Support Worker

Akerman Care Ltd; Bristol; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading care organization seeks dedicated support workers to assist vulnerable adults in achieving their potential and living independently. Responsibilities include personal care, daily living support, and emotional guidance. Ideal candidates should demonstrate empathy, dedication, and a positive attitude. Work may involve weekends, with a pay rate of £13.00 per hour. Location is in Bristol, and flexibility in hours is required to meet service users' needs.

Qualifications

• Must exhibit high levels of empathy and emotional intelligence while supporting service users.
• Ability to encourage service users to be independent while providing guidance.
• Must maintain a can-do attitude and seek positive outcomes for service users.

Responsibilities

• Encourage individuals to achieve their potential and support daily living activities.
• Assist with personal care, health needs, and daily routines.
• Communicate effectively and encourage participation in meaningful activities.

Skills

Empathy

Dedication

Compassion

Positive attitude

Accountability

Adaptability

Emotional resilience

Job description

1. Purpose

As part of a team, you will be expected to encourage individuals to achieve their potential and live life to the full. To support and, as required, assist service users in various aspects of their day‑to‑day life. Examples may include:

• Leisure/Activities
• Activities of daily living support
• Management of finances
• Emotional, spiritual and cultural needs
• Health, safety and risk management

All staff are expected to carry out their duties in line with the mission and ethos of Akerman Care Limited which promotes the independence and personal dignity of all service users at all times.

All staff have a shared responsibility for safeguarding vulnerable individuals. Safeguarding means 'promoting welfare' and 'protecting from harm or abuse'.

2. Our Mission and Values

• To support people to fulfil their potential and live healthy, happy, and meaningful lives.
• To involve people we support, their families, staff, and other stakeholders in the support we plan and provide.
• To work together to create Inclusive positive cultures where people are supported to feel safe, valued and respected.
• To constantly develop and improve the support we deliver.
• To continue to be innovative, responsive, and effective to meet people's changing needs.
• To run an exceptionally well‑managed organization which places the needs and wishes of the people who use the service at the very centre.
• To be empower and respect people.
• To be inclusive.
• To adapt and respond with new ideas.
• To be kind in everything we do

3. Our commitment to service users

We are committed to only recruiting staff who share our values and who can demonstrate their commitment to providing outstanding care and support. We will provide opportunities for staff members to develop their knowledge through supervision, training, and support, thus leading to a more prosperous career.

Our supported living team delivers support to people living in supported living settings. The level of support provided depends on the individual's assessed needs and can range from emotional support, tenancy support to personal care, help with meal preparation, shopping assistance and a range of activities daily living tasks.

We operate a shift system that includes working weekends and bank holidays. Hours can be between the hours of 7.00am and 11.00pm and may include performing sleep‑ins, based on the needs of people we support. The service operates 7‑days week, 365 days a year.

4. Key Responsibilities

To create a homely and nurturing environment and promote daily routines providing structure and consistency for all service users. You will be expected to encourage and support individual service users to take part in household tasks in line with abilities and risk assessments. You will also be expected to assist with domestic duties to a good standard. Examples may include:

• Meal planning and preparation of balanced and nutritious meals
• Cleaning, tidying, laundry
• Helping individuals to take care of their personal property and to keep their rooms and ensuites clean, tidy and comfortable.
• Tenancy support
• Support with money management and bill paying.

Personal Care

To provide care and support in accordance with assessed need set out in individuals' person‑centred care and support plans. This includes assisting with personal and intimate care as required (CQC registered locations) for individual service users according to the needs of the individual requiring support. Examples may include:

• Dressing/undressing
• Bathing, showering, drying.
• Toilet assistance
• Dental hygiene
• Eating/feeding and drinking

Also:

• To work in partnership with service users and assist in the attainment of their chosen outcomes and life goals.
• To respond to health needs and ensure service users are treated with compassion, dignity and respect at all times.
• To administer medication in line with regulations, policies and best practice guidelines.
• To report any change in the needs of an individual to the senior staff member on duty promptly.
• To attend medical and health appointments with service users as required.

Supporting Emotional, Spiritual and Cultural Wellbeing

• To be familiar with person centred plans and act in accordance with such plans, empowering independence, autonomy and choice
• To communicate compassionately and effectively with service users and encourage service users to interact and engage in meaningful activities.
• To be aware of cultural identity and any specific needs/wishes in relation to an individual's culture, e.g., dietary preferences.
• To assist individual service users to maintain contact with family and friends.
• To contribute to the proactive prevention and management of challenging behaviours in a non‑confrontational, non‑judgmental manner, using a consistent approach and following agreed plans and guidelines.
• To be aware of individual service users' spiritual needs and wishes, and support individuals to participate in activities they may choose to enact their spiritual wellbeing, e.g., faith services.

