NUGENT CARE
99 EDGE LANE, LIVERPOOOL, L7 2PE
TELEPHONE NO; 0151 261 2000
JOB DESCRIPTION
LEAD SUPPORT WORKER
ST. JOSEPH’S
1.
NUGENT CARE
Nugent Care is the social work service of the Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. The origins of
Nugent Care date back to Victorian Liverpool and the pioneering work of Father James
Nugent (1822-1905) in relation to child welfare, poverty relief and social reform.
Today Nugent Care is one of the leading charities in the North West of England, caring for
children, disabled and marginalised people of all ages. We continue to fulfil a major social
welfare role throughout the North West by acting as both a service provider and a major
employer. The scale of our work is immense and we currently provide the following services;
Residential Special Schools, including day places;
Children’s homes, including a secure unit;
Care Homes for adults and older people;
A very wide range of Community Services for children and adults of all ages;
Supported living services;
Adoption agency work;
Nugent Care celebrates diversity in our organisation and in society as a whole and is an equal
opportunities employer welcoming all people with a positive view of age, caring responsibilities,
gender, disability racial origin, religion, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.
2.
TITLE - Lead Support Worker.
3.
ACCOUNTABLE TO
Head of Home and in his/her absence the Service Manager. Also responsible to immediate
Line Manager.
4.
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE
4.1.1
To provide and maintain a quality of care in a warm supportive atmosphere.
4.1.2
To acknowledge, respect and promote the individual rights and personal dignity of the
residents.
4.1.3
To promote and maintain an environment where residents are provided with the means and
opportunity to optimise their lifestyle physically, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically.
5.
COMMUNICATION
The Support Workers will be responsible to the Senior Staff of the Home and have the
capacity to work well with residents and colleagues. It is extremely important to communicate
effectively within a team; this should be extended to individuals, relatives, significant others,
friends, social workers and the community in the locality.
Lead Support Worker Job Desc
September 2014
Staff will be expected to contribute to the formal supervision process which operates
throughout Nugent Care.
6.
RELATIONSHIPS
6.1.1
To possess good sense, maturity and balance in living and working with people.
6.1.2
To be sensitive to, and aware of, the needs of the residents and to meet these by good
listening, observation and communication.
6.1.3
To respect the individuality of the residents and to be aware of their unique qualities as
persons. Also to liaise with family/significant others and acknowledge their role.
6.1.4
To be aware that guidance and instruction is always available from senior staff.
6.1.5
To liaise with colleagues in order to ensure workload is effectively completed.
7.
KEY AREAS OF WORK
7.1.1
To observe the residents’ need for confidentiality and privacy as an aim and as a professional
attitude.
7.1.2
To be familiar with fire evacuation and all other relevant Health and other Safety procedures
as discussed elsewhere during induction.
7.1.3
Ensuring that anti-discriminatory practices are promoted and maintained throughout the
Society.
7.1.4
Report any untoward incident witnessed to the Senior Officer on duty. (Next day). Or, in
emergencies, to contact the On-Call Senior Manager.
7.1.5
Some of the tasks which the worker will be expected to undertake, as a member of the team
will be as follows: -
7.1.6
To be available for Staff and Team Meetings.
7.1.7
To have an intimate knowledge of the daily routine and procedures of the Home and to work
within them.
7.1.8
Provide basic care to the residents’ needs as per care plan.
a)
Supervision of meals, including: i)
Aid in feeding for those who need it;
ii)
Encourage/maintain appropriate skills;
b)
Supervision of personal hygiene: i)
Aid in washing/toileting as needed;
ii)
Encouraging/assist in achieving satisfactory standard of personal hygiene;
iii)
Encouraging/assist in personal care of clothing.
c)
Enabling residents to have sufficient rest by: i)
Supervision and assist as appropriate at bedtime and rising routines;
ii)
Checking that necessary conditions of hygiene and comfort apply;
d)
Familiarising self with and adhering to laid down Health & Safety standards for all
residents.
e)
Familiarising self with and adhering to instructions regarding health care needs of
residents.
Lead Support Worker Job Desc
September 2014
8
EMOTIONAL CARE
Developing a warm and caring contact with individuals to: -
9
a)
Respect the human dignity of each adult in such matters as personal privacy and
space, - confidentiality, (see administrative tasks), other relationships etc.
b)
Encourage and supervise leisure activities and hobbies.
SPIRITUAL CARE
Encouraging and supporting each resident to fulfil his/her spiritual needs according to
their chosen denomination.
