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Job Title: Support Worker
Working Hours: To be discussed
Location: 7 Millward Road, Ryde, PO33 2SL or 67 Argyll Street, Ryde, PO33 3BY or 82 Great Preston Road, Ryde PO33 1DD
Job purpose: to provide a high-quality service for the vulnerable children we support and safeguard their wellbeing.
Accountable to: The Manager
At Island Choices Residential Children’s Homes, we are committed to safeguarding the children in our care and robust checks will be carried out before any employment will commence to ensure we safeguard them.
Responsibilities:
- Provide support and advocacy to the children we support.
- Provide emotional and practical support for the children.
- Support the children in accordance with their individual needs. This is to include personal hygiene, Supporting them with health and other appointments, assistance with laundry, and preparing meals as required.
- Supporting the children to take any prescribed medicine, complying with Island Choices Medication policy.
- To be a keyworker for a child if you have a good relationship with them.
- Enable the children to achieve independence as far as possible in all areas of their life by providing appropriate information, opportunities, training, counselling and support. Furthermore, help them complete their AQA independent living skills work.
- Help the children to identify their support needs. Encourage them to be involved in their care plans.
- Make decisions in the best interests of the children and the business as a whole ensuring safeguarding of the children is paramount.
- Assist with incident management and the reporting of these incidents.
Provide a safe, comfortable and supportive home for the individuals we support.
- Participate and be flexible in shifts, which may include day, evening, weekend and Bank Holiday working, waking and sleeping-in duties at night as discussed with the manager on interview.
- Assist in health and safety assessments, follow health and safety procedures and participate in fire drills.
- Report any maintenance and repair tasks, to the manager.
- Provide First Aid services when necessary and if trained to do so.
- The staff are expected to undertake any low-level DIY tasks such as changing light bulbs (ensuring safe use of ladders with two staff) changing batteries, and painting. Basically, all tasks similar to a domestic setting. Staff are at no point to put themselves at risk at any time and always follow the homes Health and Safety policy.
Assist the individuals we support to present themselves as valued members of the local community.
- Create opportunities for social and leisure activities with the children.
- Introduce the children to a range of facilities and amenities in the local neighbourhood and wider community. Encourage and support with participation in these activities.
- If you are a driver you are expected to drive the children when you are on shift. This is an important part of the job as they can have many appointments.
Ensure that the rights of the children we support are always protected and respected.
Ensure that each individual child is supported as far as possible to exercise their rights in the following areas: Privacy, choice, participation in decision making, expression of their own cultural identity, entitlement to service, feedback on the service they receive and the right to complain, protection of their property, maintaining links with family and friends.
Liaise with other professionals on behalf of the individuals we support.
- Maintain contact with a wide range of outside professionals, e.g. General practitioners, dentists, and therapists etc.
- Liaise with Social Services, parents, carers and all other external professionals we work with and work with them in the best interests of the child.
Keep records and participate in administrative tasks.
HIGH IMPORTANCE -
The staff communication book needs to be read, any instruction responded to and signed within the first 15 minutes of starting your shift, this is extremely important as there is key information in it relating to the care we provide.
- Assist and participate in the wide range of administrative tasks necessary for the smooth running of the home.
- Follow all of the company's financial procedures.
- Daily records must be completed by staff at the end of each shift.
- Ensure clear and concise medication records are kept.
Participate in the opportunities provided for training and development.
- Participate in regular supervision to receive support, increase knowledge, identify training needs, evaluate work performance, aid and assess professional development.
- Participate in an annual appraisal co-ordinated by your manager.
- Attend staff training courses, and in-house workshops as required.
- In house training is mandatory.
Work within, and promote, the policies and procedures of
Island Choices.
- Follow the policies and procedures outlined in the policies and procedures file.
- Maintain confidentiality about the children we care for, our staff team and the Company as a whole.
- Promote equality of opportunity and a respect for diversity.
Be an active member of the home.
- Help cover the work of the team, during absence, vacancies, or when a colleague is under pressure.
- Liaise and coordinate with other team members to provide a cohesive, high quality service.
- Participate in and contribute to team meetings. You will be expected to attend team meeting’s at least every two months and may face disciplinary action if this is not adhered to as this is a mandatory requirement.
- Share with other team member’s previous experience, skills and knowledge, which may be relevant to the team in providing its service.
- Be supportive, respectful and empathic to the children, colleagues and visitors.
Any other duties.
- Undertake any duties consistent with the overall purpose of the post as directed by the Manager.
- Staff on duty should support the staff working in the other homes both through their physical input when required and in decision making to ensure fluidity and flexible working, day and night.
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