The position will be based in Acton, West London at our client’s home and on holiday in various locations on occasion.
Reporting to: Team Leader and Case Manager
Background Information:
Our client is a 23 year old male who has severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy, no verbal communication, visual impairment and he is gastrostomy fed. He is a permanent wheelchair user but when at home he likes to use his walker with assistance from his support staff. Our client has a 24 hour care plan and this will require support workers to participate in both day and waking night shifts.
He likes to go out and enjoys lots of local community activities – such as going to the pub, theatre, cinema, restaurants etc. Support workers should offer him choices in what activities he can partake in and should be resourceful in what these can be. Support workers will need to facilitate transporting the client to and from activities utilising the client’s wheelchair accessible vehicle and accompanying and assisting him at these activities.
Support workers should promote a healthy relationship between the client and his family and should follow guidelines issued by psychology services where appropriate.
Our client has a supportive family made up of his mother and his younger brother who live in the same home. The post will require the holder to liaise closely with the team leader and case manager regarding all aspects of our client’s care responding in a timely and appropriate manner when any changes in his physical or cognitive condition are apparent.
His family religion is Catholic and he enjoys going to mass with his mother, brother and support staff.
Purpose of role:
The purpose of this post is to assist our client with all aspects of daily living including his therapy programs, community access and meaningful daily activity to maximize his quality of life. This will require you to transport and accompany our client to locations outside of the home as necessary. You will be facilitating him living in his own home, this will include social activities and interacting together as required by the client and family.
You will need to develop good working relationships with our client, our client’s family, other support workers in the team, the team leader and case manager. All Support Workers will work under the day-to-day direction of the team leader.
The post will involve, on occasion, travel with our client to holiday destinations, where your usual role will be undertaken.
It is of prime importance to give our client’s family the security of knowing he is in safe reliable hands at all times.
Main Duties:
- To work in partnership with colleagues, to assist our client with personal care tasks including toileting, showering or bathing, oral hygiene, assistance with dressing, application of splints.
- Utilising our clients bespoke equipment assist him with all activities of daily living.
- To care for our client’s gastrostomy tube and site used for feeding and fluids throughout the day as required.
- Administer medications as prescribed keeping accurate records of those given.
- Under the guidance of the team leader assist our client to maintain a timetable of weekly activity and facilitate planned activities.
- Monitor skin integrity and pressure areas closely taking appropriate action if concerned.
- With training, utilise all assistive equipment including his wheelchair and static seating, hoists and walking jackets as per guidelines and report any faults to the team leader or family as soon as possible.
- The support workers will need to carry out therapy programs devised by our client’s treating therapists. Training will be provided by the treating therapists and the team leader for any client specific therapy interventions that may need to be provided.
- Contribute to the planning of meaningful activity in liaison with the team leader and to accompany our client to events / activities as requested by him.
- To respond in emergencies and arrange appropriate interventions for client. Training and protocols will be in place.
- Ensure our client feels safe and comfortable at all times. This will include following communication guidelines prepared by our client’s speech and language therapist.
- To be aware of the physical and cognitive problems our client has as a result of his injuries and how to care for him appropriately.
- At times when the client is resting and not requiring the support worker’s direct assistance, the support worker will be expected to undertake general household tasks to include cleaning equipment, cleaning room, etc.
- Ensure our client is able to maintain his maximum level of independence and provide prompting and assistance as appropriate.
- To be aware of any significant changes in our client’s health functioning or behaviour and to report this immediately to the team leader, case manager or family.
- To attend appointments as requested by the family/ team leader or case manager.
- Ensure you maintain records as required. This will include making notes on all activities carried out with the client throughout the day providing a detailed hand over to the staff on the next shift i.e. What our client has done, what you have assisted our client with doing, his fluid intake and continence and dietary intake.
- Notify the team leader if management records require updating.
- Allow freedom of choice and respect our client’s wishes at all times.
- Sensitive to the fact that you are in another person’s home. House rules will be provided and should be followed.
- The support workers will be required to attend staff supervision meetings with the client’s team leader and case manager.
- Attend relevant training days and sessions as required.
- Attend meetings and case conferences when required.
- To respect confidentiality and respect our client and his family’s privacy at all times.
Person Specification:
- experience in caring for adults with cerebral palsy
- experience with working with brain injured clients a must
- experience of working with clients with complex care needs including gastrostomy and pressure area care
- Confident about working in client's own home
- Ability to work as part of a team
- Excellent communication skills
- Able to demonstrate an understanding of confidentiality and privacy.
- Demonstrate the ability to build good relationships with our client and his family.
- Advocate for our client’s well-being when it is appropriate to do so.
- Able to assist and promote an engaging environment during times at home.
- Able to carry out moving and handling tasks safely.
- Able to demonstrate a responsible, cheerful, caring and positive attitude.
- Ability to work under own initiative.
- Need to be able to be reliable, trustworthy and flexible.
- Non-smoker
Desirable:
- Previous experience of using specialist equipment with people with disabilities.
- Driver with full driving license
- Previous experience with medication administration
- Previous experience applying therapy programs
Hours:
The full-time Support Worker will need to work as part of 24 hour care regime and as part of a two to one team on day shifts and one to one waking night shifts. The pattern of work is flexible. The number of hours you work will be lower during school term times and higher during school holidays.
We would expect the prospective applicant to be available for 3 shifts: 7pm to 9am, 8am to 8/9pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 4pm to 8/9 pm Monday – Thursday, and 8/9pm to 8 am all week.
Training, support and guidance will be provided by the case manager, team leader and treating therapists.
Bank Support Worker will cover for other support workers during periods of absence as and when required.
Pay rates are £11.00 per hour weekdays, £12.00 per hour weekends. Public/Bank holidays: two times daily rate.
Confidentiality:
The ability to respect the privacy of our client and his family is fundamental to this position. As a majority of this employment is to occur in the client’s home, it is inevitable that on occasion you will become privy to certain matters relating to the personal life and business of our client and his family; these should always be treated with the utmost confidence.