Community Support Worker – Count Me In Service (Social Care)

Job Title:	CMI Support Worker
Salary:	£12.71 per hour
Hours:	Required to work weekdays, weekends, evenings and bank holidays.
Holidays:	5.6 weeks pro rata (Inclusive of statutory and bank holidays)
Responsible to:	Count Me In Managers
Employing body:	People in Action (Yorkshire)

About People In Action (Yorkshire)

People in Action (Yorkshire) is a thriving Leeds based charity, established in 1983 to benefit people with learning disabilities, difficulties, Autism and Asperger’s. The charity makes a real difference to the lives of the most vulnerable and socially isolated; inspiring and empowering people to recognise their potential, fulfil their aspirations and lead safer healthier, better connected lives. The charity provides a range of innovative, inclusive, person centred services which reflect the needs of the people it supports,  known as members. The activities are wide ranging and include the provision of opportunities for leisure, learning, employment, health, wellbeing and the development of life skills. The range of activities runs from practical courses in employability to social groups that meet in the community to enjoy leisure time together.  Through individual care packages the charity also provides practical one to one support tailored to the needs to the individual.

About Count Me In

The Count Me In Service is a bespoke one to one support service, tailored to the needs of the individual, it aims to empower and enable people to reach their goals and fulfil their aspirations.

The individual care packages are designed using a person-centred approach to planning and support. The charity works with the individual to promote choice, independence and control in meeting their outcomes and goals.

The support enables Members to access services, manage and take positive risks, develop daily living skills such as cooking, house work, manage finances and shopping, manage housing and health needs and access the community. 

Job Purpose

To provide one to one support that is tailored to meet the individual needs of the Member. 

To support ourMembers who have mild, moderate to complex needs and/or challenging behaviour and require one to one support to fulfil their personal goals.

To support our Members with learning disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s and mental health difficulties

To safely provide compassionate care, understanding and support that is centred on the individual needs and wishes of each Member. 

To have the ability to cope in difficult situations, always placing the Member at the centre of the support.

The Support Worker will support the Members to access services or activities of their choice.  This will require a flexible and imaginative approach.

Duties and Responsibilities

• To provide support to members on a one to one basis in their own homes and in the local community, in accordance with the agreed support plan.
• To facilitate our members increased independence by encouraging and supporting participation in their daily living activities and opportunities.
• To work with members, their families, team members and partner organisation to ensure that support is person centred and tailored to meet their individual needs and wishes.
• To use and promote a range of communication methods to assist Members to make informed decisions and choices about the issues affecting their lives.
• To help to provide support in areas such as: managing money, travelling safely, improving health and wellbeing, engaging in social and leisure activities, accessing education, volunteering and employment, to develop and maintain friendships and inclusion within the community
• To preserve and respect the dignity and privacy of Members and their families at all times
• To ensure confidentiality about Members and their families is maintained at all times, in keeping with the GDPR regulations.
• To promote Equality and Diversity at all times.
• To follow company policy and procedure along with best practice.
• To report any significant issues, notifiable events or concerns immediately to your service manager, i.e. appointments, meetings etc.
• To provide electronic daily reports on each session the progression of the member(s) ensuring records are maintained where necessary, they are accurate, up to date and completed in a timely manner.
• To be responsible for the day to day communication and involvement with families/relatives, other carers and service managers.
• To attend and participate in team meetings, supervisions, observations and appraisals
• Undertake any training required in order to perform the role more effectively, identifying training needs and formulating training plans with the direction of your manager

This job description is not exhaustive and there may be times you will be required to undertake other duties as and when in order to meet the needs of the Members

NB: this job description may be reviewed annually to meet changing service requirements

Person Specification

We are looking for an enthusiastic person who has a person-centred approach with a minimum of 6 months experience working within a care / support work setting. The individual will have the ability to encourage and engage our members to meet their needs and aspirations. It would be advantageous to hold a level 2 qualification or above in Health & Social Care. It would be desirable for the successful candidate to hold a driving licence along with business insurance, however this is not essential.

All the below are ESSENTIAL criteria for the role;

• Commitment to delivering a high-quality person-centered support
• Effective & sensitive communication skills
• A minimum of 6 months experience in same/similar role
• Ability to support Members in a creative and flexible way that respects choice, dignity and privacy 
• Ability to form and maintain effective working relationships with members, their families, colleagues and partner organizations
• Able to work on own initiative, plan and prioritise caseload and contribute own ideas to support the members ongoing developments
• Ability to contribute to the wider team
• Knowledge and understanding of the needs and barriers our members may face
• Knowledge of Health and Safety, Risk Management and Policy and Procedures
• Experience of working alongside a support plan whilst meeting and identifying objectives and achievements
• Able to work flexibly to meet the needs of members, the service and organisation
• Be willing to travel across Leeds and surrounding areas, taking members out if required
• Dependable and reliable with good time keeping skills
• Confident to lone work in the community
• Understanding the importance of choice, control, rights and empowerment

Please note it is a requirement that all CMI Support Workers will be required to complete a DBS check due to working directly with vulnerable adults

This Job Description is not exhaustive. It will be subject to periodic review and may be amended following discussion between the post-holder and employer.