At a Glance
- Tasks: Support individuals in their daily lives, promoting independence and well-being.
- Company: Mears Group, a leader in housing and social care services.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, life cover, training, and fun family events.
- Other info: Join a diverse team committed to improving communities and lives.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while gaining valuable experience.
- Qualifications: No prior experience needed; just bring your passion and compassion!
The predicted salary is between 25608 - 31298 £ per year.
Hourly rate: £13.45
Location: Durham - Meadowbank
Contract Type: Zero-hour contract / Full time & Part-time hours available
Are you passionate about making a difference to a person’s life or would like the opportunity to provide an individual with a better quality of life? This role might be for you. Mears is a company uniquely placed to address the major challenges in housing and social care industries. We are a market leader in providing housing services to the affordable housing sector, and a major presence in supported living, delivering a high standard of Care Services.
About the Role
We are Mears Supported Living Ltd, providing support to individuals. We provide a range of care and support services to people out in the community and in their own homes. We are looking for Support Workers to join this service, supporting 4 service users of varying conditions, abilities and needs. We offer a number of 24-hour packages within our service including day shifts and sleepover shifts available. Sleepover shifts are paid an hourly rate and many of our shift packages include meal allowances. Our main priority for this job role is to find the right people with the right values, skills, and attitudes that match our own!
Duties
The duties are varied and no two days will be the same. Our Service Users are individuals, and they all deserve to be treated as such:
- Prompting medication
- Personal hygiene
- Helping with basic household tasks
- Cooking, cleaning, shopping
- Accessing the community for both appointments and recreational activities
Role Criteria
- A commitment to quality and being the best we can
- Treating the people we support with compassion
- Showing dignity and respect to the people we will be working with
- Having trust and respect for all members of our team
- Friendly, supportive, and an understanding personality
- Clear communicator
- 2-1 support in the community (The 2nd person can be a male)
- Enthusiasm
- Passion
- Compassion
- The ability to show dignity and respect to our service users
- Physical fitness (not extreme)
- Ability to manage behaviour which challenges
If you have what it takes to make a difference to someone’s life and have the passion to go above and beyond, we need to hear from you! You don’t need to have previous experience in this field, nor do you need qualifications – we’re happy to work with you to help you become an excellent care worker. Above all, we want someone that shares in our values.
Benefits
- Cost of DBS covered
- Up to £20,000 life cover
- Care Worker of the Month financial award
- Refer a friend scheme (total award up to £1000)
- Excellent training
- Pension scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Eye test vouchers
- Employee Assistance Programme (Access to Free counselling service)
- Wellbeing service (Access to trained mental health & wellbeing advisors)
- Mears Annual Family Fun Day for you and your family to places like Blair Drummond Safari Park, M&Ds Theme park, fully paid for including lunch
- Mears Rewards - A performance recognition platform whereby you can be rewarded in high street vouchers
- Family friendly policy to include enhanced maternity/paternity leave and much more.
All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK; Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship. Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion
At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all. We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS). In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility.
We are the people behind the smile! At Mears, we look for people who share our vision and values - to make a positive difference to the communities we serve. We do this by improving homes, improving communities, and improving lives. We are proud of our business and the opportunities we provide to colleagues working across the UK.
Our Values - Customers / Innovation / Teamwork / Responsibility
Support Worker in North East employer: Mears Group
Mears Group is an excellent employer, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises safety and compliance in the field. With generous benefits such as a company van, fuel card, and 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, employees are encouraged to maintain a healthy work-life balance while growing their skills in a dynamic environment across Northeast England.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Support Worker in North East
✨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 Mears Group.
✨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 Mears Group!
✨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 Mears Group, 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 Mears Group 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 in North East
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 Mears Group:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Mears Group! 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 Mears Group
✨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.
