Support Worker

Sense; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 21,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

24 days holiday

Bank holiday entitlement

Free DBS Check

Leadership and management development

Access to training opportunities

Flexible working

Health and wellbeing support

Pension Scheme

Job summary

Sense College Peterborough is seeking a reliable Support Worker to help learners with complex disabilities access learning, build independence and enjoy meaningful daily life. You will support individuals to participate in activities, access their local community and develop new skills in a person-centred way.

The role is part-time (21 hours across three days, 9:15am-4:15pm) with a salary of £13 per hour. You will work both independently and as part of a team, adapting communication to meet each

Qualifications

• Experience in caring or support roles, either in a personal, voluntary or professional capacity.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong communication with diverse learners, including adapting to signs and symbols where needed.
• Ability to support mobility, health, wellbeing and personal care as required.
• Willingness to develop new communication skills and a flexible, person-centred approach.

Responsibilities

• Support learners to participate in activities, access communities and develop new skills.
• Encourage independence and ensure each learner has a voice in how they are supported.
• Build positive relationships with learners, colleagues and others to enable meaningful everyday life.

Skills

Empathy

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Person-centred care

Job description

We're looking for a reliable and motivated Support Worker to join our team at Sense College Peterborough, supporting young people and adults with complex disabilities to access learning, develop their independence and get the most out of everyday life.

This is a permanent, part-time role working 21 hours per week across three days, from 9:15am-4:15pm, with a salary of £13 per hour.

As a Support Worker, you'll provide high-quality, person-centred support tailored to each individual and their support plan. The people we support may have complex support needs, including hearing and/or sight difficulties, learning or physical disabilities, mental health needs or behaviours that challenge.

You'll support learners to take part in enjoyable and purposeful activities, access their local community, learn new skills and make choices about the things that matter to them. A big part of your role will be encouraging independence and ensuring each learner has a voice in how they are supported.

Communication is at the heart of what we do. You'll take the time to understand how each person communicates and adapt your approach to meet their individual needs, which may include developing new skills in the use of signs and symbols.

The duties are varied and no two days will be the same. You may support learners with their mobility, health and wellbeing and personal care, including continence requirements where needed. You'll also support learners to access their communities and participate in activities that are meaningful to them.

What we're looking for:

We're looking for someone who is caring, reliable and committed to providing genuinely person-centred support.

You'll need:

Previous caring or support experience gained in a personal, voluntary or professional capacity

The ability to work independently as well as part of a team

The ability to adapt your communication style to meet the needs of the people you support

A willingness to develop new communication skills, including signs and symbols where required

The ability to support people with their mobility and participate in activities alongside them

Confidence using your own initiative and good judgement

A creative, person-centred approach to problem solving

The ability to build positive working relationships and communicate effectively with learners, colleagues and others

Previous experience supporting people with sensory impairments, dual sensory impairments or people who use a range of communication methods would be an advantage, but isn’t essential. Full training relevant to the service and your role will be provided.

About Sense College Peterborough

At Sense College Peterborough, we provide specialist education and support designed around the individual needs, interests and aspirations of our learners.

We offer a broad range of learning opportunities that support learners to develop their communication, independence, everyday living skills and confidence while working towards meaningful educational outcomes and preparing for adulthood.

You'll be joining a team committed to creating an inclusive learning environment where every learner is listened to, encouraged to achieve and supported to have greater choice and control over their future.

The role is based at Sense College Peterborough, Ground Floor, 50 Forder Way, Cygnet Park, Hampton, Peterborough, PE7 8JB.

Working at Sense gives you a wide range of benefits including:

24 days' holiday + bank holiday entitlement; increasing with length of service

Free DBS Check

Free leadership and management development

Free access to over 100 online and face-to-face training opportunities

Flexible working and family-friendly policies

Health and wellbeing support

Pension Scheme

About Sense

Sense is here to break down barriers alongside disabled people with complex needs. That's why we're committed to increasing the number of disabled people working across our organisation and creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

We actively encourage disabled people to apply for our vacancies and believe that a diverse range of perspectives, experiences and talents makes us stronger.

We know there's always more we can do to become a truly inclusive employer, and we're working together to achieve that. Join us and help create the change thousands of disabled people with complex needs and families told us they want to see: a world without limits.

If you need us to adjust our recruitment process to help you access our vacancies, then please get in touch with a member of the Talent Acquisition team. We are a Disability Confident Leader and commit to interviewing disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for a role.

Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. This role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

For this role we particularly welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented ethnic minority backgrounds and candidates with disabilities. Sense is committed to equality of opportunity, and to promoting and celebrating the diversity of staff, volunteers and the people we work with. Everyone's contribution is valued and we ensure they're given the opportunity to realise their potential.

We welcome applications from talented people from all sections of the community who share our values and belief that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential.