Job description
Part-time Personal Assistant
Sheffield
Our reference: NLT/RM/Sheffield
Location: Sheffield, S11
Post available: Part Time Personal Assistant
Hours: 13 hours per week on Sundays (10:00–23:00 hours).
Salary: £13.00 per hour
Closing date: 28th February 2023
Interview date: To be confirmed
About the Role
This exciting opportunity is to join a well-established team in support of a 31-year-old physically disabled man who shares his home with his parents and friendly dog. We are looking for a lively and like-minded person to help him live life to the full.
Being a team player is an important requirement as our client currently has a small and happy team around him who are very supportive of each other. This means that reliability and flexibility are essential due to the nature of the job.
Our client likes to go out to music gigs, to meet friends for lunch, and play Boccia at his local club. He also plays Boccia competitively.
The successful applicant will be chosen for their empathy, easy verbal communication skills and outgoing personality – it is important that we feel that you will be a good fit.
Note that some personal care is involved, along with some manual handling also, but full training will be given.
Also, being a confident driver is essential, and you must hold a full driving license. Our client has his own wheelchair adapted vehicle and ideally you should be comfortable driving to unfamiliar places - for example to attend a gig in another town or city.
This is a part-time role to work one shift per week, on Sundays from 10:00 until 23:00 hrs – so 13 hours in total. This allows our client the flexibility of going out and not having to be back for shift changes.
The above hours are the regular hours; however the successful applicant must be flexible enough so as to meet the client’s needs, which could mean that on occasion some timings and days may vary. Applicants will also need to be available to cover other workers annual leave and sickness.
Support Package details:
You will be joining a well-established team of three other support workers, though during your shift you will be working one to one with the client.
Client personal details:
Our client is a 31-year-old male. He has cerebral palsy, global developmental delay and learning difficulties, however he is extremely bright and cheerful and is a massive fan of folk music. He presents a weekly radio show on Sheffield Live alongside his friend and colleague who is a musician. He also DJs at festivals and spends a lot of time touring around different gigs.
Despite all the extra difficulties that came with presenting a radio show during the lockdowns, our client kept his weekly show going and was even mentioned in the Radio Times as being an unsung hero for his efforts and achievements. This highlights his determination to succeed in life as well as demonstrating his enthusiasm and love for music.
Client home details:
Our client shares his home with his parents and his friendly dog - he may ask you to assist him in walking the dog, or that you walk the dog independently, depending on his activities that day.
Some personal care and manual handling will be required, and training will be provided for this. Also, day-to-day light domestic duties will need to be undertaken during your shift, to ensure a safe, tidy, and clean environment at all times.
Preparing meals, shopping, plus washing and ironing for our client will also be required. He lives in an area which is close to shops, cafes, and parks.
Car use
The successful applicant will need a full driving license and must be comfortable driving the client’s wheelchair adapted vehicle, both locally and potentially longer distances to unfamiliar places.
Job Specifications/Description
1) To work with our client, who has cerebral palsy, global development delay, and learning difficulties in his own home and in the community.
2) To enable him to participate in recreational and leisure activities, both at home and in the community - such as caring for his pets, going to the cinema, cafes, pubs and attending gigs/music festivals.
3) To carry out light domestic duties as appropriate, such as vacuuming, washing, and ironing.
4) To act as a driver, using his vehicle locally, and further afield if required e.g., to festivals and gigs.
5) To provide daytime and evening support on a Sunday 10:00 – 23:00 hours.
6) To have enough availability to offer occasional cover for staff holidays and sickness – which may include weekdays.
7) To aid and support the client as directed by the Team Leader.
8) To follow an agreed approach, and use strategies documented in the Support Plan, working in collaboration with the client’s family, Case Manager and any other professionals when required.
9) To undertake training and supervision as agreed by the Team Leader.
10) To ensure client confidentiality in all matters relating to the client.
11) To provide assistance and support as directed by the Team Leader, and to be responsible to the client via the Team Leader.
12) To carry out any other appropriate and reasonable task in relation to the employment as agreed with the client and the Team Leader.
13) To provide daily ongoing support/prompts to assist the client to undertake personal care and domestic activities.
14) To accompany the client on holidays and weekends away if and when required.
Applicant Personal Specifications
Essential Qualifications/Experience
· You must be able to present information clearly and accurately when communicating with the client and/or team via emails, handovers, and reports.
· You must have the ability to work on your own unsupervised, or as part of a team
· You must have a full UK driving licence and be a confident driver of an automatic vehicle.
· You must be prepared to provide personal care.
Desirable experience
· To have a knowledge or level of understanding around Brain Injury
· To have experience of working in a community setting or peoples’ own homes.
Skills and Aptitudes
The following skills and aptitudes are essential when working with our client.
1) You should have a non–judgmental approach with the ability to see things from other peoples’ perspectives and be respectful of their lifestyle choices.
2) A calm communication style with clear pronunciation when speaking.
3) An understanding of the ‘enabling approach’and the ability to judge when some direction needs to be offered to the client.
4) A sense of humour is vital, along with an understanding of appropriate boundaries, with a mature, confident, and professional approach.
5) To be able to integrate an understanding of brain injury - displaying empathy but with a non-patronising approach.
6) The ability to follow the Support Plan, the Case Manager/Team Leader and guidance, and to accept feedback.
7) To display an understanding that the workplace is also the client’s home.
8) Have flexibility and a willingness to step in and help the client and family when the situation demands it.
9) Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with a variety of people involved with the client.
10) To be self-motivated and able to work unsupervised with the client
11) Be conscientiousness, with good timekeeping and good record keeping, using both paper documentation and/or a laptop.
12) Ability to identify and manage potential risks, in order to safeguard the client.
13) The ability to use initiative and adapt to different situations and/or learn new skills.
Pay and Conditions
· You will be employed by the client via their professional Deputy at Irwin Mitchell
· You will be line managed by the Team Leader on a day-to-day basis and managed overall by the Case Manager on behalf of the professional Deputy.
· The contract allows for 5.6 weeks paid leave and 2 weeks (paid) sick leave.
· You will receive initial and on-going training via the Team Leader, plus regular supervision from the Case Manager.
· Rates of pay: £13.00 per hour.
What to do next?
If you would like to apply for this position, please complete the application form and email it to us or post it to Northern Lifetime, Po Box 5997, Sheffield, S5 5BZ. Please note that we won’t accept emailed CVs alone for consideration – our clients are unique individuals, and we feel that dedicated applications are most suitable for them and us - thank you.
For an informal discussion about this role please feel free to contact Rochelle on 07542 728 917 quoting reference NLT/RM/Sheffield also that this job is subject to a Disclosure & Barring Service check.
Job Type: Part-time
Salary: £13.00 per hour
Schedule:
- 12 hour shift
- Holidays
- Weekend availability
- Weekends only
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: One location