Health Care/Support Assistant in Torquay

You will care and support residents with all aspects of daily living including community engagement, activities both externally and within the service and working towards independence. You will take our residents to appointments, theatre trips, community groups, discos, and a variety of other activities.

You will be organised in ascertaining the client’s needs promoting independence and choice. To share with the other staff in meeting the personal care needs of service users in a way that respects the dignity of the individual and promotes independence, life skills and informed choices in accordance with the individual care/support plan and to enhance inclusion in the community.

To provide personal and practical care for service users with a wide range of needs and disabilities. Ensuring that service user’s care plans and risk assessments are carried out correctly. Respecting the dignity and promoting independence of all clients. Ensuring the wellbeing of all clients is maintained in a manner that is safe; effective; caring; responsive and well led.

To ensure that their quality of life is such as you would require for yourself or your own loved ones. To assist service users with getting up in the morning, dressing, undressing, washing, bathing and the toilet where necessary. To help service users with mobility problems and other physical disabilities, including incontinence and help in use and care of aids and personal equipment. To help care and support service users who are on end-of-life care.

To make and change beds; tidy rooms; do light cleaning and empty commodes. To launder service users’ clothing. To serve meals, assisted feeds for those that need help. To read and follow care plans and risk assessments. Accurately record daily care notes on PCS. Take part in staff and service users' meetings and in training activities as directed.

To conform to all policies, procedures and guidelines laid down by Co-Active Care in respect of carrying out these care and support duties and in other administrative aspects of the business, as relevant. To be available to work as and when agreed with the business giving, where possible, 24 hours’ notice of any pending absence due to illness or family reasons.

To carry out accurately, and in a competent manner, instructions from managers and supervisors, adhering to the care plans of individual service users. To actively talk, listen and engage with our service users, allowing for their personal choice. To maintain accurate, concise, up-to-date and timely records of the service user’s care and support hours including any additional individual monitoring forms as necessary. To maintain confidentiality of such records and information in line with company policy.

To be familiar with our Health and Safety Policy and to promote safe working practices. To ensure full compliance with infection control procedures following company policy. To report and record any accident or incident which may occur – no matter how minor, whether to the service user or carer. To report back to the manager(s) or supervisor(s) on any aspect of the service user’s care which, in the view of the care/support Assistant, warrants investigation or urgent action.

To report immediately to management any noticeable changes in health, behaviour or circumstances of service users – maintaining the service user’s right to privacy and confidentiality. To advise supervisors and/or managers of any perceived problems or difficulties experienced with the service provided to service users. To advise supervisors and/or managers of any ideas which might enhance or improve the level of service delivered to service users. To perform such other duties as may reasonably be required.

To participate in induction and care certificate training and regular in-service training programmes as directed by managers or supervisors. Carry out instructions and extra jobs and your rota as given by the management team.

A successful candidate should have: Caring, self-motivated and organised. Able to work independently and as part of a team. Able to communicate effectively at all levels. Be able to keep calm in challenging situations. Be computer literate and competent at writing reports.