About Us
We're a local independent charity working in the community to support older people, their families and carers. We want everyone to live life to the full.
What we stand for:
Enabling older people across the county to live life to the full. Age UK Oxfordshire is an independent local charity.
We have over 160 dedicated staff and over 235 volunteers helping us to deliver services and activities for older people in Oxfordshire.
Our mission:
Enabling and empowering individuals and communities to support older people to stay independent and live life to the full. Our vision:
We are working for a world where those we serve are living their best lives.
Our values
* Caring
* Listening and amplifying people’s voices
* Enabling and empowering by working alongside people to identify solutions
* Passionate for better
* Collaborative
We encourage applications from all candidates to support a more diverse workforce. We are committed to challenging all forms of discrimination and celebrating and promoting diversity throughout our work.
Job Purpose:
To listen to, support and empower people to maintain and retain their independence, health and wellbeing, enabling them to ‘live life to the full’.
As part of our Community Team, you will work in local communities supporting individuals, families and groups, listening to them to find out what matters to them.
Your role is to provide people with the information they need to be connected in their communities and to access the support they need to manage their health and care needs. We work closely with local health and social care partners, and you will work to develop these relationships with front line health and care professionals.
You will be primarily home based, working in a locality team and taking referrals for clients in a geographical area. You will also be expected to work a minimum of one day a week in a hospital setting. You will need to be comfortable visiting people in their own homes. Additionally, you will work alongside the wider team to support community groups and events.
A Community Link Workers duties will include:
* Working alongside people to prepare for their discharge from hospital, and immediately after discharge to ensure care and support is in place.
* Visiting people in their homes, using a strengths-based conversation to identify the support they need
* Encouraging people to maintain or renew links into their community by attending groups and events, occasionally transporting people in your personal vehicle
* Co-ordinating and delivering groups and events
* Building relationships with other health and social care professionals and other third sector providers to better support our clients
Some Community Link Workers also work as social prescribers working closely with GP practices to provide non-clinical support to patients.
Main duties:
1. Manage your own caseload, contacting and supporting clients through face-to-face meetings, telephone, video calls and attending client group meetings, helping them develop a support plan to achieve their goals.
2. Be part of the hospital team, working in a hospital setting at least one day a week supporting people to prepare for their discharge
3. Utilising a strengths-based conversation approach to help clients identify the most appropriate source of information and support and enable them to engage with activities, groups and other community programmes.
4. Provide information and support that helps people stay connected in their communities and continue to lead meaningful lives, whilst living at home safely and securely.
5. Maintain accurate records for the cases, groups and events that you support, and support initiatives to collect feedback from clients.
6. Responsible for recording and monitoring all work in a timely and accurate manner, ensuring client confidentiality and supporting the production of progress reports and evaluation of the service.
7. Be an active member of the wider Community Team, providing peer support, sharing good practice and new approaches, and assisting in identifying gaps in the service and taking steps to address them.
8. Build networks in an area, attending events and meetings and developing relationships with the organisations delivering relevant services in their area.
9. Maintain and grow your knowledge of local services and Age UK information and signposting best practice
10.Work collaboratively with Age UK Oxfordshire staff, health and social care professionals, and other organisations as is appropriate.
11.Additionally:
· Work in accordance with Age UK Oxfordshire policies and procedures.
· Take a pro-active approach to personal learning and development.
· Attend team meetings, Age UK Oxfordshire staff meetings and other line management and training activities as appropriate.
12.Community Link Workers may also be asked to conduct other duties relevant to the role or in support of Age UK Oxfordshire including supporting volunteers and fund-raising activities.
This job description is not restrictive or definitive and should be regarded as a guideline to the duties required. It may be amended in the light of changing circumstances following consultation with the post holder. The job description does not form part of the Contract of Employment.
Location:
We are recruiting throughout the county however we are particularly interested in strengthening our team in South and West Oxfordshire.
Hours Remuneration and Benefits:
* Salary £13.11 per hour, increasing to £13.64 per hour on completion of probation period (pay review due from April 1st 2025).
* 21-35 hours per week. Hours to be mutually agreed.
* 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays, increasing to 6 weeks after 5 years’ service
* Flexible working arrangements
* Charity sick pay, increasing with length of service
* Pension scheme
* Health cash plan for staff member and up to 4 residing dependants under 24
* 24 hour Employee Assistance Program
* Free car parking at Head office
* Cycle to work scheme