Senior Support - Community Support Worker

COPE Galway; Galway; On-site; EUR 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

COPE Galway is seeking a Senior Support - Community Support Worker to deliver activities and day-to-day services for older people from the Sonas Social Centre in Renmore/Mervue and nearby areas. The role works as part of the Community Support Team to ensure responsive, person-centred support and safe, welcoming environments.

The post involves planning activities, providing one-to-one support, and collaboration with volunteers and CE workers to meet residents’ needs while managing the day-to-day

Responsibilities

• Provide one to one support to older people at risk of isolation.
• Plan and deliver a range of activities for older people in Mervue and surrounding areas.
• Ensure the centre is clean, welcoming and safe for use.
• Coordinate with residents to tailor activities and use of facilities.
• Adhere to health & safety requirements and complete administrative duties.

Job description

Senior Support - Community Support Worker

JobTitle: Community Support Worker, Sonas Social Centre, Mervue

Reportingto:Manager of Community Support Programme

About COPE Galway

COPE Galway has been providing essentialsocial services in Galway for 60 years. We respond to the needs ofpeople experiencing homelessness, women and children subjected to domesticabuse, and we support older people towards healthy, independent ageing. Ourvisionis for a community where every person is valued, cared for, and supported atevery stage of life.

COPE Galway is deeplyembedded in the Galway community. We are founded on the belief that together wecan make a positive difference in the lives of the people we serve and ourcommunity.

Our People

OurPeople, COPE Galway staff and volunteers, are the driving force behind everything we do. Their passion,commitment, and professionalism enable us to deliver a wide range of services,support more people, and make a real impact in the community.

We have a diverse rangeof roles, from frontline support workers and social care professionals tocatering, community engagement and other professional roles. Each role iscrucial in ensuring we deliver our services effectively and make a positiveimpact in the community.

Workingwith COPE Galway

Joining our team means you will make a lasting, positive impact on thelives of the families and individuals we support and contribute to drivingmeaningful social change in the community. Whether you are a frontline workerdirectly supporting clients or in an administrative role, you are vital to ourefforts to address critical issueslike homelessness and domestic abuse and to ensure that older people are valuedand supported.

At COPE Galway, weprioritise the development and wellbeing of our people. We offer a supportivework environment, with opportunities for ongoing training, personal andprofessional growth, and leadership development.

Our Culture

We foster an inclusive,supportive and respectful workplace, where diversity is valued. Our teamis united by a shared mission and a genuine passion for empowering people andcreating meaningful change. We take a trauma-informed approach to the way wework and foster this culture in every aspect of the organisation, including afocus on the health and wellbeing of our staff.

Senior Support Service

COPE Galway’s vision is a community where every person is valued, cared for and supportedateverystageoflife,andourmissionismakingadifferencebyempoweringpeople,creating change andstrengthening communities.

COPEGalwaySeniorSupportServicespromotehealthyindependentageingathome,through a range of nutritional and social supports. Our social supports operate from a communitydevelopmentmodelofpractice,andsupporttheCOPEGalwayapproach,whereby , inourdailywork,wefocuswithoutjudgementandwithhope,onourclients’strengths,needs,aspirationsandambitions,basedon understanding,respectingandresponding.

Key aim of the Centre:

Is to support the local community to enable healthy ageing and independent living, to reduce the incidence of isolation and generally to promote positive ageing in a friendly, welcoming environment.

The OverallPurposeofJob:

The Community Support Worker is responsible for the planning and delivery of activities suited to the needs and interests of older people living in Renmore/Mervue and the surrounding areas. They are also responsible for operation of the day to day services and supports to be run from the centre. The role will work as a part of the Community Support team to ensure responsiveness to needs and optimum use of the available COPE Galway facilities. This will include relief cover at other community venues as required by the Community Support Team Manager.

Keyareasofwork:

Overview of MainDutiesandResponsibilities:

• Provide one to one support to older people living in the community who are isolated or at risk of isolation
• Plan for a range of activities suited to the needs and interests of older people living in Mervue and surrounding areas.
• Be responsible for developing and delivering the day to day activities in the community, ensuring that the centre is clean, welcoming and safe to use.
• Support consultation with residents around the activities and supports required to meet their needs and ensure optimum use of the centre and other facilities in the community operated by COPE Galway.
• Ensure all Health & Safety requirements are adhered to.
• Ensure all day to day administrative, financial and reporting duties are fulfilled, as required.
• Work as part of the wider Community Support Team which can include CE workers and volunteers in the delivery of the services for older people.
• Link with the development department to best promote the service
• Operate the service within budget and contribute to income generation opportunities, in particular grant income

DirectWorkwithOlderPeople:

• Provide one to one practical, information and advocacy support in relation to accessing healthcare, housing and welfare services
• Optimise the use of the community centre to ensure a wide range of activities and services which meet the needs of the older people in the surrounding areas
• Promote client participation by encouraging individuals to play a central part in the day to day activities.
• Link people in with our befriending project as appropriate
• Work closely with your COPE Galway Community Support Team colleagues to progress issues collectively which will improve quality of life for the residents, including supporting the community to advocate for initiatives / measures to support an age friendly environment
• Be respectful, courteous and patient with clients at all times and in all circumstances and maintain professional boundaries.
• Be vigilant regarding the safety and wellbeing of all clients.
• Be open to working with persons presenting with challenging behaviour/ mental health issues
• Work in accordance with the Vulnerable Adults, Elder Abuse and Child Protection policies and from a Trauma Informed Practice perspective

Working in a team

• Be part of a supportive working environment for Community Support colleagues, CE workers, and volunteers.
• Be open to the culture of learning and development.
• Contribute to good team spirit, while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries
• Bring any issues to your line manager in a timely manner.

WorkingwithExternalAgencies:

• Liaise with voluntary and statutory agencies as appropriate in relation to the wellbeing of those availing of the service, for example, the City Council, the Public Health Nurses, and Community Mental Health teams and others to advocate for appropriate services and supports.
• Contributefully in the effective day to day running of the service, and actively and positively contribute to operational meetings and follow through on decisions agreed upon.
• Support the upkeep of the communal areas, including associated gardens, availingof corporate volunteering opportunities
• Progress objectives in accordance with the strategic plan and in developing a service which promotes positive ageing.
• Maintain confidentiality in relation to personal information shared by the clients to ensure that discussions and decisions in relation to the service and the organisation are kept confidential.
• Keep abreast of developments and best practice in relation to working with Older People
• Contribute to and attend training sessions, seminars and courses, as well as maintaining knowledge of legislation, policy and procedures.
• Be aware of one’s own developmental/training needs and bring these to the attention of management.
• Assist in reviewing the role and operation of the service in order to improve and develop the service.
• Participate in supervision and appraisals with the manager of the service.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required of you in this role

HealthandSafety

Service relatedHealth&Safety:

• Ensure that Health and Safety policy and procedures as per the COPE Galway Health and Safety Statement are fully adhered to.
• Maintain HACCP requirements
• Carry out Health & Safety duties specifically allocated to you.
• Attend Health & Safety meetings as required

PersonalHealth&Safety:

• Take all reasonable care for your own safety (in particular in respect of working in a community setting), health and welfare, and that of others who may be affected by your actions or omissions.
• Co-operate with your employer in relation to compliance with statutory requirements under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005.
• Use protective equipment, clothing or other means for securing safety, health and welfare required.