We are looking for someone to join team of 3 personal assistants working with our son Sean. Shifts typically 3 – 5 hours once a week. Sean attends college Monday to Thursday so particularly keen to find a new personal assistant with availability on Friday or Saturday daytime. Other sessions may be available in the evening and also daytimes in college holidays.
We will only consider applicants who have some previous paid or voluntary experience of working with teenagers or young adults with learning disabilities and / or autism. You should be physically fit and energetic (he walks fast!), absolutely reliable, patient and an excellent communicator with good spoken English. A DBS check and checkable recent references are required.
Sean has epilepsy – seizures currently happen around once a month. Personal assistants have to be confident to deal with seizures and to keep Sean safe. Training and support will be provided.
Sean has expressive and receptive language but is a reluctant communicator. He can be challenging at times but is also very rewarding to work with. He loves going out on public transport and needs a personal assistant who can confidently keep him safe out in the community. Other tasks outside home include shopping, cycling and football sessions, bowling, going to the cinema. Activities at home include cooking, cleaning, watching DVDs and supervising personal care.
In our experience it works best when personal assistants live locally. You need to be able to travel home late at night by your own transport or public transport. Would suit a student with regular availability for rest of academic year, preferably longer. Absolutely not suitable as temporary job while you look for a full-time job.
Pay is £11 per hour. If you would like to apply, please send your CV giving details of your availability and relevant experience.