Support Assistant (Category 2 Sheltered Housing)

Portsmouth City Council; Havant; On-site; GBP 9,500 - 12,000; Part time

Job summary

Portsmouth City Council is seeking a Support Assistant for a Category 2 Sheltered Housing Scheme in the Portsmouth area. You will provide day-to-day help to residents, liaise with care partners, and assist with personal care as needed.

You will document support plans, contribute to safety checks, and help run social activities within the scheme. The role requires flexibility, good English communication, and the ability to work Monday to Friday, 18.5 hours per week.

Qualifications

• 1. Have a caring nature, enjoy talking to people and have good listening skills.
• 2. Have a professional approach to your work.
• 3. Have good written skills and basic numeracy.
• 4. Be prepared to provide domestic help to residents who require support, and in an emergency, with their personal care.
• 5. Be physically able to participate in moving and handling tasks.
• 6. Be a good team worker, have the confidence to work alone and to deal with challenging situations in a calm manner.
• 7. Have basic IT skills - e.g. basic use of Microsoft Word and Outlook.
• 8. Be flexible and reliable. Although mainly working in one scheme, you will be prepared to work in other schemes to meet the needs of the service. You also need to be flexible with your hours.
• 9. The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

Responsibilities

• Provide residents with day-to-day help according to need.
• Liaise with care agencies, social workers, GPs, chemists and families of residents.
• Deal with emergencies and assist frailer residents with personal care when needed.
• Document learning on residents' support plans and update residents' records.
• Assist with cash handling for activities like selling laundry tokens.
• Assist the Scheme Manager with building security and health and safety checks.
• Support promoting and facilitating social activities in the sheltered scheme.
• Work Monday to Friday, 18.5 hours per week, with some periods of solitary work.
• Be flexible to meet service demands and may work across nearby schemes.

Skills

Caring nature

Professional approach

Written skills

Domestic help

Moving and handling

Team worker

IT skills

Flexible hours

Spoken English

Job description

You will be working in a Category 2 Sheltered Housing Scheme. These schemes are in Leigh Park, Crookhorn and Wecock Farm.

The current vacancy is at Connors Keep, although you will be required to work in a nearby Category 2 sheltered scheme if there is a need.

You will be part of a small team under the supervision of the Scheme Manager who will provide you with the induction and guidance that you need to gain confidence in the role. This is in addition to other training available to assist you in your personal development.

As a Support Assistant, you will provide residents with day-to-day help according to need. This for example may involve domestic help or personal reassurance. Where support is needed, you will liaise with care agencies, social workers, GPs, chemists and families of residents. You will need to be able to deal with any emergencies and on occasions, this will involve assisting some frailer residents with personal care issues, as well as being able to manage challenging behaviour from time to time.

You will spend time with residents to understand their support needs, documenting your learning on residents' support plans as well as updating residents' records at the time as appropriate. Some activities, for example, the selling of laundry tokens, will require you to handle and account for cash collected from the residents.

Part of your duties will be to assist the Scheme Manager with ensuring the security of the building and the carrying out of various health and safety checks. You will also support the Scheme Manager in promoting and facilitating social activities in the sheltered scheme.

You will be working each day from Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays), with regular afternoon shifts amounting to 18.5 hours per week. There will be periods of time when you are working alone in the scheme.

You will be expected to work flexibly to meet the demands of the service. The normal hours of working are:

Monday to Thursday 1.15pm to 5pm

Friday 12.30pm to 4pm

Skills

1. 1. Have a caring nature, enjoy talking to people and have good listening skills.
2. 2. Have a professional approach to your work.
3. 3. Have good written skills and basic numeracy.
4. 4. Be prepared to provide domestic help to residents who require support, and in an emergency, with their personal care.
5. 5. Be physically able to participate in moving and handling tasks.
6. 6. Be a good team worker, have the confidence to work alone and to deal with challenging situations in a calm manner.
7. 7. Have basic IT skills - e.g. basic use of Microsoft Word and Outlook.
8. 8. Be flexible and reliable. Although mainly working in one scheme, you will be prepared to work in other schemes to meet the needs of the service. You also need to be flexible with your hours.
9. 9. The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.