Support Worker

Salary: £60 per hour

Contek are working with a residential Children’s Home catering for 2 young people aged 6-18 years. Employees will be providing 24/7 care to vulnerable young people with the aim to improve their life chances and progress.

Support Worker

(hourly wage increases after probationary period) plus £60 per sleep.

Essential Requirements

Aged 23 or over

Full driving licence

Being flexible to cover additional shifts.

Able to work on a shift pattern which includes sleep-ins

Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare or equivalent

Minimum of 1 year of experience working in children’s, and young peoples residential.

Knowledge of the Care Standards, and the Children’s Homes Regulations for children’s homes.

Understanding of appropriate legislation.

Purpose of the Post

To provide assistance, advice and support to young people. To attend to their emotional, psychological, practical, physical needs. To act as an appropriate role model and to work closely with the children and young people to enable them to address their difficulties as well as achieve their individual optimum potential.

Equal Opportunities

All young people are equally entitled to have their needs met in a fair and balanced way as stated in the Equality & Diversity Act. Staff are responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all and for challenging any behaviour or practice which discriminates against any young person or colleague on the grounds of race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference.

Accountable To

Team Leaders, Registered Manager and the Responsible Individual.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

* To maintain a high quality of care and support which meets the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and cultural needs of children and young people within the care of Wynford House. Working from the guidelines from the 1989 Children’s Act, National Minimum Standards, Every Child Matters and any other relevant legislation.

* To provide a caring, supportive and nurturing environment in which children/young people can feel secure and free from harm.

* Establishing positive relationships with young people and always offering them unconditional and positive regard.

* Helping young people gain self-control by challenging unacceptable behaviour and rewarding acceptable, pro-social conduct.

* Ensuring that each young person’s care plan is followed and amended as appropriate to reflect their changing needs.

* Attending to supported and independent practical matters in relation to childcare (cooking, cleaning, general maintenance around the home etc).

* To act as a key worker or co-worker for a young person to ensure that the young person’s care plans are up to date and that all their care needs are being met. To provide a positive role model to be able to offer advice, guidance and assistance where appropriate.

* Establishing relationships which young people perceive to be positive, warm and rewarding.

* Providing advice, assistance and support on a 1:1 basis to enable young people to address past and present difficulties.

* Providing emotional support at times of difficulty or stress.

* Being ambitious for young people, helping them achieve their goals and optimise their potential.

* Providing support for young people in their education and extracurricular activities, this may include supporting them in the classroom if necessary.

* Keeping accurate records and providing daily, weekly, monthly and annual written reports on the young people for planning meetings, reviews or any other meetings as directed by the line manager.

* Empowering young people and facilitating their active involvement in the decision making about their lives and future.

* Acting as an advocate at meetings where the young person is the subject of discussion.

* Encouraging the young person to develop links with the community, attend off-site activities and expand their personal social network.

To work as part of a team

– Being aware of the aims and objectives of the home and working collaboratively with colleagues to achieve them.

– Attending team/ staff meetings and making a positive contribution to them.

– Actively contributing to the development of the team.

– Receiving and storing information to improve communication.

– Being willing to receive feedback on your own performance from Team Leaders and managers.

– Being aware of childcare plans for all young people and providing support for colleagues by maintaining consistency in the execution of those plans.

– Attending regular supervision sessions in line with the National Minimum Standards.

– Monitoring the conduct of colleagues and referring on any causes for concern (Whistleblowing).

– Being familiar with all policies and procedures and adhering to them.

General Responsibilities

– Attending young people’s meetings and contributing to them.

– Driving company vehicles (current driving licence holders subject to procedures).

– Receiving training appropriate to the role and maintaining an up to date training profile

– Responsibility for the accurate maintenance of financial records appropriate to the duties of the post.

– Responsibility for the completing health, safety and welfare checks within the home in accordance with the requirements of the organisational Health and Safety Policies.

Special Conditions

– This post requires the holder to do varying shifts, which include early morning and late evening work, sleep-in and correspond with reporting significant events to the on-call rota system. The post holder also is required to work weekends as part of a rota and Bank Holidays when required. Sleeping-in duties are also required for which an additional payment is made.

– On occasions you may be requested to change your rota at a given notice as per your contract, to ensure the contingencies of the service are covered. This may also include covering an additional sleep-in duty as an emergency measure.

– In accordance with the guidelines on Health and Safety, to accept responsibility for working within these guidelines and reporting any concerns to the Registered Manager.

– To undertake such other duties appropriate to the grade of the post and the needs of the Home such as decorating, gardening in order to develop and maintain service delivery.

– This post requires the holder to have complete a Criminal Record Bureau check via the Disclosure & Barring Services. The employee must be honest to any previous criminal offences and changes to their personal circumstances which may affect their employment notified to your line manager immediately.