NEW-FEMALE PA home1:1 as soon as posb 12-15hpw £13.47ph for 20-yr SLD girl whose Dad died. Apply at UKCIL.com. Reference: dc4dfe09 Personal Assistant/Support Worker in Bath General: 12-15h pw - we, and you, being flexible (making arrangements in advance): Mon or Fri whole or part days, or Thurs afternoon; Alternatively any combination of these (other PAs already do the rest of the days of the week). AND/OR you could also do the occasional weekend. Note that we have a total 49hours per week for all our PAs combined including you, funded by our local authority BANES. This is due to BANES being unable to find any other suitable provision for my girl ('B') since Sept 2021 when (after a successful first year) her SEN college excluded her due to its inability to meet her needs. Rate of pay £13.47 per hour gross. At this rate of pay (and when Annual Leave is taken into account as part of your earnings):- 12hpw is just over the ‘Secondary Threshold’ ie as Employer, I start paying NI for you (the Employee) while you remain getting benefits of paying NI while not actually paying any NI); 15hpw is just below the ‘Primary Threshold’ (above which you as Employee would start paying NI as well as the Employer paying NI). Note 2 : It is an occupational requirement that a FEMALE works with B due to her vulnerability (lack of capacity) and the personal care involved on a routine basis. This requirement is supported by our BANES Adult Social Care team. Once a good PA is found, we (B, and myself - I am her mother and Deputy as she is without capacity) stick with you. Likewise, even if you do only a half day or one day per week (Mon or Thur afternoon or Fri as above) the steadiness of your support is very important because B's development is affected by changes to people (including PAs), places and activities, due to her severe learning disabilities and autism. We go on holiday rarely (and nearby) due to the need for remaining in Bath for B to be in familiar surroundings and for you to be able to come and support her. Part of your consistency of support will be in supporting B to interact with her age-85 grandparents (her grandfather is developing dementia). This helps them and effectively supports B in return, long-term - because you’re helping them live meaningful lives with their granddaughter for as long as possible. The importance of this is that B does not lose one or both of them, too soon after her recent losses - see next… My husband (of 32 years) died Dec 2022. Then 14 January 2023 my only sister died (she and I had no brothers). So B has lost her father and her only aunt, both within the space of three weeks. We all used to see each other a lot. The emotions are settled now, and remain calmed for B by minimising her changes where possible. As you can imagine your help is all the more important and valuable because of this. You would be employed (by me), not self-employed. Being ‘employed’ doesn’t commit you, because the work is 'Casual' ('zero-hours') on a mutually-flexible arrangement of hours basis. B does require your commitment on an honesty basis, for at least one year of reliable support even if just one day or one half day pw, with you knowing from the start that she needs stability. Previous experience of working with clients with Autism and an appreciation of Dementia would be desirable, however not essential, because Training (below) is given, so provided you’ve common sense/ a bit of life experience (ie personal experience and understanding) you’ll find you get on with B’s needs, her family environment including her grandparents, and her Activities. For more Person Specification see below. Summary of B's needs (also see more on Needs below): 1:1 support is needed for B's Complex Learning Needs and Autism arising from brain damage caused by Epilepsy in infancy. The result was her seizures reduced to only occasional short (half-minute) absences, and these are managed at home with the lowest dose 5ml oral-syringe of Carbamazepine morning and evening). She is physically able and enjoys the outdoors. Due to Severe Learning Disability she needs help in all aspects of daily living and behaviour: to access the community, support with communication (she is nonverbal except for occasional sounds), and hand-on-hand learning life skills including personal care. All these are helped by Activities (see next). More detail on Activities: Depending on the day of the week (other PAs take B out on certain days) you’d support her in activities, some that you would help research and set-up, and some that we've already set-up. I or another PA can initially accompany you on any/all non-home-based activities, if needed… 1) home-based (daily living skills:- personal-eg washing hands; domestic-eg cooking and stirring the morning porridge ‘the wheels on the bus go round and round’; making and rolling dough; daily focused activities:- eg posting shapes, playing her accordian/tambourine); part of this of course means you helping B when she attempts to interact with her family (and they with her) including her grandparents as they are in the home environment too (as above); and 2) taking her out -eg: to a farm, gardening, or to her existing spa (her swim - she has membership so can go anytime with a PA included), or cycling with her around the nearby park on her Fun-2-go electric side-by-side adult trike. These are not the only activities - eg: we also hope purchase her a 'Go-Talk 4' to aid her communication which is her biggest area needing development. -Because of the Activities: Car driver required, with full clean UK driving licence - B has a Blue Badge for use in her service (nearby street parking is easy). -If you also use public transport, we are in a quiet residential side-street off the Upper Bristol Road bus-route. You'll need business motor insurance, then you can take her out (eg: to spa) in your own vehicle - I can reimburse you to top-up any existing motor insurance to business motor insurance if you have to pay for it (ie if your previous/existing employer, or yourself, haven’t already provided