Job title: Lead Senior Support Worker

Department or Service: Operations

Reports to: Service Manager

Direct reports: None

Grade: Lead D8

Purpose of the role: To enable the people we support to live their own life though the application of person centred approaches, promoting individual choice, decision-making, control and independence.

Vision, mission and values:

Our vision is a society where everyone has equal access to the same rights and opportunities.

Our mission is to ensure that people with learning disabilities, mental and physical support needs have the opportunity to live their lives to the full.

To achieve the above, we need you to live our values and be:

• Creative
• Strong
• Honest
• Responsive
• United

Key responsibilities:

Support Responsibilities

• Support people in accordance with their needs and wishes as detailed in their person centred support plans.
• Safeguard vulnerable adults recognising and report any disclosure, suspicion or evidence of harm, risk of harm, abuse or neglect in line with United Response’s Safeguarding procedures.
• Encourage and enable the people we support to become active members of both their local and wider communities.
• Support people to develop and maintain good family relationships and a range of friendships.
• Support people in all aspects of their daily living, for example, going shopping, cooking, keeping their home clean and tidy, budgeting and paying bills.
• Deliver personal care (if required) with dignity and respect.
• Support people to stay healthy and safe, following guidance from health professionals where health support is required.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues, family members and professionals, verbally and in writing.
• Raise any concerns about practice or the people we support in a timely manner.
• Assist people towards volunteering and paid employment
• Attend training, including induction training, team meetings and individual supervision meetings as required.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.

Senior responsibilities:

• Lead and act as the first point of contact in the absence of the Team / Service manager
• Take responsibility for full and accurate communication at handover.
• Assist the Team / Service Manager with the day to day supervision of Support Workers and where required undertake the formal supervision of Support Workers.
• Compile team rotas and activity plans as required by the Team / Service Manager
• Maintain and check the accuracy of the financial records of the people we support
• Carry out ‘on-call’ duties when required
• Model person centred practice and contribute to the induction and support of new and less experienced support worker colleagues
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as requested

Additional responsibilities

Recording Responsibilities

• Ensure that support plans reflect the changing needs and wishes of the people we support by contributing to regular monitoring and review.
• Accurately complete documentation, including people we support records

Key skills and abilities

Essential Criteria 

• Passionate about making a difference and the work of United Response
• Experience of supporting people or of working in a social care setting.
• Clear written and verbal communication style.
• Basic IT skills and numerical ability.
• Willing to undertake required training, sometimes off site and outside normal working hours.
• Willing and able to travel between locations as required.
• Available for flexible working patterns including evenings, weekends, sleep-ins and nights as required.
• Previous supervisory experience
• Experience of communicating with professionals or other agencies.

Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 or 3 in care or equivalent (or willingness to obtain it within an agreed timeframe)

Working environment: In service