Direct Payment Worker

East Riding of Yorkshire Council; North Ferriby; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

A supportive local authority is seeking a compassionate individual to support a 17-year-old girl in North Ferriby. The role involves engaging in social activities, fostering independence, and providing emotional support. Flexibility, patience, and a full driving license are essential. Ideal candidates should have experience with neurodiversity and a good sense of humour. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference in a young person's life.

Qualifications

• Conscientious and committed to providing necessary support.
• Experience in supporting young persons with needs.
• Must be punctual and organized.

Responsibilities

• Engage in activities the recipient enjoys.
• Boost self-confidence and help with social situations.
• Develop strong relationships and support emotional wellbeing.
• Ensure safety in the community.
• Facilitate independence and manage transitions to adulthood.
• Transport individual to social activities and appointments.

Skills

Patience

Caring demeanor

Good sense of humour

Flexibility

Ability to build relationships

Knowledge of neurodiversity

Job description

Description

The job itself

Days / Times : Flexible - to be arranged with family

(Please note this is an external vacancy and is not employment with East Riding of Yorkshire Council).

About the recipient :

I am a 17-year-old girl with a good sense of humour who make friends and family laugh.

What do people like about me? What amazing things can I do?

I like to do things that are a bit more adventurous or exciting, or that make me laugh. I also like to just hang out with my friends, chat, go to Costa. I am very caring about my friends. I like to go sailing and enjoy going fast on a windy day. I enjoy dance and belong to a dance club where I do jazz, tap and ballet. My teachers and family also say I am amazing with my art.

What do I like?

I like to have fun, listen to music, chat to friends, go shopping especially for clothes. I like to have friends and to go out and socialise, but I can find this difficult to navigate. I am quite chatty and really care about my friends. I enjoy lots of things, including Go karting, climbing, bowling, music concerts and theatre, and sailing. I also have a dog who I love to play with.

What do I dislike?

I don’t like doing academic work and find it boring and difficult to concentrate. I can also find it hard to make new friends and worry about what people are thinking of me. I don’t like sitting still for a long time and need movement breaks. I don’t like having constraints on what I do and want more freedom. I don’t like being stuck in the house all day and being just with my family, I want to get out and do things. I don’t like being told what to do and can be quite strong minded.

What I enjoy doing?

I enjoy looking at my phone, especially TikTok which makes me laugh. I also like to look at old photos of friends and family. I enjoy listening to music, and music helps me to regulate my emotions and to block intrusive thoughts. I like going out to town, shopping and chatting with friends. Friends are really important to me. I want to be more independent and do more things by myself. I enjoy my regular clubs including dance and sailing and working with children.

What do I need help with?

I don’t like to use public transport, as I worry about others being sick, but I know I need to get used to going on public transport. I can sometimes need help regulating my emotions. I find it difficult to talk honestly about what I’m feeling and prefer to pretend that everything is fine when it isn’t. When I’m struggling, I can be irritable and need space by myself. I am getting better at understanding my neurodiversity but still don’t like it and worry about people knowing and that they’ll judge me. I find timekeeping difficult and am often late. Planning and organising things can also be difficult and knowing how to get back to people who have contacted me. I would like to have more confidence in arranging to meet up with friends and in making new friends. My self-confidence is quite low, and I assume things won’t work out.

About the role

The successful candidate will be responsible for :

• Engage in activities that the recipient will enjoy.
• Helping to boost self-confidence and in particular social confidence with peers.
• Developing a strong relationship and supporting the individuals emotional wellbeing.
• Keeping them safe in the community.
• Helping to fulfil their potential and aspirations for the future and helping to manage transitions.
• Attending / transporting the individual to social activities and appointments and encouraging the individual to use public transport.
• Supporting and encouraging the individual to have more independence and to take more responsibility as she progresses to adulthood.

About the candidate

The suitable candidate must :

• Be conscientious and committed to providing support as necessary for the young person.
• Be patient, caring and understanding, and have a good sense of humour.
• Be able to build a positive relationship with the young person to both encourage and support them.
• Be flexible to meet the needs of the individual, including some more adventurous activities e.g. Go Karting.
• Have knowledge of working with or supporting a young person with needs, experience of neurodiversity is particularly helpful.
• Have a full driving licence and access to a vehicle.

DBS / Reference checks will be required for this post - Cost to be met by the local authority.