it). Also (out of B's BANES funding) I pay mileage for you driving to activities as well as the cost, if any, of the activities. Right to work in the UK required: For anyone with non-UK nationality I would under my Employer legal obligations, need to: have sight of AND make digital or hard-copy record of, your right to work in the UK. Digital includes via access code which you can give to me so that I can view your right to work status via gov.uk. Other information: -Covid-vaccination is not compulsory. -Wearing a mask in our home is not compulsory; IF you have a respiratory cough or cold of ANY SORT due to vulnerability of the grandparents, we would ask that you still attend (and wear a mask) in that case, due to the girl’s need for routine with you to be maintained, unless you are actually ill. Person Specification (more detail) : The ideal candidate will be physically resilient, have a calm but firm manner and be able to safeguard from dangers, as well as promoting danger awareness for B, when in the community. One does not have to be a strong person physically to do the job, but general good health and fitness and willingness (including dressing appropriately) for the out-of-doors, are considered to be an advantage. B's Needs (more detail): B does have some awareness and communication abilities, predominantly non-verbal but with potential for verbal communication to be developed. Your role therefore includes, importantly, helping her with this (even if predominantly she remains non-verbal) by engaging with her and building an understanding together so that she senses you are trying (then she will try harder too). This way any potential is 'given room' to be spotted and nurtured. By providing help at the right time with suitable activities, she is enabled in her small, individual version of 'independence' despite her severe learning disabilities. Her just TRYING things (daily living skills, activities, trying to be sociable), and US helping her to try (even for things she might never learn 'properly', or we 'think' that about them), IS her 'Education' - this is a 'Lifelong Learning' approach. Examples of her abilities changing are… -sometimes very slowly with lots of hand-on-hand repetition despite a task being known eg her pouring juice into her cup, OR it is complex for her eg hand-on-hand cutting food with knife and fork; -sometimes with her own spontaneous actions ie we suddenly notice a delayed exhibition by her that she's learned (through her having earlier watched others) eg pushing a wall light-switch, putting toast in the toaster, folding up her futon mattress; OR she learns by herself a new object of reference ('OOR') to show she wants something or to do something eg she has recently started bringing us her medicine dispensing tube (showing us that she wants the medicine) at around the correct time of day ie morning or evening only. Training (more detail): I always only require PAs to do with B, what I do with her when they are not here. With her needs being flexible as she develops and as any changes affect her, you should be prepared to accept training/ advice from me as beneficial to her. But also your input will be listened to This includes being aware and accepting of her family from her (and their) point of view. There is a need to fit with (adapt to) her interactions between her, myself and her grandparents. I’m 56, her representative (Appointee and Deputy) and I’m working as a trainee paralegal, from home (for the time-being only) as well as managing the needs of the grandparents. Note my presence in the home (working) does not mean I’m available to help beyond the initial training, but I’ll advise when I notice that feedback or further training are appropriate and needed, and I'll listen to what you may suggest as well. Generally this means that you’ll try as much as possible to remember tips/skills as they arise during and after training. And then after a bit of time put in, offer your own input. The significance is that soon I will be out working, and long-term I will no longer be around. It is therefore really important (sooner than later) that PAs benefit from, and apply, the training by themselves. This is so that B learns to live and develop with people other than myself/her grandparents. ESSENTIAL CRITERIA · A friendly and easy going personality · Patient and calm · Ability to be firm as required · An appreciation of confidentiality · Trustworthiness · Good timekeeping skills / punctual · Willingness to be flexible · Current clean full UK driving licence Other Responsibilities (advised by UKCIL to include): · Punctuality: Arrive at the scheduled time, ready to start work. Let the mother (Employer) know if you are going to be more than 10 minutes late but as much as possible advance notice if need to be absent, to enable temporary replacement to be found (if possible). · Confidentiality: B’s family will need you to respect their privacy. You can maintain a professional approach while still making conversation about the care and assistance that you give in order of course to support any developing needs. B is unable to understand these matters or social boundaries, or the reasons for them, But she CAN sense when people are talking about her. · Good Attitude: Appreciate the strains and stresses for B and her family, and the effect this can have on their acceptance of your help. They may not always be as professional as you. They may not show acceptance of your help when they actually need it and to be given without it being obvious as 'help'. If you can give it appropriately without them having to ask for it (but when it is needed) that is ideal. Key Responsibilities Services Meal Preparation Personal Care Social Leisure activities Support to remain independent Training Essential PA Guide Safeguarding Adults/Children Understanding challenging behaviour Hand hygiene Dementia care Autism / Aspergers Transportation Full UK driving license Own personal car Medical Safe Administration of Medication Epilepsy Awareness Please apply by clicking above or at ukcil.com