ACTIVITIES ASSISTANT & DRIVER – DUAL ROLE OPPORTUNITY

Jewish Care; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Jewish Care in Pennsylvania is hiring an Activities Assistant & Driver to provide safe transportation and engaging activities for older community members. The role combines driving duties with delivering chair-based exercises, games, and social interactions at our centres.

You will support individuals per their care plans, participate in care plan meetings, and help with safeguarding while coordinating transport to and from the centres. The position runs 30 hours weekly, Monday to Thursday.

Qualifications

• Full clean driving license with D1 category.
• Midas (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme) or willingness to undertake this training.
• Midas PATS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme – passenger assistance training) or willingness to undertake this training.
• Experience working with older and/or disabled people in a professional or personal capacity.
• Experience delivering activities in a similar social care environment.
• Experience socialising with or talking to older, disabled, or people living with dementia, in a personal or professional capacity.

Responsibilities

• Providing safe and effective driving and transport services for older people.
• Ensuring vehicles are maintained to a proper standard of road worthiness and cleanliness and coordinating maintenance and recovery.
• Responsible for route planning.
• Engaging with members throughout the journey to put them at ease and offer reassurance.
• Assisting passengers to agreed standards and procedures to and from their home.
• Raising safeguarding concerns to enhance quality of life.
• Running and taking part in activities and programmes in a Jewish Day service for older people and those living with dementia.
• Working with programming teams to set up technology to support activities.
• Raising and reporting safeguarding concerns.
• Providing personal care duties as indicated in care plans.
• Participating in care plan meetings with colleagues and relatives.
• Promoting innovative approaches to dementia care.
• Helping members coordinate transport arrangements to and from the centre.

Skills

Driving

Experience with older people

Midas training

Midas PATS training

Care plan adherence

Tools

D1 category license

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for an Activities Assistant & Driver to join our team in a unique dual role that truly makes a difference to the lives of older people in our community.

This varied and rewarding position combines safe transportation with meaningful engagement and support. As our driver, you will be responsible for safely transporting members between their homes and our community centres, assisting them on and off the bus, and ensuring they feel welcomed and supported from the moment their day begins.

Once at the centre, you will step into your role as Activities Assistant, helping to create a vibrant, inclusive environment by supporting and leading activities such as chair-based exercise classes, discussion groups, card games and board games. You will play an important part in encouraging participation, promoting wellbeing, and helping members stay socially active.

You will also support individuals in line with their care plans, which may include assisting with personal support where required.

If you are compassionate, reliable and enjoy building meaningful connections, this is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a service that enriches the daily lives of older people.

This role is for 30 hours per week. The working pattern is Monday to Thursday. Working across our community centres.

Driving duties: 8.30am -10am and 2.30pm – 4.00pm 12 hours per week.

Activities duties: 10am - 2.30pm, 6 hours per day (with half hour lunch) = 18 hours per week.

A Full clean driving license with D1 category is essential for this role

What You Will Be Doing

• Providing safe and effective driving and transport services for older people.
• Ensuring vehicles are maintained to a proper standard of road worthiness and cleanliness and coordinating maintenance and recovery.
• Responsible for route planning.
• Engaging with members throughout the journey to put them at ease and offer any reassurance.
• Assisting passengers to agreed standards and procedures to and from their home.
• Raising any safeguarding concerns to enhance the quality of life of older people.
• Running and taking part in activities and programmes in a culturally specific Jewish Day service for older people, people living with dementia and at associated programming and events.
• Working together with programming teams to set up technology to support members taking part in activities at home – such as online social discussion groups and exercise classes.
• Confidently raising and reporting safeguarding concerns
• Providing, personal care duties, as indicated in a person’s care plan
• Taking part in care plan meetings with colleagues, internal Social Work colleagues, relatives, and external agencies.
• Promoting innovative approaches to dementia care.
• Supporting members to coordinate and organise their transport arrangements to and from the centre to include assisting with booking and managing dial-a-ride, other community transport private hire and public transport.

What You Will Need

• Full clean driving license with D1 category
• Midas (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme) or willingness to undertake this training.
• Midas PATS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme – passenger assistance training) or willingness to undertake this training.
• Experience working with older and/or disabled people in a professional or personal capacity
• Experience of delivering activities in a similar social care environment.
• Experience socialising with or talking to older, disabled, or people living with dementia, in a personal or professional capacity

Note that for insurance purposes the post holder must be over 22 years' driving experience and hold a current clean driving licence.

Jewish Care is the largest provider of health and social care services for the Jewish community in the UK. Every week, we touch the lives of 10,000 people. We provide services to a range of people including older people, people with mental health needs and people living with dementia.

Our five values are at the heart of the way we work. They drive how we act as individuals and as an organisation and shape our culture. We value Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, Compassion, and Inclusivity.

Jewish Care operate a rolling recruitment process and reserve the right to close the advert once a suitable candidate has been identified.