Experienced Senior Support Worker - Must be driver for automatic cars

Location: Wickford

Salary: £13.26 per hour

Hours: 37.5 hours per week. Must be happy to travel to Colchester sometimes due to rota.

You will be responsible for nurturing and inspiring those coming to work for Aspirations Care to help ensure we have the best staff teams, offering great support services. Must also have experience of being a senior support worker. This role also offers great opportunities for career progression to help you develop your knowledge and skills!

The purpose of your role is to give the highest possible standards of support to individuals with moderate to severe learning disabilities, in all aspects of their daily lives. You will help us ensure your service is: Well led, Safe, Caring, Effective and Responsive.

As a Senior Support Worker, flexibility is important for both you and for the service. We provide 24/7 support to some people, so you will need to have flexibility to work shifts on a rota basis, including nights, weekends and Bank Holidays. You will need good IT skills and experience of maintaining records to be a success in this role. You also need to have or be willing to work towards a Diploma in Health & Social Care Level 3 (or equivalent). But above all, if you have the passion for delivering high quality care and want to make a difference by enabling people to live a more fulfilling and independent life - then this is the role for you!

Core Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Develop a culture that is responsive, inclusive, and person-centred.
• Ensure that you and support staff offer the highest standards of care and support to each person in our care.
• Ensure that all documentation that relates to a person’s needs and choices, is current, comprehensive, represents the views of the person/family and is used on a day-to-day basis to inform practice.
• Ensure that you and the staff team assist and encourage people to have a life like any other by becoming part of their community, have work and education opportunities, develop and maintain relationships, explore leisure options and are supported to express themselves in the way they choose, culturally, spiritually, sexually etc.
• Ensure that you and the staff team complete and record risk assessments around finances and other aspects of peoples’ lives as needed.
• Promote health, safety and well-being of the people we support whilst respecting people’s personal choice and empowering positive risk taking.
• Promote Person Centred Active Support to achieve maximum independence for each person.
• Develop a culture of collaborative working to benefit the people we support.
• Make full use of IT systems and support and teach staff to maximise the use of these in their job.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Being part of the community is important to people you, therefore you may need to be able to drive.
• You and your team/s are also required to work flexibly to respond to the needs and wishes of the people you support, complete on-calls, be away from home etc.
• Safeguarding - Protect the people being supported from Abuse/Poor Practice by undertaking Safeguarding Adults Training so you understand how, when and who to report concerns to.
• It is the nature of the work that responsibilities are in many circumstances unpredictable and varied. All employees are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises in order that tasks which are not specifically covered in their job description are covered.

Must Haves:

• A Diploma in Health and Social Care Level 2 and a willingness to work towards a Diploma in Health and Social Care Level 3 whilst in post.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience.
• Experience of clear and effective communication.
• Experience of monitoring and maintaining records (both electronic and paper) so that they are accurate and up to date.
• Be able to use Microsoft Office (Word) and Email.
• Experience of managing personal/household finances.
• The ability to work on your own and as part of a team.
• Commitment to developing personal and work skills as well as developing those of others.
• Sensitivity, patience and trustworthiness.
• Experience of undertaking risk assessments.
• A knowledge of people with learning disabilities and/or mental health problems.
• A strong value base.
• A commitment to providing outstanding services for people with a learning disability.
• A desire to support individuals to lead independent lives.
• Experience of supervising staff.
• An appreciation of healthy living issues.
• An understanding of health & safety issues.
• Experience of promoting new technology and using personalised technology.
• Knowledge of food hygiene and personal hygiene issues.
• Ability to support someone with varied personal & household tasks.
• Experience of bringing about culture change in team.

Aspirations Benefits Package:

• 2 x salary life cover (up to individual state pension age).
• Access to Aspirations Perks, our exclusive discount scheme with fantastic discounts in supermarkets and high street retail stores.
• Smart Health App – health and wellbeing service with 24/7 GP access for you and your family.
• Optional overtime to increase your income with flexible working.
• DBS paid for by Aspirations.
• Refer a friend scheme with a financial reward of £500.
• Employee Assistance Programme available 24/7 for advice and guidance for you and your family.
• CPD Accredited induction.
• Ongoing training & development including Care Certificate, apprenticeship opportunities and specialist learning.
• Support with career progression and professional development.
• Paid 28 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme with NEST.

Aspirations Care have been supporting adults with learning disabilities, mental health issues and Autism to have a lifestyle that matters to them since 2004. Our aim is to support and encourage individuals to achieve their full potential, no matter how challenging. At Aspirations we value all colleagues, regardless of age. We are proud to offer pay over the statutory minimum set for young workers and have no set retirement age. Our staff can also expect full training, study for qualifications and a rewarding career. Aspirations is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity. This organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the vulnerable adults that we support and expects all staff to share this commitment. Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Disclosure.