Support during Leisure / Activities

To accompany and assist individuals to access the local community and participate in leisure activities in line with their personal care and support plan. Examples may include:

• Shopping and leisure activities
• Education and work experience
• Physical exercise and activity.
• Walks and engagement in sports
• Visits to theatres, museums, cafes
• Medical and other appointments
• Interests, e.g., cookery, artwork, horticulture

Support with Managing Finances

• To assist service users to keep their personal money safe and to support individuals with financial appointments and/or needs.
• To support service users to manage their finances safely and effectively.
• To always follow Akerman Care's procedures, ensuring all money properly accounted for through receipts, and co‑operate with audits of finances.

Health, Safety and Risk Management

• To work safely and in line with Akerman Care's health and safety policy, guidance and training, following risk assessments, always.
• To report all incidents and near misses through Akerman Care's incident reporting system in a timely manner and report any safety hazards/concerns to your line manager without delay.
• To adhere to policies and procedures for infection prevent and control, personal hygiene, and food safety.
• Use Personal Protective Equipment as provided and advised.
• To document and share any safeguarding concerns immediately under Akerman Care's safeguarding policies.

Medication Administration

• Where assessed, to administer medication to individual residents (upon completion of training) in line with care and support plans and Akerman Care's medication policies.
• To ensure that concerns with medication stock and/or supply are proactively identified, and appropriate actions taken to prevent shortfalls that could potentially affect service user health and well‑being.

5. Essential qualities

To act in accordance with Akerman Care Limited's ethos, mission statement, values, and ways of working, the Staff handbook, legal requirements and all of Akerman Care's policies and procedures at all times.

Empathy

We will expect you to display empathy daily in your role and to operate in a person‑centred way, considering the service user's thoughts and feelings and anticipating their needs and emotions, which is particularly important if the person is not able or feel comfortable communicating their needs.

We will expect you to treat service users with care, compassion, dignity, and respect. Displaying high levels of empathy and emotional intelligence cultivates an environment where service users feel trusted, safe and able to overcome barriers to achieve their personal goals.

Dedication

We will expect you to encourage service users to be independent with your guidance. Displaying dedication towards service users will encourage and enable them to live a fulfilling and gratifying life.

Can‑do attitude

Being a support worker is all about empowering others, and a positive can‑do attitude is therefore essential. There will be times when you will encounter challenges you have not before, and you will recognise them for the valuable learning experience they are. You will look for new opportunities to gain new skills and enthusiastically seek positive outcomes for service users.

Compassion

Compassion is a key quality of any good support worker. Being compassionate with your clients enables them to feel emotionally supported and encouraged to feel more comfortable and calmer. Compassionate support workers will actively listen and communicate with their clients in a supportive and kind manner which will naturally encourage them to ask for support when they need it.

Positivity

A positive attitude will naturally lift those around you, including the service user and your colleagues. Positivity in the workplace can allude to high‑quality delivery of care and beneficial outcomes for the person and their mental and physical health. Not only can positivity impact those around you, but it can also change how you feel and think and lead to a successful career with Akerman Care.

Accountability

We expect you to be an accountable and professional individual who understands the impact of your actions and the importance of your duty of care to all service users.

Essential:

• All employees of Akerman Care Limited are to adopt a positive and can‑do attitude when supporting service users at all times.
• To work in positive collaboration with colleagues and adhere to Akerman Care's policies and relevant legal frameworks at all times.
• To be Patient and have high levels of emotional Resilience: Remaining calm and composed in challenging situations, and persevering through difficult times.
• To be adaptable and able to adjust to changing circumstances and the diverse needs of the individuals we support.
• To be dedicated and committed to making a difference in the lives of others.
• To be confident to take initiative and make decisions independently.
• To show a continual Willingness to Learn: Staying up to date with the current themes and initiatives.
• To be able to cope with the emotional demands of the job and maintain a positive attitude at all times.
• To establish positive and professional working relationships with others, including service users, colleagues (both within the team and from other teams/services/professions) and external contacts, presenting a professional image of Akerman Care Limited at all times.
• To maintain accurate, legible and complete records relating to individual service users, including daily records and outcome reporting.
• To fully participate in Akerman Care's staff appraisal and supervision processes.
• To undertake all training deemed necessary for the role and take responsibility for meeting all essential training targets.
• To contribute positively to the development, effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation.
• To maintain confidentiality and comply with data protection policy and legislation.
• This post requires a high degree of contact with vulnerable adults and is therefore exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and is subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure.
• The duties and responsibilities outlined above do not represent a full criterion of the tasks expected.
• The postholder will be consulted before major changes to duties and responsibilities by management and reasonable notice will be given in advance of such changes being implemented.

Job Types: Full‑time, Part‑time

Pay: 13.00 per hour

Work Location: In person