10 ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS
a)
Keeping records as required by the Head/Deputy.
b)
Contributing to written reports as required.
c)
Taking and passing on accurate messages appropriately.
d)
Sharing confidential information as appropriate.
e)
Attending general staff meetings and contributing appropriately.
f)
Keeping Head of Home informed regarding all aspects of tasks and responding as
directed.
10.1.1 To have an awareness and acceptance of the need for training and development in order to
reinforce a worker’s personal qualities for the task of caring.
10.1.2 Lead Support Workers will ordinarily perform all or most of the above tasks, though sometimes
to a lesser extent, because residents will be mostly asleep. Additional tasks include regular
checking of the building and residents and to answer the telephone and record all messages.
In the event of an emergency to call the appropriate emergency service and to follow
procedures as laid down in standing instruction. To be aware of the availability of the Duty
Officer on or off site and to be particularly aware of policy and procedure in case of fire.
Additional tasks may include ironing, hovering and laundry during quiet periods, when
necessary. However the priority will always be care, attention and emotional support to
residents at all times throughout the night.
10.1.3 Additional Duties for Lead Support Worker.
i)
To provide support and leadership for the support workers during their shift (i.e. formal
supervision)
ii)
To allocate work within the night team
iii)
To deal with emergencies and untoward incidents including the care of service users
or the security of the building
iv)
To provide a comprehensive hand over to the daytime management team.
v)
To contact members of the management team in the event of exceptional
circumstances where contact with emergency services is inappropriate or insufficient.
Lead Support Worker Job Desc
September 2014
11.
SAFEGUARDING
Ensuring safe practice guidelines are followed and Safeguarding policies and procedures are
adhered to
12.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES
It is the nature of the work of Nugent Care, Liverpool that tasks and responsibilities are, in
many circumstances, unpredictable and varied and may include weekend and evening
working. All staff are, therefore, expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises,
when tasks not specifically covered in their job description have to be undertaken. These
additional duties will normally be to cover unforeseen circumstances or changes in work and
they will normally be compatible with the regular type of work. If the additional responsibility
or task becomes a regular or frequent part of the member of staff’s job, it will be included in
the job description in consultation with the member of staff.
13.
EQUALITIES
Nugent Care affords all employees equal opportunities in employment irrespective of
disability, gender, race, age, sexuality, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status etc.
Nugent care will ensure that discriminatory practices are identified and removed and nondiscriminatory practices introduced in all areas of employment.
14.
NUGENT CARE AND FUNDRAISING
Nugent Care is a Charity and as such relies on its good reputation and voluntary contributions
and donations from members of the public, from grant making bodies and corporate
sponsorship.
All employees of Nugent Care are expected to behave in a way that enhances the reputation
and image of the Charity. In addition staff are expected to be responsive to fundraising
initiatives, attend public events whenever possible and generally take seriously their role in
raising income for the Charity at every opportunity.
15.
CONFIDENTIALITY
It is expected that all Nugent Care employees will understand that our work is confidential and
that personal details about residents and their families should NOT be divulged to members of
the public.
16.
BASIC PRINCIPLES
The postholder is expected to be familiar with and have regard to the Basic Principles of
Nugent Care and work within that framework. He/She must be prepared to operate within a
Catholic Agency, but ensure that people of all denominations and religions have their spiritual
needs met.
17.
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
The Conditions of Service are set out in the Nugent Care Handbook.
Nugent Care has a probationary period of up to one year.
Lead Support Worker Job Desc
September 2014
PERSON SPECIFICATION
JOB TITLE
Lead Support Worker
ESTABLISHMENT
St Joseph’s
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
First Aid Certification or willing to undertake this. NVQ
Level 3 Social Care (or equivalent).
EXPERIENCE
Essential
To have worked in a paid or voluntary capacity
with vulnerable adults who need physical care for at
least 2 years.
Responsibility for making decisions.
SKILLS
Essential
Good oral, written, liaison and communication
skills.
Leadership and Delegation.
Ability to monitor standards of work.
KNOWLEDGE
Essential
Issues surrounding Equal Opportunities
Issues relating to Anti-Discriminatory Practice
Some understanding of client group.
Health & Safety Procedures.
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Essential
Ability to lead a small team
Ability to maintain caring environment.
Be willing to commit to training and
development.
Respect client confidentiality.
Desirable
Advocacy skills.
Lead Support Worker Job Desc
September 2014