Senior Support Worker

Responsible for:

To provide leadership to a team of staff. To provide support to Service Users within Cedar Hope Care Limited, in line with the Organisation’s aim to provide high quality support tailored to suit each of our service users, create and follow individual support plans or PCPs and to promote independence and choice.

General Responsibilities:

• To maintain an excellent timekeeping and attendance record.
• To follow sickness and absence procedures which are found in the homes policy and procedures.
• To follow instructions given by the homes manager and Deputy manager.
• Never to abandon duty without the knowledge of the homes manager or deputy manager.
• To report any criminal offences / or convictions to the home manager or deputy manager.
• To report to the home manager or deputy manager any witnessed or suspected act of abuse promptly.
• To undertake training as required for the position.
• To have completed or willing to work towards Level 3 Health and social care.
• To participate in training, development and refresher courses of which you will be notified in good time.
• To attend and participate in performance reviews, supervisions and appraisals.
• To manage and audit petty cash and complete audits on service user finances.
• To undertake all reasonable tasks and duties requested by members of the management team.
• To take part in an ‘on call’ rota as required to provide assistance to the home.

Management Style:

• To develop an in depth knowledge of service users and their care plans.
• Leading by example and being a good role model for the staff team.
• To communicate in a professional manner at all times.
• To nurture and motivate a committed staff team by involving them in day to day decisions and encourage them to understand the significance of their actions on the lives of both the service users and the home.
• To ensure that all conversations are recorded and documented to provide an evidence trail, this includes conversations with service user’s, staff, family and professionals.
• To communicate with service users, families, friends, agencies in a professional manner showing discretion and empathy.

Staff Team:

• To provide direction and leadership for the staff team.
• Shift planner to be completed a minimum of 4 weeks ahead of time.
• To ensure each member of staff understands the chain of command and follows it.
• To ensure comments, concerns or issues expressed by one staff member against another are dealt with in a thoroughly professional manner.
• To ensure staff receive a return to work interview upon their return to work after sickness or unauthorised absence.

Meetings:

• To attend senior, staff and home meetings, to discuss the running of the homes, any difficulties, service user requirements etc and play an active role in setting out and working towards actions following any meeting.
• To ensure and record supervision meetings with each member of staff as delegated.
• To ensure meetings are arranged / attended with families, social workers, specialist services, other members of the management team as required.
• To ensure each home holds monthly service user meetings.

Safety:

• To ensure weekly fire alarm tests and periodic fire drills are completed and documented correctly.
• To ensure safe working practice.
• To ensure the administration and control of medicines in line with the NICE guidance.
• To undertake weekly audits of medication in each home.
• To carry out medication competency assessments.
• To ensure all unused medication is returned to the pharmacy following the company policy and procedure for returns.
• To ensure specialist services are sought on behalf of the service user when required.
• To ensure that the service user files are kept up to date and all documents that require reviewing are reviewed.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, the job holder may be required to undertake such other duties as Management may from time to time as reasonably require.