Date as Postmarked Reference: 4318 Community Stockton Learning Disabilities Service Thank you for your interest in the above post, please find the specific role requirements and duties for this post detailed within this document. When completing the application form you may submit additional documentation however we cannot accept a CV as a completed application. Please note the following: Once you have submitted or posted your application form allow 14 days for a response. We do not notify unsuccessful applicants for this post. If you do not receive a response within this time please consider this as an unsuccessful application. Please return the completed application form to Creative Support in the enclosed Freepost envelope or to Recruitment, 5 th Floor, Head Office, 35 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 2HF. Due to our charitable organisational status all application forms submitted without use of the Freepost envelope must be done so using the correct postage amount. Creative Support cannot accept receipt of forms which carry a surcharge due to incorrect postage amounts. Closing Date : 24 September Yours Faithfully Recruitment Department Encs: Application Form Philosophy Statement Additional Information COME TO OUR RECRUITMENT DAY Tuesday 11th September 11am-3pm We are holding a recruitment event on Tuesday 11th September between 11am and 3pm at Stockton Riverside College, Harvard Avenue, Stockton-on-Tees TS17 6FB. Visit our event to learn more about these vacancies. All applicants are subject to CRB checks Page 1 of 2
JOB DESCRIPTION COMMUNITY SUPPORT WORKER Stockton Learning Disabilities Service Accountable to: Unit Business Manager, Support Co-ordinator and senior colleagues The Role: To provide individualised person centred support to people with learning disabilities living in their own homes; to enable them to enjoy a fulfilling and valued life, to participate in the community and to develop their abilities as fully as possible. Main Responsibilities/Duties 1. To develop and sustain warm and trusting relationships with service users. 2. To promote the self esteem, happiness and emotional health of service users. 3. To respect the client s right to privacy and to ensure that their dignity is maintained at all times. 4. To encourage and support service users in expressing their needs, views and concerns. To enable service users make choices and decisions and to participate as fully as possible in planning and decision making processes. 5. To respect and promote the rights and entitlements of people with learning disabilities, and to enable them to participate as fully as possible in their communities. 6. To be responsive to the individual needs of service users within the framework of their Person Centred Plans and to respond flexibly to changing needs. 7. To enable service users to become as independent as possible and to grow in confidence, competence and personal effectiveness in the following areas: Social skills/relationships Personal care & hygiene Daily living skills Using community resources and facilities Social, leisure and work activities Self organisation and coping abilities Personal safety To achieve this through the provision of practical assistance, support, teaching, advice, role modelling, encouragement and positive feedback. 8. To support people who express their frustrations and needs through challenging behaviour by using appropriate strategies and interventions as specified by the Person Centred Plan. 9. To ensure that service users receive all necessary advice, care and regular health checks to ensure their physical health and well being. To promote nutrition, relaxation, exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Page 2 of 9
10. To support service users in developing a socially valued lifestyle which includes a varied range of culturally and age appropriate experiences, building on the strengths, interests and aspirations of the service user. To enable people to access social, leisure, work and educational opportunities. 11. To enable service users to access developmental opportunities, new experiences and challenges, whilst not being exposed to unacceptable risks. 12. To assist service users in the administration and monitoring of prescribed medication in accordance with the Scheme s Medication Policy. 13. To observe and monitor the service users emotional and physical well being and to inform relevant staff and agencies of any concerns or significant changes in their needs, behaviour and circumstances. 14. To take appropriate action in the event of unforeseen emergencies, ensuring that the Project Manager and the Support Co-ordinator is informed promptly. 15. To follow Health and Safety guidelines carefully and to alert the Project Manager immediately of any concerns in relation to Health and Safety issues. 16. To contribute to project records and individual case files. 17. To carry out and record all financial transactions involving service users within agency guidelines. 18. To carry out general administrative duties, housing management tasks and services as required. 19. To contribute to service users reviews, through the provision of verbal and written reports and by attending Support Planning meetings. 20. To complete house hold tasks (i.e. cleaning, laundry, shopping, tidying) Other 20. To notify Line Manager of planned whereabouts and to submit accurate timesheets weekly. 21. To provide regular verbal and written reports to colleagues. 22. To accept support, supervision and guidance from senior colleagues. 23. To carry out all work in a manner consistent with the aims of the project and the service principles adopted by Creative Support. 24. To comply with and to implement the Equal Opportunities Policy. 25. To maintain confidentiality at all times, in accordance with the agreed policy. Page 3 of 9
26. To identify training needs in discussion with Line Manager and to attend training events and courses as required. 27. To observe any written policies, procedures and guidelines for good practice agreed by Creative Support. 28. To take on the role of shift co-ordinator when required. 29. Any other duties as required. Page 4 of 9
PERSON SPECIFICATION COMMUNITY SUPPORT WORKER Stockton Learning Disabilities Service Skills/Knowledge/Personal Qualities Requirement 1. Ability to demonstrate a warm, person centred and affirmative approach to people with learning disabilities. 2. Good verbal communication skills and ability to listen sensitively to others 3. Ability to engage with service users, to develop and sustain warm and trusting relationships 4. Ability to demonstrate basic insight and understanding into the needs of people with learning disabilities 5. Written communication skills, sufficient to contribute to a record keeping system. 6. Ability to work constructively and co-operatively as part of a team 7. Ability to work safely and responsibly without direct supervision in service user s own homes 8. Ability to demonstrate initiative, self motivation and resourcefulness 9. Ability to liaise in a professional manner with other agencies and to work in a positive way with the families and friends of service users 10. Understanding of the person centred aims and principles of Creative Support and ability to put these into practice 11. Ability to demonstrate respect for difference and diversity. 12. Ability to provide emotional and practical support to service users Page 5 of 9
