INFORMATION PACK
INCLUDING JOB DESCRIPTION
AND PAY SCALES
FOR APPLICANTS FOR SUPPORT WORKER POST
ACCESS FOR LIVING
"Access for Living's purpose is to maintain and promote value and respect for
people with a learning disability through enabling them to live in their own homes,
participate in their local communities and develop fully as individuals."
– Mission Statement
We support adults with a learning disability to live in their own home with 24 hour
support, as well as living more independently, either in their own home or with their
family. We provide support to adults of all ages, from 18 to 80+, with a range of
abilities.
People differ in the nature and extent of their needs. Our aim is to provide a person
centred approach to services to ensure that each individual’s needs and wishes are
recognised and that the service responds flexibly to meet them. Some service users
may need additional support due to physical disabilities, sensory impairment or
mental health problems.
People are supported in all aspects of their lives. We aim to enable people to
develop new skills. We support people with their personal care, to maintain their
home as well as finding employment, going to college, to the pub or theatre, and
going on holiday.
Our services are based on the philosophy that the people we support have a right to
participate in the activities and opportunities available to any member of the
community. We recognise that service users may need extra support to achieve this,
and aim to support people in any activity they choose. Service users are encouraged
to take responsibility and make choices and decisions about their own lives and are
treated with the same respect and dignity we would expect for ourselves.
Support workers provide an invaluable service, that doesn’t just help people to live
an ordinary life, but an extraordinary life!
Training and Development
Access for Living believe that training and development is crucial, in order to have
highly skilled and motivated support workers.
All new support workers have a comprehensive two week induction. This is based
both at the office, where statutory and organisational requirements are covered and
at the project, so that you would be able to get to know the service users and how
best to support them. The induction also covers all areas necessary to complete the
Care Certificate.
There is a minimum six month probationary period, during which support workers
are supported in the early days of your employment. During this time support
workers meet regularly with their manager to ensure their development needs were
being met and that they were confident in their role.
All support workers receive on-going training and support. They have statutory
training, as well as more specific training aimed at meeting the needs of the
individual service users. All support workers also receive regular supervisions and
performance reviews. Established support workers have the opportunity to study for
a qualification under the Qualification Credit Framework (previously NVQ).
Access for Living believes that all support workers need to be well supported and
trained, in order to fully develop, and be able to provide services of the highest
quality. We can offer the opportunity to develop in your career.
SUPPORT WORKER
JOB DESCRIPTION
HOURS:
FULL TIME post is 36 hours per week with sleep-ins worked
in addition to basic hours.
LOCATION:
LONDON BOROUGH OF LEWISHAM
RESPONSIBLE TO:
CHIEF EXECUTIVE with day to day responsibility to Service and
Development Manager/Service Manager
_____________________________________________________________________
JOB SUMMARY
To be instrumental in developing and delivering a support service to people with a
learning disability which enables them to maintain a home of their own while
participating fully in the life of their local community.
To provide support to service users by working in a flexible manner within a 24-hour
rota over 7 days a week and providing sleep-in cover as required.
To provide outreach support to people living with their families or in non-supported
housing, as required.
To report any suspicion of abuse or any abuse witnessed and to work co-operatively
on the prevention of abuse of vulnerable adults.
To develop and maintain good working relationships with other staff, professional
bodies, team members and voluntary agencies, working towards enabling the easy
access to all facilities and services available to people without disabilities.
To comply with organisational policy, health and safety legislation and use safe
manual handling methods.
This job description is intended to give an indication of the main duties and is not
meant to be an exhaustive list.
1.
SERVICE PROVISION
1.1
FOSTERING GOOD RELATIONSHIPS
To assist individuals to develop and maintain positive relationships with the people
who are important to them e.g. family and friends. To support developing and
established relationships with volunteers, befrienders, neighbours, landlords and
other workers.
1.2
HOMEMAKING
To support individuals to develop and maintain a home of their own, where they are
involved in all aspects of daily life, including domestic chores, shopping, budgeting
and preparation of meals. At times support staff may need to carry out these tasks
for people to enable them to have a comfortable home in which their privacy, dignity
and choices are respected.
1.3
PERSONAL CARE
To assist in all aspects of personal care when necessary, ensuring dignity and respect
is maintained at all times.
To support service users with health requirements and managing their medicines.
1.4
EMPLOYMENT / RETIREMENT
In consultation with the Line Manager, and others as appropriate, help service users
prepare for work and find meaningful employment in areas not specific to people
with learning disabilities. To facilitate dignity in retirement for those who no longer
choose to work.
1.5
LEISURE
To facilitate opportunities and to participate in recreational and leisure pursuits
appropriate to the age of the service user and make full use of available resources in
the local neighbourhood e.g. swimming, dancing, Adult Education classes. To foster
social contacts with people without learning disabilities. To help organise holidays
for service users and, where necessary, accompany them.
1.6
DEVELOPING SKILLS
To support service users in learning and developing skills which promote their
independence, self-esteem, dignity and respect in the community; and to consult
and take advice from appropriate people in making and carrying out person centred
plans for this to happen.
