Support Worker

West Sussex County Council; Worthing; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

West Sussex County Council is seeking two Support Workers at The Rowans, Worthing, on a fixed-term contract until 30 June 2028. The role is full-time and salary is £26,427–£26,847 per annum (or £13.70–£13.92 hourly) depending on experience, working in the Day Opportunity Service to help adults with learning disabilities, dementia, and other needs.

You will support people to develop daily living skills, attend to physical, social and emotional needs, and promote independence, safety and

Qualifications

• Understanding of needs of people supported and rights as individuals.
• Safeguarding awareness and risk management.
• Ability to document activities and maintain records.

Responsibilities

• Support people to develop daily living skills and attend to physical, social and emotional needs.
• Promote independence, safety and wellbeing using a strengths-based approach.
• Contribute to care planning and daily handovers; maintain records.

Skills

Needs of individuals

Clear communication

Makaton basics

Empathy and support

Education

Adult Care Worker – Level 2

Driving licence

Job description

The Opportunity

• Salary: £26,427-£26,847 per annum depending on experience. £13.70 - £13.92 hourly rate
• Contract Type: Fixed term contract until 30-06-2028
• Working Pattern: Full time
• Number of positions: 2
• Location: The Rowans, Worthing

You will work as part of a team based within the Day Opportunity Service, where the key aim is to support people, learning to use a strengths-based approach to meet their agreed outcomes. For some people, this could be through a time-limited programme of support to build confidence and help develop skills for independent living, both within the centre and out in the community. For people with more complex needs, a strong focus on maintaining independence skills and having personal control over their care is central.

You will enable people to develop and/or maintain daily living skills and attend to physical, social, and emotional needs - ensuring comfort, safety and improving each person’s wellbeing.

To become a Support Worker with us you will be:

• Passionate about supporting people to be the best they can be.
• Empowering people to live the life they choose.
• Bring a passion, or skill to the team that you can spark some excitement with the people we care for it can be anything at all from painting to poetry, to crafting. We are always looking to inspire people & would love to see what you could bring to the team.
• Supporting people to have the opportunities to learn and grow.
• A good listener, patient and treat all with respect, kindness and dignity.
• Ensure people have opportunity to be involved in/Co-produce every aspect of their care and support.
• Support people to maintain friendships/relationships important to them and to make new friendships/relationships.
• Support people to maintain their health.

If you would like to join our dynamic team, take a look at the attached job description and see if you have the skills, qualifications, and experience to be a Support Worker.

About Rowans

We are a Day Opportunity Hub for adults, who experience a range of conditions which impact on their lives such as Autism, Dementia, Learning Disabilities and Brain Injuries. We provide access to tailored programmes of activities in a comfortable, caring, and valuing environment. Most importantly, we strive to ensure that everyone using our service and our staff have a great day!

We have a skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced team who are working towards further developing our community engagement activities: rebuilding links with our local community is a focus for us this year. Sessions include cooking, health & wellbeing, gardening, upcycling, sing and sign, choir, community links, sensory, music, maths and literacy. Our programme is always developing, asking the people we support what they want to achieve with us.

Learn more here: The Rowans - Worthing | Day opportunity services | West Sussex Connect to Support

About You

What you’ll need to succeed:

A basic understanding of people with learning disabilities, people with dementia and other cognitive impairments, adults with physical and sensory impairments. Ability to support people to grow in confidence and a desire to develop their ability to do the things they want to. Knowledge of safeguarding and managing risks. You will be able to raise concerns in relation to individuals through recognising verbal, physical or behavioural changes and signs.

Required Experience And Skills

(These will be used as the shortlisting criteria)

Key Skills

• A basic understanding of the needs of the people you will be supporting and their rights as an individual.
• You will understand individual situations and be able to identify basic practical solutions. Be kind, supportive, encouraging and non-judgemental whilst building on people’s strengths that support people’s goals. Sharing communication at the daily handover to ensure there is a continuity of care and to write daily records for the people you support.
• Able to communicate clearly with the people who use the service and participate in conversations with family members and paid/unpaid carers and professionals/ colleagues from time to time.
• The ability to adapt communication appropriately and use suitable tools where needed (e.g. basic Makaton), along with being aware of the sensitivities of language when working with a diverse range of people.

Qualifications And/or Experience

• Adult Care Worker – Level 2 or equivalent is desirable. If you do not have this qualification it is expected that you will begin this immediately after your 6- month probationary period.
• Basic literacy and numeracy skills in order to record and document activities.
• Basic knowledge of Health and Safety practice, First Aid and Fire procedures, Moving and Handling of people is also desirable.
• UK full driving license – Desirable

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the job description.

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years of satisfactory references and health check.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. For a full list, please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is 261

Equity, inclusion, accessibility and diversity is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all cultures, ethnicities, identities, backgrounds and lived experiences, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

Any candidates wishing to apply for this position, who would require sponsorship can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for the post by assessing their circumstances against criteria specified on the gov.uk website.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.