support worker - REQ001713

Job title: B1 support worker

Salary: £24,404 - £25,183 pro rata

Hours: Various – flexible hours (early/late/split shifts/weekends)

Contract: Permanent

Location: Extra Care locations in East and West Leeds

As a support worker you’ll thrive on making a difference in people’s lives while working in the health and social care sector.â€¯

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Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a support worker you will bring to the role:

supporting people with everyday tasks like getting washed and dressed and maintaining their independence in doing this.

finding new ways to enable people to keep doing the activities they want to do.

building people’s confidence and supporting them to access community facilities.

Candidates must demonstrate effective communication skills, both written and verbal, as well as possessing numeracy abilities.â€¯

About the role

As our next support worker, you will be based in one of our extra care services, providing the support within customers’ own homes. You will have excellent communication skills and be a team player. You will be motivated and a critical thinker with the ability to understand the needs of your customers.â€¯

The role is integral to our team: The extra care service is available to people who are over 55 years of age who have a housing and care need. The service helps people to maintain their independence at home.

The Extra Care Service supports adults with various requirements from a range of communities, using a person-centred strength-based approach, to enable them to maximise their independence and recovery.

We work with family, friends and carers to offer shared care, information and advice.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays

membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions

flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements

a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities

a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Apply for this job online. Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Claire Cavanagh, registered manager, on 07891277317 Claire.cavanagh@leeds.gov.uk

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Adults’ barred list will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, candidates must consider their own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker route before applying.â€¯To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the 'standard' salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. For more information visit Skilled Worker visa on the government website. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

To work to contribute to providing an integrated package of support to customers to enable them to live independent, safe and fulfilling lives in the community using a strengths based approach.

Responsibilities

To work as part of a team and to contribute to the development of the service.

To work flexibility across the older people accommodation provision.

To support new members of staff in understanding their role.

To contribute to the assessment of new referrals in collaboration with senior support workers, to ensure that they meet the services eligibility criteria through liaison with potential customers and referral agencies.

To work in partnership with individuals to identify their needs and strengths through the assessment and support planning process.

To contribute to support plans and person centred risk assessments and promote their implementation in order to promote independence in a safe environment including housing related support and the requirements of the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

To contribute to appropriate reviews including the annual provider-led reviews and participate in multi agency meetings including the care programme approach (CPA). This will also include working collaboratively with health professionals to apply the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

To support individuals to develop practical living skills as identified in their support plan in order to develop and maintain independent living skills.

To support customers to manage their medication as specified in their support plan and to administer medication if required and where staff have reached the required competency and reviewed every 6 months.

To provide personal care and support to customers where required and as specified in their support plan.

To facilitate customers on outings and/or appointments as required.

To undertake lone working as required.

To work towards recovery and increased independence through promoting social interaction.

To support customers to access and engage in local community and mainstream resources including the use of leisure, education, employment, volunteering and faith organisations and support service users engagement with these organisations.

To undertake lone working as required.

To handle small amounts of cash and comply with LCC Financial Regulations.

To support the safeguarding of customers within a positive risk management framework, ensuring that all safeguarding issues are monitored and reported promptly in line with the multi-agency framework.

To liaise and communicate with relatives, carers, other professionals and appropriate agencies and sign post to appropriate services where required.

To support and encourage customers to become involved in the ongoing development of the service.

To promote the provision of advocacy services to customers where required.

To deal with crisis and challenging situations appropriately.

To respect the confidential nature of the work and ensure that customers and carers are aware of the Council’s policies relating to the customers access to files and to work within the appropriate information sharing protocol and the General Data Protection Rules (GDPR).

To attend and participate in meetings, training, personal supervision and performance appraisal as required.

To accurately complete all necessary documentation on the Client Information System (CIS),,, records and reports as necessary and determined by LCC procedures including the Code of Practice.

To carry out sleep-in duties as required. To comply with the requirements of all Leeds City Council policies, procedures and staff instructions, including responsibilities under the Health and Safety Policy and Procedures.

To actively promote and support Leeds City Council’s Policies best practice and diversity and equality of opportunity.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

Commitment to undertake a Level 2 Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship within 12 months of commencement of the post.

Successful candidates will be offered an opportunity to undertake a Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship.

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Skills

Ability to communicate orally and in writing complex and sensitive information effectively, accurately and concisely between various stakeholders.

Ability to work in a supportive and enabling manner that focuses on supporting individual customers to achieve their goals.

Ability to undertake some moving & handling.

Ability to use a person centered approach and contributes to and monitors support plans and risk management plans.

Ability to support and enable customers to access appropriate housing and make choices about their lives.

Ability to deal with crisis and challenging situations appropriately.

Ability to show empathy and patience when supporting customers.

Ability to work unsupervised and on ones own initiative on a daily basis.

Ability to work with and take into account the needs of service users from diverse backgrounds.

Ability to work flexibly as part of a team.

Knowledge

Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of confidentiality and the needs and wishes of customers as appropriate.

Demonstrate an awareness of the needs associated with vulnerable adults.

Demonstrate an understanding of diversity issues within local communities.

Of current policies and trends in relation to vulnerable adults.

Demonstrate functional skills in literacy and numeracy at Level 1 or equivalent.

Requirement to complete the Care Certificate within 12 weeks of commencement of the post.

Commitment to undertake a Level 2 Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship within 12 months of commencement of the post.

Experience

Of working with people in a health and/or social care setting.

Of working as part of a team.

Of using person centred approaches.

Of communicating with individuals using a variety of methods.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.

Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon

Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.

Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.

Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.

Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.

Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.

Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.

Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.

Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.

The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

To respect each customers right to exercise choice and take control over their own lives.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

Skills

Ability to work with a variety of electronic communications and technology.

Knowledge

An understanding of the Authority, its function and organisation.

Of benefits and the process of how to apply for these.

Of the social model of disability.

Of Health and Safety at work policies.

Of other providers.

Experience

Of providing support for vulnerable adults.

Behavioural and other related characteristics

Knowledge of the problems of disadvantaged groups.

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