Extra Care Support Worker

The primary purpose of this post is to provide personal care, basic health care and practical support as determined by assessed needs, to enable individuals to live as independently as possible in their care setting. This will involve providing services to encourage service user functional rehabilitation.

2. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Service Delivery

Departmental

1. With the Service Manager and Registered Manager (Extra Care) to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of Council policies and the achievement of the Council's objectives.

2. To contribute to co-operative working across services in accordance with the Council's Vision and Values. To contribute to cross-service initiatives as required.

3. To ensure that holistic care and support is provided to meet service users physical and psychological needs and to promote the continuing spiritual, family and social life of the tenants, helping them to maintain social interaction with family, friends and the community in line with their wishes.

4. To assist in ensuring the team's services are responsive to community needs and that equal opportunity and health and safety issues are identified and addressed effectively.

5. To assist in ensuring effective external and internal working relationships are established and maintained with organisations and agencies relevant to the work of the service.

6. To ensure effective and accessible communication with staff, service users, the general public and others as appropriate.

Functional

Service User Care

• To provide essential holistic care and support to meet service users physical and psychological needs and to promote the continuing spiritual, family and social life of service users including helping them to maintain social interaction with their family, friends and the community in line with their wishes.
• Develop appropriate and professional relationships with service users and carers, which value them as individuals, including establishing and maintaining effective communication. To promote and maintain person-centred service.
• To act as a Key Worker to a number of service users. This includes preparing relevant information about users both verbally and in writing and participation in Review meetings
• Keep up to date written records regarding individual service users as required
• In accordance with the individual service users care/service plan to provide personal care and basic nursing care to individuals, following instruction and recognised training received. Examples may include:
• Getting up / putting to bed
• Personal hygiene
• Use of toilet
• Catheter care including stoma and sheath care
• Assisting with prostheses (false legs/eyes etc)
• Application of simple dressings
• Foot and hand care
• Basic nursing care during illness and terminal illness
• Health promotion
• Person-centred support for those living with dementia
• Assisting service users to eat and drink which includes preparation of simple snacks and beverages and service of food in the users flat.
• To operate safely (and after training) appropriate equipment, for example: bathing and lifting equipment.
• Provide personal and practical care to all service users regardless of their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, impairment, age, HIV status, or any other health condition. This will include the provision of First Aid assistance should it be necessary.
• To monitor the general health and wellbeing of service users for any signs of deterioration and report to the senior member of staff on duty or appropriate medical or nursing practitioner in the case of emergency so that early intervention can be provided and preventable measures taken. There may be a requirement to accompany a service user for a medical appointment
• Assist service users with medication under the supervision of the senior member of staff and in accordance with Council Policy.
• Work with individual service users, enabling them to maximise their independence. Encourage them to achieve their full potential.
• To assist in maintaining the general appearance and cleanliness of the tenant's flat e.g. some cleaning and the use of vacuum cleaners.
• To be able to respond to emergency situations under supervision and provide cover for other Support Workers where necessary.
• To be responsible for reporting any concerns about security, fire and call systems in the day to day carrying out of duties and to be prepared to undertake security checks of the extra care setting as directed.
• To participate in the quality assurance monitoring system.
• To promote and maintain a supportive living environment to meet the needs of service users.

Working in a team

• Regular contact is to be maintained with all service users and their carers as appropriate), to ensure that care plans are being carried out effectively.
• Include working with Social Workers, GPs, Community Nursing staff and other health/ housing professionals and other agencies e.g. Age UK
• To assist in the induction of new staff (shadowing)

Management

• i) Regular contact with an Extra Care Shift Leader for supervision and guidance.
• ii) To attend and participate in the induction programme at the start of employment and attend all relevant training including health and safety training programmes throughout employment.
• iii) To undergo training in both formal/informal courses and on-the-job (including NVQ training, when appropriate) as identified by Line Manager.

Service Development and / or Delivery

• To promote, monitor and maintain health, safety and security in the workplace.
• To follow the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act, Food Hygiene Regulations, and to be responsible for the safe use/storage of cleaning materials in accordance with COSHH regulations.
• To be involved in the completion of risk assessments and be responsible for accurately reporting any situations which could be considered hazardous to the appropriate person / line manager.

Other

Adopt a proactive approach to developing and maintaining excellent relationships and communication channels with a wide range of contacts including managers, external clients and suppliers, staff and employee representatives.

Represent the Extra Care Shift Leader as required, including attendance at internal and external meetings.

Participate in project activity and lead on specific projects or pieces of work on behalf of the Extra care shift leader, taking responsibility for the achievement of outcomes within required timescales. For example, on an occasional basis (if linked to Personal Professional Development) to take the role of caller responder; or to carry out an audit.

Ensure conformance to equal opportunity and data protection policies

3. DIMENSIONS

The Extra Care Support Worker will work within a designated service portfolio with a high degree of diversity with variable workforce compositions, business needs and priorities.

Size of service staff team: 20-25 (excluding casual workers / bank workers)

Number of staff managed: N/A

Budget: N/A

4. PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Noise, heat or odour would be present periodically throughout the day when dealing with residents. Most element s would be expected and can be planned for.

5. GENERAL

To be part of a care support team which provides a flexible service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including bank holidays. The working arrangements will include evenings, weekends, nights and bank holidays on a rostered basis.

Undertake such other duties and responsibilities as are specified by the Head of Service and are commensurate with the level of the post.

This job description is not a complete list of duties but gives a general indication of the range of work undertaken. It will vary over time as demands and priorities change. The team structures within the service operate with a high degree of collaboration and flexibility, individual service portfolios may therefore change over time and post holders are expected to undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of the post.

This Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of those individuals covered by regulated activity and expects all staff to share this commitment. It is an essential requirement that staff are aware of the Councils safeguarding procedures and staff have a duty to ensure they attend training to enable them to recognise the indicators for concerning behaviour and receive safeguarding supervision as appropriate.

The Council complies fully with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Code of Practice and a copy is available on request from Human Resources. As this post holder will be working in regulated activity, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required prior to commencement of employment. Individuals will be expected to provide details of their Disclosure as soon as they receive it or if they are registered with the DBS Update Service to have given their permission for the Authority to access their online record.

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