Community Support Worker

Job responsibilities

To work flexibly within the responsibilities of the Learning Disabilities Team to proactively improve the health outcomes and placement quality for people with a learning disability. To be part of the multi-disciplinary team that empowers and supports people, families or service providers to access health and social care.

Key responsibilities include providing therapeutic interventions and implementing agreed multi-disciplinary intensive support packages through joint assessment, intervention, evaluation and monitoring of service users and their environments following case lead.

SCOPE AND RANGE

The post holder will support and empower people with a learning disability to access health and social care. The post holder will be allocated work under the direction of a clinical lead who will assess and provide the direction of work for the post holder. The post holder will support other teams to ensure reasonable adjustments are made and consider the needs of the person with a learning disability. The post holder will form relationships with other community services to sign post people with a learning disability to improve community access. The post holder will be skilled at building relationships with people who have a learning disability often who have both physical and mental health problems that needs specialist approaches to work with them.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibility for People Management

To regularly attend management and clinical supervision

To regularly attend and contribute to staff meetings and team briefings.

To attend training relevant to the role which is detailed to PDP.

Support new starters to orient them to services.

Responsibility for financial and/or physical resources

To ensure comply with expenses procedures.

To maintain equipment and ensure relevant training is in date.

Under direction of leads ensure equipment audits are up to date and equipment in good working order.

Responsibility for administration

Responsibility to observe, accurately report and feedback key information and data to multi-disciplinary core team meetings, clinicians or managers.

Ensure individuals records are kept up to date

Ensure compliance with Livewell Record Keeping policy

To maintain confidentiality of information gained in the course of duties, as required by local and national policies. The post holder is responsible for his/her continued vocational and personal development and is expected to keep up to date on all relevant clinical and service issues, by reading and attendance at relevant courses, as agreed by their line manager.

Responsibility for people who use our services

To assist under supervision, the Learning Disabilities clinicians and service managers in the implementation of individualised multi-disciplinary treatment packages, including joint assessment, intervention, evaluation and monitoring.

Under the direction of the MDT, to work flexibly within community, residential care, in patient, recovery, supported living and family settings as determined by the needs of individual service users.

To take responsibility, when required, for an individual service user's well being and report back any concerns for example with personal care, physical and emotional needs.

To model and explain good practice to relevant carers - paid or family under the supervision of learning disability clinicians in the context of an individuals care plan

To participate in the delivery of therapeutic sessions (individual or group) under the supervision of a appropriate learning disability clinicians

To support people with learning disabilities access mainstream health services such as their GP, dentist or other outpatient appointments.

To attend multi-disciplinary core team meetings and service user reviews.

To work on a one-to-one basis (unless the service user's behaviour requires additional staffing) supporting treatment packages and accessing community facilities under the supervision of Learning Disability clinicians.

To evaluate changes in individuals' state of health and behaviours and take immediate appropriate action as detailed in individual management guidelines or service operational policies, e.g., manager, clinical lead or other professionals.

To make onward signposting referrals as required under direction of Learning disability clinicians.

Responsibility for implementation of policy and/or service developments

To respond and report appropriately any child and adult protection concerns using multi agency procedures.

Undertake assessment of risk and contribute to risk management plans in accordance with policy and operational procedure.

To contribute to clinical governance, service and personal development.

Other Responsibilities

The post holder is a community-based member of staff and will be expected to travel around Plymouth and the surrounding areas in the course of his/her duties.

To work flexible hours that may require evening, weekend and bank holidays working.

COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

To liaise and communicate effectively with other disciplines, professionals, carers and agencies.

Build relationships with VCSE services in the community

Build relationships with generic health and social care teams to support reasonable adjustments for people with a learning disability

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB

The individual should be able to spend time working in the community and driving to peoples homes. Post holder will spend a large amount of time on the computer. Post holder should have a good awareness of self to be able to mange mental load of work.

The full Job Description can be found within the supporting documents section, including the additional information for all posts.

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of experience of working with people who have learning disabilities.
• Evidence of experience of working with people suffering from mental ill- health or psychological distress

Desirable

• Evidence of working with people who have challenging behaviour and complex needs.
• Experience of working in community, residential and family settings.
• Experience of working with individuals who have Autism.
• Evidence of supporting people to meet their physical health needs.

Knowledge

Essential

• An understanding of challenging behaviour and complex needs.
• A basic understanding of mental ill health and some skills in relating to people who are psychologically distressed
• Knowledge of Dementia and associated physical health conditions
• Ability to keep accurate records and write concise reports.

Desirable

• Knowledge of national policy and guidelines;
• Valuing People
• Mansell Report
• Person Centred Planning
• Fair access for all
• Valuing People Now
• Death by Indifference
• Plymouth Joint Safeguarding Policy
• Mental capacity Act code of Practice
• Skills and knowledge of observation and data collection techniques.
• Information Technology, (competent in, data capturing and processing software)

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Travel around Plymouth.

Qualifications

Essential

• Maths and English GCSE grade 4 or above (A-C)
• NVQ III in Care (or evidence of working towards) or able to demonstrate the skills knowledge & ability to work to this level.

Specific Skills

Essential

• Ability to work with individuals who have complex and challenging needs.
• Able to form a relationship and communicate with individuals who have severe learning disabilities and challenging behaviour with a wide range of communication difficulties.
• Able to communicate information effectively to a variety of people with different levels of knowledge and skills.
• Ability to implement support and treatment packages for individuals with challenging behaviour including;
• Observation
• Assessment
• Intervention
• Evaluation and monitoring
• Ability to work in community, residential and family based settings.
• Ability to work independently whilst supporting people on an individual basis (lone working).
• Ability to keep accurate records and write concise reports.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).