At a Glance
- Tasks: Support adults with learning disabilities to live independently and confidently.
- Company: Join a vibrant community centre making a real difference in people's lives.
- Benefits: Enjoy a comprehensive wellbeing package, flexible bank holidays, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Flexible working hours and opportunities for personal growth await you!
- Why this job: Make a meaningful impact every day while working in a supportive team environment.
- Qualifications: Level 2 qualification in Health and Social Care and a passion for helping others.
Huntingdon Community Centre is a vibrant and busy day centre where no two days are the same. We support adults with learning disabilities to live full, meaningful lives - building confidence, developing independence, and having fun along the way.
As a Support Worker, you’ll play a key part in creating a positive, inclusive environment where people feel valued, empowered and supported to achieve their goals. Whether it’s leading creative activities, encouraging new skills, or supporting someone to engage with their community, you’ll help make every day purposeful and rewarding.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a passionate, supportive team where your enthusiasm, ideas, and compassion can truly make a difference. The day centre is open Monday-Friday 9am-4pm and the working hours are 8.50am-5.10pm Wednesdays and 8.50am-4pm Monday-Friday. The hours are subject to change depending on service need. The starting pay for the posts is £13.45 per hour.
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
What will you be doing?
Every day will bring something new, but your role will centre around supporting individuals to live as independently and confidently as possible. You will:
- Build positive, trusting relationships and support people to achieve their personal goals and outcomes.
- Deliver and support engaging activities both within the centre and out in the community, promoting life skills, wellbeing and social inclusion.
- Encourage independence by helping people develop everyday skills and make their own choices.
- Provide person-centred support tailored to individual needs, including personal care and medication where required.
- Work as part of a collaborative team, contributing to support plans, risk assessments and reviews.
- Use IT systems to keep accurate records and ensure high-quality care delivery.
- Promote dignity, respect and equality in everything you do, helping people feel safe, heard and valued.
This is a hands-on, meaningful role where your support will directly enhance someone’s quality of life. This role is 37 hours per week every week.
About you
We’re looking for someone who is caring, enthusiastic and ready to make a real difference. You don’t just see this as a job, you’re passionate about supporting others to thrive. You will have a genuine commitment to supporting people with disabilities to live independent, fulfilling lives.
You will be a great communicator, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive relationships, a team player who can also use their initiative and adapt to changing situations. You will have a Level 2 qualification in Health and Social Care and commitment to further training and you will also be confident using IT systems for recording and communication.
You will be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion and a person-centred approach, be flexible, reliable and committed to delivering high-quality support. Most importantly, you’ll bring empathy, positivity and a can-do attitude, because the impact you make every day really matters.
Please use your supporting statement to outline how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria outlined in the attached Job Description/Person specification.
Our benefits
We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage:
- A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family.
- Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme (subject to operational considerations).
- Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances.
- Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings.
- Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth.
- Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day.
- Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network.
- Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards.
- An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes.
Take a look at our Employment Benefits Brochure attached to this advert to find out more.
Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes. Our four values are central to our culture, driving everything we do.
We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Cambridgeshire and want our workforce to be reflective of this diversity, which we firmly believe benefits our colleagues, the organisation and our communities. If you don’t meet every single requirement in the job role but think this could be you, please don’t be put off. We are committed to building a workplace that is compassionate and inclusive as well as diverse, so if you think you could be a good candidate for this role please consider applying and speak to the recruiting manager if you have any questions.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered.
We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We fully support providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, as well as when you join us, and we encourage candidates to contact the Hiring Manager, whose details can be found in the advert, to discuss any adjustment needs.
Through a Guaranteed Interview Scheme, we will offer an interview to all applicants who disclose a disability and meet the essential criteria for a job vacancy. On your application form you can indicate you are disabled. Some examples of reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process could include additional time to complete an assessment or printing a document on pastel coloured paper with larger font size and line spacing. We would value talking about what might be possible to enable you to join us and thrive, so if there is something that would help you to do your best during your journey with us, please get in touch.
Visit our jobs and careers section to find out more about our wide range of learning and development opportunities; apprenticeships; our wellbeing package; staff benefits; our commitment to equality, diversity and Inclusion.
Support Worker Huntingdon employer: Grafham Water Center
Huntingdon Community Centre is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive work environment where your contributions as a Support Worker can truly make a difference in the lives of adults with learning disabilities. With a strong focus on employee wellbeing, professional development opportunities, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, you will find a fulfilling career that not only values your skills but also encourages personal growth and community engagement. Join our passionate team in Huntingdon, where every day brings new challenges and rewards, and help us create a positive impact in our community.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Support Worker Huntingdon
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Grafham Water Center.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Grafham Water Center!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Grafham Water Center, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Grafham Water Center or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Support Worker Huntingdon
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Grafham Water Center:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Grafham Water Center! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Grafham Water Center
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
