Job Description
Job title: Support worker
Accountable to: Local management team
Work area: Designated locality or neighbourhood
Hours of work As agreed
The main objectives of the post
1. To provide high-quality person-centred support to individuals, both within their homes
and in the community, in accordance with the Key’s aims and principles and the Codes of Conduct and Practice issued by the Scottish Social Services Council.
2. To help individuals plan their support, accessing both formal and informal support networks, and to promote the rights and choices of the people you support.
3. To constantly monitor the quality and appropriateness of support, and to ensure good ‘team work’ is developed and maintained between all people involved in a person’s support.
Responsibilities with people who are supported
1. To build warm, caring, and positive relationships with people receiving support, and to keep the individual’s best interests in mind at all times.
2. To provide direct practical help, advice and guidance to individuals in all areas of their life as required. This support should at all times respect the person’s rights and personal dignity and value, and should be provided in a manner that is entirely non-discriminatory, sensitive (to needs and wants), image enhancing, and empowering.
3. Areas of support activity may include; personal care (including intimate areas of self-care such as washing, dressing or using the toilet), domestic home care, financial matters (including maximising income and managing expenditure), emotional and physical wellbeing, education or employment, and general social or leisure areas (including making and maintaining friendships/relationships).
4. To work creatively to help individuals recognise achievements, celebrate successes, assist informed decision making, identify problems and find ways of resolving them, and to take advantage of opportunities, gain new experiences, and develop life-skills and confidence.
5. To use person-centred planning tools to help individuals (along with other important people in their lives) identify future aspirations, and current support needs and preferences, and consider how these can best be met.
6. To support individuals to co-ordinate their own formal and informal support (families, friends and other interested people), or where necessary or desired to co-ordinate this support on their behalf.
Content revised 2011
7. To liaise with other agencies with and on behalf of individuals to enable access to appropriate resources and services (including specialist services).
8. Where individuals share accommodation to help them live together positively, share responsibilities (including running their home), identify common issues and concerns and find solutions to problems.
9. To support advocacy (whether it be self-advocacy, citizen or group advocacy), and to promote active participation within Key.
General
1. To communicate effectively, and to work positively and co-operatively with managers, other employees, workers from other agencies and members of the public (including family and friends of individuals who are supported) – and to keep supported individuals as the main focus of your efforts.
2. To take your personal and professional development seriously, at work this will include your active involvement in supervision, and also (where identified as appropriate) taking part in meetings, forums, and training.
3. To maintain records in a wide range of areas (including using non-writing based methods such as graphics/photos, audio/visual tapes, computers etc…).
4. To understand issues of confidentiality in relation to your work and individuals who are supported and to ensure this is maintained.
5. To provide support, or be available to provide support, in line with agreed practice/local arrangements; which is likely to include participating in a rota, sleep-over cover, and a range of fixed time or flexible time arrangements, including on-call arrangements.
6. To help ensure that people’s homes are safe, secure and comfortable by offering support, undertaking tasks directly, and where appropriate arranging servicing/repairs, and/or advising line manager of concerns or reporting direct to relevant others.
7. To be aware of the Health and Safety Policy of Key and understand your own responsibilities within this, and to actively use risk assessment practices (to avoid or minimise risk) in all areas of your work and support.
8. To be aware of and follow all procedures and practices of Key (as laid out in the Procedures Handbook).
9. To conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the expectations of other bodies (eg, Service Level Agreements/Contracts with funding agencies, the Care Inspectorate, and Scottish Social Services Council).
10. To undertake other duties within the main objectives of the post as requested by people you support, colleagues, or by your line manager.
About The Role
Being a support worker is a role where you can make every day matter. It's a job with challenges that make your heart beat faster, where you can give something of yourself and empower amazing people on their journey.
We are Key and Community Lifestyles, two organisations that support disabled people of all ages to make everyday matter.
Our teams know that good support is essential for a good life, and so we work alongside every person we support and their family to help them live life to the full. The films at the bottom of this page will tell you more about us and what it means to be a support worker. You can also check out the support worker job descriptions for both Key and Community Lifestyles for more details on the job itself.
We are recruiting now in your area. Join us in making every day matter!
We are here to help, so please get in touch if you have any questions - email us at careers@key.org.uk or call 0141 342 1890.
We are passionate about being the best employer we can be, ensuring our staff feel supported and valued in their roles. As well as being part of a supportive, local team, you will be eligible for the following:
* Main Grade Hourly rate of £12.50 (Induction and Relief Register rate £12).
* Sleepover hourly rate of £12.
* Competitive annual leave and company sick pay.
* Payment of annual SSSC fees for contracted Support Workers
* Enhanced pay for work on targeted Public Holidays.
* Paid Membership of Disclosure Scotland’s PVG Scheme.
* Full, in-depth training for your role.
* Fully funded SVQ qualification with support provided to achieve this.
* Employee Assistance Programme offering free confidential counselling, advice and support on a wide range of issues.
* A Workplace Pension.
* Free access to occupational health support.
* Credit Union Membership.
* Cycle to Work Scheme.
* Costco Membership.
* Blue Light Card/Blue Light Ticket registration which offer a range of discounts and savings.
* Concerts for Carers registration.
Join us and make every day matter!
Skills Needed
About The Company
People we support are actively involved in everything we do through our strong partnership with TAG (The Advisory Group) - a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation run by disabled people. TAG supports people to play a central role, alongside our Board of Directors, in shaping the strategic direction of the organisation and ensuring the quality of our services. You can find out more about Key and TAG's partnership here .
Company Culture
For over 30 years, Key has been making a positive impact in the lives of countless individuals across Scotland. Their commitment to person-centered support and community inclusion continues to be a driving force behind their work.
Desired Criteria
Required Criteria
Closing DateWednesday 15th January, 2025