1.7
CHOICES
Where necessary, to provide individuals with support to make valued choices in all
aspects of their lives.
1.8
QUALITY ASSURANCE
To participate in mechanisms and procedures to evaluate and improve service
delivery.
1.9
LIAISON
To liase and maintain good working relationships with all other professionals,
ensuring an effective referral system.
2.
PROTECTION OF SERVICE USERS
In line with AfL’s Adult Protection Policy, to be aware that vulnerable people can be
abused, and to try and ensure service users safety by reporting immediately to line
manager or Adult Social Work Team any suspicion of abuse or any abuse witnessed.
3.
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES /RECORD KEEPING
3.1
To keep up-to-date person centred plans.
3.2
To compile accurate, concise and legible written reports.
3.3
To ensure at all times that individuals' right to confidentiality is protected.
3.4
To receive from and communicate to co-workers, managers and other
professionals, all necessary information.
3.5
To take minutes of meetings when required.
3.6
To maintain clear and accurate financial records, handling and accepting
delegated responsibility of service users' money if necessary.
4.
MEETINGS
To participate in all relevant meetings in the interest of service users and Access for
Living.
5.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
To participate in training courses and ensure an awareness of current developments,
including Learning Disability Induction Standards and Qualification Credit Framework
standards.
6.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
To understand, implement and comply with all Access for Living's policies and
procedures, including the General Social Care Staff Code of Conduct.
7.
OTHER AGENCIES AND LINE MANAGERS
To consult with appropriate outside agencies and Line Managers on the particular
needs of an individual. Inform the Line Manager of sickness, absence or untoward
incident.
8.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
To comply with current Health and Safety legislation and report any concerns or
breach of legislation. Use safe manual handling methods.
This job description will be reviewed from time to time to encompass changes
ensuing from future developments.
SUPPORT WORKER SALARY
For a full time support worker the main part of your salary would be: Bottom
Increment
Top
Increment
Basic Salary:
£11,115
£13,351
London Weighting:
£1,952
£1,952
Shift Allowance:
£1,306
£1,530
Leave Allowance:
£278
£334
TOTAL
£14,651
£17,167
WITH ESTIMATED ENHANCEMENTS (see below)
£17,651
£20,167
There are four pay levels (increments). You would normally start on the bottom
level, and would move up one point each year. For example if you start in July 2015,
you would go up an incremental point in July 2016, July 2017 and July 2018.
ENHANCEMENTS
As part of your contract of employment, you will be expected to work some
weekends and undertake sleep-in shifts. Whilst we cannot guarantee the level of
enhancement pay this is normally in the region of £3,000 per annum.
The additional payments made are: Sleep-in - £40 per shift
Saturday Enhancements: Time and Half after 12 noon
Sunday/Bank Holidays Enhancements: Double Time
During your first 4 weeks, you may not be working a full range of shifts. During this
period you will be paid an additional £200 (paid at £50 per week) to reflect this.
RECRUITMENT OF EX-OFFENDERS POLICY STATEMENT:
Access for Living uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to help assess the
suitability of applicants to work with vulnerable adults. We comply with the DBS
code of practice, treat all applicants fairly and do not discriminate unfairly on the
basis of conviction, or other information revealed through disclosure.
We make every applicant aware of the DBS Code of Practice, which is available on
request. Where a Disclosure is required, all application forms will contain a
statement to the effect that a Disclosure will be requested in the event of a person
being offered the position.
We ask all applicants to indicate on the application form whether or not they have
any criminal convictions or cautions, except those that falls within the “protected”
category (see over). Applicants are asked to include details on a separate sheet of
paper, which should be returned in a sealed envelope, along with the completed
application form. This information is only seen by those that need to see it.
The nature of the work allows Access for Living to ask questions about a person’s
entire criminal record, including those that would be regarded as "spent" under the
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Those involved in the recruitment process
with the authority to make decisions on criminal records will be experienced and
trained in assessing the suitability of applicants. It may be necessary as part of the
recruitment procedure to clarify disclosures made on the application form.
Failure to reveal information that is relevant to the position sought could lead to a
withdrawal of any offer of employment. Unless the law requires otherwise, we also
undertake to discuss with the applicant any matter revealed in a Disclosure before
withdrawing a conditional offer of employment. Having a criminal record will not
necessarily bar applicants from working with Access for Living, this will depend on
the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of any offences.
Protected Conviction
A new law was introduced in 2013, which means that 'protected convictions' or 'protected
cautions' does not have to be declared when applying for a job.
A conviction is a 'protected conviction' if:

it does not relate to a 'listed offence', such as violent and sexual offence

no custodial sentence was imposed

the individual has no other convictions (where the individual has more than one
conviction, all convictions will be included on the DBS certificate)

it was received by a person aged under 18 at the time of the conviction and five and
a half years or more have elapsed

it was received by a person aged 18 or over at the time of the conviction and 11
years or more have elapsed.
A caution is a 'protected caution' if:

it does not relate to a listed offence

it was given to a person aged under 18 at the time of the caution and two years or
more have elapsed

it was given to a person aged 18 or over at the time of the caution and six years or
more have elapsed.
If you are unsure if the conviction or caution are “protected”, please declare.
The Recruitment Manager will disregard if it is a “protected” conviction or caution.