13. A non judgmental, accepting approach to working with people who may be challenging and the ability to cope in a mature way with conflict, distress and challenging behaviours 14. Ability to work in a calm, patient and tolerant manner at a pace appropriate to the needs of the individual 15. Ability to enable people to enjoy developmental opportunities without being exposed to unacceptable risks Experience and Qualifications 16. Experience of providing care, support or other services to people with a variety of needs Desirable 17. Experience of supporting people with learning disabilities Assessed by Application Form Desirable 18. Life experience and confidence in relating to people from a wide variety of backgrounds 19. Possession of NVQ or other relevant social care qualification Assessed by Application Form Desirable Other 20. Warm, respectful and positive approach when working with service users 21. Willingness to work flexible hours according to needs of agency and service users as cover is needed over 365 days 22. Willingness to attend training courses and events 23. Willing to accept feedback and guidance and to be accountable to colleagues and managers 24. To have a clean driving licence and access to a car Assessed by Application Form Desirable Page 6 of 9
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS COMMUNITY SUPPORT WORKER Stockton Learning Disabilities Service Salary: Up to 13,260pa dependent on experience, qualifications and current salary: Point One - 12,187 per annum No experience at all Point Two - 12,480 per annum Graduate / Minimum of 1 year experience Point Three - 12,870 per annum - NVQ II / Minimum of 2 years experience Point Four - 13,260 per annum NVQ III / Minimum of 3 years experience An additional payment of 26.50 is payable per night for sleep-ins as worked. All waking nights attract an additional payment of 1.20ph for each night actually worked. This is paid to all staff who work nights whether on the basis of regular waking nights, periodic night duty, internal rotation or occasional night duty. An enhancement is paid for working at Christmas and New Year. We do not pay enhancements for working evenings, weekends or any other public holiday. Employees will be awarded a one off bonus payment of 100.00 (pro-rata for employees who are contracted to work less than 18 hours per week) once they have successfully completed their probationary period which is subject to the following: Attendance is satisfactory End Probationary Review is satisfactory Induction Checklist is complete Line Managers recommendation Level 2 Health & Social Care Diploma: All employees will be required to undertake and complete the Level 2 Health and Social Care Diploma, or if the employee already has an NVQ but no Learning Disability qualification, they will need to complete the Level 2 Certificate in Learning Disabilities (applicable to s working in learning disability services only) as a condition of their employment. If you hold NVQ 2 health and social care or equivalent you will of course not need to do the award again, but we may support you to undertake qualifications. Disclosure Checks: All appointments will be subject to CRB enhanced disclosure, ISA and POCA checks. Hours of Work: Full time hours are 37.5 per week. To be worked flexibly on a rota which will include evenings, sleep-ins, weekends and public holidays according to the needs of the service. Probationary Period: The first six months will constitute a probationary period. When this is successfully completed, employment will be confirmed. You will be required to undertake and complete Page 8 of 9
Relevant training during your probationary period as a condition of your employment. Holidays: 20 days plus 8 statutory days for the first year of service. Part Time Work: Please note that annual leave and other entitlements are calculated on a pro-rata basis for employees working less than 37.5 hours. We take a positive view of part-time work and will consider reasonable requests for part time hours for a minimum of 16 hours per week. Sickness Policy: Creative Support operates a discretionary company sick pay benefit scheme which is for the purposes of preventing hardship during times of serious illness. The eligibility criteria and conditions for payment of Company Sick Pay (inclusive of SSP) are shown in the Employee Handbook. You may be eligible for Company Sick Pay benefits subject to compliance with these criteria as follows:- Creative Support do not pay for the first three days of any sickness absence. First six months service - Not eligible for Company Sick Pay though you may be entitled to SSP. Six months to eighteen months service - Up to a maximum of four weeks at full pay. Eighteen months plus service - Up to a maximum of eight weeks at full pay followed by four weeks at half pay. Part time employees who work 18.5 hours or more per week will receive Company Sick Pay benefits as detailed above but pro rata actual hours worked each week. Part time employees who work less than 18 hours per week will be eligible for a maximum of two weeks pro rata hours worked Company Sick Pay benefits per annum after 12 months service. Company Sick Pay benefits may be withdrawn or temporarily suspended where performance or attendance is unsatisfactory. Pension: Creative Support will make a contribution to a personal pension scheme after six months satisfactory service, providing that the employee makes a contribution equal to or exceeding this. Company pension contributions rise on an incremental scale to 6% of basic salary for employees with more than three years service. Discretionary Benefits: Creative Support offers all staff a range of discretionary benefits in addition to statutory benefits. These include: Paid paternity leave Enhanced maternity leave Compassionate leave Carers leave Page 9 of 9
Employee Counselling Service: All staff, their partners and members of their household have access to an independent confidential, 24 hour telephone counselling service and to legal and financial advice. In addition, up to 6 sessions of face to face counseling can be obtained. This service is delivered by professionally qualified and supervised counsellors and is provided free of charge. Employee s can also contact our centralised Employee Relations Advisor to receive confidential aid and advice on any matters of concern. Hospital Saturday Fund: All employees have access to a special scheme which enables membership of the Hospital Saturday Fund on preferential rates. There are a choice of packages offering different levels of service. Membership is entirely voluntary. Staff Benefits Scheme: As a member of staff for Creative Support you will be entitled to access a range of on-line benefits for various activities and high street stores. Benefits include discounted prices and two for one offers at Theme Parks, Shops, Restaurants and various on-line stores. Page 10 of 9