Senior Support Worker

Purpose of post The post holder will report to the Registered Homes Manager and Deputy Manager of the home and will be responsible for residential staff within the home. You will support the Homes Manager and Deputy Manager to manage the resources of the home to provide a positive living experience for the children and young people who are accommodated there. You will undertake responsibilities in the home under the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes Quality Standards and the Children’s Home Regulations 2015/18. Duties & Responsibilities To be responsible for leading shifts, allocation and supervision of staff and young people, delegating tasks, and managing the day to day needs of the home. To be confident in offering guidance and support to all residential staff. To deliver frequent supervision to Residential Support staff. To deliver Residential Support staff Appraisals on an annual basis. To be responsible for managing the homes finances on a daily basis. To be responsible for ensuring that weekly and monthly audits and checks are completed including, Health and Safety audits, Medications audits and Fire checks/drills. To be responsible for administering young people’s medication in line with the homes medication policy. To support the development of person-centred planning, ensuring each young person’s has meaningful and achievable goals. To prepare reports and to attend review meeting and other multi-disciplinary meetings. To be able to develop positive relationships with family members. To assist in the smooth running of the home, being part of a multidisciplinary team promoting a warm, caring, safe and enjoyable environment. To know and follow the complaints procedures, reporting complaints or inappropriate incidents to management whether it be from public, staff or children. To recognise the needs of the service provided by adopting a flexible attitude to work routines and shift patterns. To support children in other environments outside of the home, as required i.e., at school and during hospital stays/admissions. To liaise with management and colleagues regarding issues within the home. Updating on progress, or difficulties in relation to staff, or children and to advise if management intervention is needed. To have the ability to communicate effectively through oral and written communication. To attend 4-6 weekly supervision and weekly staff meetings. To make use of all available training and staff development opportunities and to attend scheduled training and refresher courses, ensuring training is kept up to date. To ensure domestic standards such as cooking, and cleaning are set and monitored in such a fashion as to set a good example to the children. To promote the health, safety, and welfare of all children, including the promotion of their physical, intellectual, social, behavioural and moral development to enable them to mature and develop as responsible members of the community. To carry out personal care for children when needed. To ensure medical and dental treatments are arranged as necessary and complete the relevant forms for the files. To liaise with family and other multi-agencies to gather information to assist in assessing the needs of children. To provide a stimulating environment for children and participate in their activities. To promote the home’s child protection procedures at all times, developing a good awareness of child protection issues, assessing and recording risk. Reporting any child protection issues. Protecting each child and the group by providing supervision and control appropriate to their age and understanding. To provide security within relationships based on respect and trust and provide appropriate boundaries. To be able to monitor one’s own behaviour and being aware of the effects it can have on others. To undertake keyworker/co-worker roles and to be responsible for the welfare of specific children. To maintain daily records e.g., personal files, completing the daily logs and all other logs etc contemporaneously and accurately. To work in partnership with staff and other professionals to establish a programme to change children’s behaviour patterns and attitudes when such behaviours are unacceptable or anti-social. To prepare individual risk assessments and placement plans for children. To ensure an atmosphere of safety for all concerned, where the individual child is fully aware that staff are there to comfort them through the use of good communication skills and relationships. To be flexible, which includes working and travelling to other homes as and when required. General Health and Safety * To ensure the home is physically safe and to provide a good quality environment for the children. * To ensure self and colleagues maintain a safe, clean, and hygienic working environment. Ensure that there are no odours. * To ensure self and colleagues use equipment such as gloves and aprons based upon the homes policies. To ensure that staff maintain these standards and expectations to avoid placing self and others at risk from cross infection. To ensure that routines designed to reduce risks are adhered to all times. To challenge where immediately when these standards are not up to standard. * To ensure that food hygiene standards are maintained at all times, that appropriate utensils are used, and the kitchen and dining room areas are cleaned after each meal/snack. * To ensure that all Health and Safety and daily routine checks are completed as required and signed by the individual. * To ensure that Health and Safety standards are maintained whilst on duty. * Assist the Home Manager/Deputy Manager with the efficient upkeep of the building and maintenance of equipment, furnishings and fittings. * To report any areas of heightened risk and to not cause harm to staff through neglect of this responsibility. To ensure that staff also do not cause harm to others through their neglect. * To ensure that all Health and Safety policies and Procedures are followed at all times by both self and colleagues. Other Duties & Responsibilities * To seek advice and support, where and whenever necessary, from your peers or managers. To provide support and advice to staff. * To make decisions appropriate to the needs of the children and young people through consultation with the staff on duty and where this requires additional advice seek it from the on-call manager. * To take a lead role in challenging bad practice or actions that go against agreed action plans. This challenge should be direct, out of the hearing of young people and discussed with a manager at the earliest opportunity. Where this challenge does not affect the staff’s approach or behaviour the matter must be taken to a manager. * To deal with any issues that arise from all staff including personal/primary care and behaviour management. * To develop knowledge of benefits and ensure each young person has access to and receives those they are entitled too. * To attend training as arranged. * To ensure that supervision takes place within the given timescales and to attend with appropriate agenda items. To raise issues with Managers regarding the content of any supervision that requires further resolution, or where conflict or specific challenges arise. * To read, research and develop own knowledge along with that provided at the workplace. * You will be responsible for understanding and promoting the equal opportunities policy. * You are required to be flexible as there will be occasions for contact outside of normal hours including an on-call rota system. The above is not an exhaustive list of duties as the role may change to meet the overall objectives of the Homes. Rota Our Rota operates over a twenty-four-hour period and you are expected to be included in the rolling Rota system where you will cover shifts and you may be required to be part of the on-call system