview
Experience of managing own caseload with requisite need for accurate and timely record keeping / Application form and interview
Ability to balance a range of tasks with competing demands / Application form and interview
Experience of project management, networking and strategic-planning skills / Application form and Interview
Experience of maintaining detailed case notes on a database / Application form and interview
Knowledge
Knowledge of issues affecting Carers / Application form and interview
Personal Qualities
Passionate about providing high quality services to local communities / Interview
Willing to work both independently and as part of a small team / Interview
Ability to be flexible in working style / Interview
Methodical working style / Interview
Attention to detail / Interview