Specialist Support Worker

Specialist Support Worker (Male Only)

Getting to know someone properly is where good support starts.

Positive Futures supports people with a learning disability, acquired brain injury or autism to live the life they choose, and as a Specialist Support Worker, you'll be one of the people who makes that real, day in and day out. This role is about more than presence. It's for someone ready to build the specialist skills that help a person feel genuinely understood, especially in the moments that are hardest to get right.

Day to day, you'll build a real relationship with the person you're supporting, learning what matters to them and helping shape their Person Centred Portfolio and Behaviour Support Plan around it. You'll support their health, wellbeing and personal care with dignity, help them stay connected to the people who matter to them, and back them to get involved in their community on their own terms. You'll also play a part in developing others, acting as a role model for newer staff and volunteers as they find their feet.

• Specialist skills that count: you'll receive training in Positive Behaviour Support and use it to help manage behaviours of concern with real understanding, not guesswork.

• Relationships that go somewhere: this isn't task-based support. You'll get the time and structure to properly know the person you're working with, and to help them live life on their terms.

• Support to grow: a full paid induction, specialist training, and regular supervision from day one, with real opportunities to build your career from there.

About the role

Specialist training means being ready when someone needs you most.

At the centre of this role is one relationship: yours, with the person you're supporting. You'll work to understand their wishes and communication style, help develop and evaluate their Person Centred Portfolio, and attend reviews with them and the people who matter to them. Where risks come up, you'll respond to them promptly and *escalate* in line with our Risk Management Policy, and you'll help the person you support make informed choices about their own life.

Keeping people safe and healthy runs through everything. You'll promote healthy choices, provide personal care where it's needed while treating people with dignity and respect at all times, and act on any safeguarding concern in line with our policies. You'll also help identify and assess risk, applying the right controls and escalating where needed.

Beyond the one-to-one relationship, you'll support the person you work with to build independence, social connections and communication skills, including getting involved in their local community and, where it's part of their life, planning and going on holiday. You'll act as a role model for other staff and volunteers, get involved in the induction, coaching and mentoring of colleagues, and challenge poor practice where you see it. There's an administrative side too: keeping accurate records, writing short reports, contributing to handovers, and carrying out health and safety checks.

About the company

We are Positive Futures, a leading charity based in Northern Ireland dedicated to supporting children, young people and adults with a learning disability, acquired brain injury or autism, and their families. Since 1995, we’ve been driven by the belief that everyone has a role to play, and that disability should not prevent full and active participation in society.

Required Criteria

• QCF Level 2 / 3, Psychology Degree, Psychology Masters Degree or 3 Year's Experience in a health and social care setting
• 1-2 Year's Experience in a health and social care setting, alongside one of the above qualifications
• At least 1 years' experience of working with people with a learning disability OR autism
• At least 1 years' experience in managing behaviours of concern through the implementation of Positive Behaviour Support.
• Be registered, or be eligible for registration on appointment, on the appropriate part of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) or other relevant professional body
• Full, Valid UK/EU/EEA Driving Licence to fulfil the needs of the role

Desired Criteria

Skills you'll need