Live-In Carer in Surrey

Live-In Carers are employed to work within service users’ homes to provide a timely, flexible and complementary role over a 24-hour period to organise the household and personal care routine of the service user. The aim of this level of support is to enable service users to remain at home with as much independence as possible and to support the service user in achieving a good quality of life and improving their life outcomes. Service users’ personal preferences must be respected at all times. Live-In Carers must carry out the tasks in a professional, discreet and caring manner. Respect, dignity, privacy, property and confidentiality must be shown to the service users at all times.

Live-In Carers provide personal and practical care and support services for service users with a wide range of illnesses and disabilities in their own home. Live-In Carers will be expected to carry out care services and duties unsupervised in all areas. A shift pattern will be established but will normally involve a 2-3 hour break every day.

Caring is second nature to us, and it will be to you too. We’ll give you full and extensive training but you’ll need to have some experience of caring for others – be that on a personal or professional level. You’ll be compassionate, kind-hearted, committed and great with people. Being a live-in care assistant isn’t just any job; we’re looking for individuals who truly care and genuinely want to make a difference to others’ lives. People who’ll understand what our customers need and can make it happen, treating them with the utmost dignity and respect. Brilliant at multi-tasking, it goes without saying that you’ve great attention to detail and always remain calm under pressure. We need our Live-in Care Assistants to be reliable and resilient; ready to take on the challenges this role presents and develop a rewarding career in care.

Duties & Key Responsibilities

• To assist a service user who needs help with domestic duties such as dusting, vacuuming, bed making, laundry and ironing.
• To assist with household duties such as menu planning, meal preparation for service users and their visitors, looking after household pets (feeding and walking), household plants etc.
• To assist service users with financial matters and money management including shopping, pension collection, payment of bills on behalf of the service user etc.
• To assist service users with correspondence, arrangements for outings and visitors.
• Assisting the service user in using public transport.
• Attending social outings with service users such as places of worship, regular clubs, visiting family, friends etc.
• Assisting the service user to fulfil activities of daily living, e.g. working, leisure and education.

Level 2 Service User – Domestic and Personal Care

• To assist service users who need help with getting up in the morning, dressing, undressing etc.
• To assist service users who need minimal help with washing, bathing, showering, hair care, shaving, oral hygiene etc.
• To assist service users with toilet functions – i.e. using the toilet or commode, emptying and cleansing the commode.
• To assist the service user with prescribed medication only.
• To undertake health care tasks under the direction of a health care professional.
• To assist service users with feeding.
• To assist service users with mobilising and transferring.
• To give support to the family and other carers.
• To assist in looking after pets e.g. feeding and walking.

Level 3 Service User – Domestic and Full Personal Care

• To renew and/or empty catheter bags using clean, careful techniques.
• To assist service users with mobilising and transferring using hoists etc.
• To assist service users with full toilet care including incontinence.
• Providing post-operative care following elective surgery.
• Providing preventative pressure area care.
• Caring for service users who may have a slight degree of memory loss.
• Responding to night calls for care needs.

Level 4 Service User – Complex Care

• Caring for terminally ill service users.
• Caring for service users with profound dementia.
• Caring for service users who suffer from periods of frustration, irritation, anxiety and agitation.
• Caring for service users who suffer from memory loss.
• Providing pressure area care for immobile service users.
• Stoma care.
• Providing post-operative care following major surgery.
• Be NVQ 3 qualified.

Working Relationships:

• To work in maintaining the standards in accordance with the philosophy of care.
• To identify and discuss care needs and outcomes of service users with the Area Managers.
• To cover the absence of colleagues during periods of annual leave and sickness.
• To report developments, significant incidents or noticeable changes in health, behaviour or circumstances of the service user to the Area Manager.
• To participate in reviews as required and to record services provided on the service users’ records when requested.
• To attend and participate in staff meetings as required.
• To maintain confidentiality at all times.
• To report any breaches of confidentiality to the Area Manager in line with current policy.
• To attend and participate in forum meetings every two months.
• Adhering to company policies and procedures at all times.

Health and Safety:

• To carry out duties in line with safe working practices ensuring adherence to Health and Safety standards e.g. safe manual handling practices.
• To use all equipment provided safely when providing care e.g. hoists and other manual handling aids as dictated in the service users’ individual risk assessment.
• To use protective clothing and gloves.
• To attend any training deemed appropriate for the role.

Paperwork:

• Ensure that all service user paperwork is completed in line with requirements.
• To ensure that all timesheets are returned to the office by the required day and time.
• To complete holiday requests giving appropriate notice to the office.

Personal Development:

• To identify personal training and development needs and to participate in the staff personal development programme.
• To maintain the staff induction folder with policies and procedures and to be familiar with them.

Confidentiality:

Maintain confidentiality of service users and colleagues at all times.

Qualifications Desirable:

• NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care (OR working towards or achieving it).
• Health and Safety Qualification.
• Experience of working 1 to 1 with an elderly or dependent service user.
• Familiarity with the needs of a service user needing care.
• The ability to relate positively to dependent service users and other carers in their own homes.

Additional Information Essential Qualities:

• Experience of domiciliary care obtained either in the employee's own household, in voluntary work or in paid employment.
• The confidence to liaise and work with other professionals and agencies i.e. Doctors, district nurses, physiotherapists etc.
• The drive and desire to promote and enable a service user’s independence.
• Effective verbal communication skills.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Good organisational skills.
• A good knowledge of equal opportunities.
• Good written communication.
• Friendly, positive and outgoing person.
• Good time management.
• Ability to work as a team member.
• Ability to work under own initiative.
• Working knowledge of regulatory frameworks for Domiciliary Care such as Care Standards, Care Quality Commission.

Special Conditions:

This post will result in you having substantial contact with the elderly, sick or disabled. Classique Care Services, therefore, requires that by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, the Police Act 1997, you reveal any criminal convictions, bind over orders or cautions, including those which would normally be regarded as spent. You must complete the relevant section on the application form – your application will be returned if this section is incomplete. If successful in your application you will be subject to a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure.