Personal Assistant/Carer Edinburgh, Scotland
Job description
I am a severely disabled man having suffered a serious cycling accident in 2019 which left me paralysed below the neck. No experience is necessary for the roles described below, however; applicants should be able to demonstrate the following qualities:
- An ability to work as part of a high performing team – exhibiting strong communication skills (spoken and understood English), an open-minded attitude, flexibility, integrity and a willingness to share knowledge. A sense of humour is also highly desirable!
- An appetite and ability to learn a new set of skills around my specialised care needs.
- An understanding of how to behave in a domestic care environment and respect my needs and my family.
Your overall objective will be to work with the team to allow me to live the best quality of life possible and to focus on things other than the provision of my care. The environment would be “person centred”, in other words, the team should be focused on my needs, not their own. This might sound like jargon but it is important to me. I have a wide range of interests and lived an active life before the accident. I am still able to use a wheelchair to enjoy the outdoors and to accompany my family and friends on walks or a golf course. I undertake various therapies to keep me as fit as possible. I like to travel and have succeeded in travelling within the UK and abroad. A more detailed description of my journey since 2019 can be found on the blog I have written – https://secondtimearound.life/
Given the level of injury to my spinal cord, I rely on a ventilator to breathe. The work involves tracheostomy and ventilator care (which can sound quite intimidating) as well as learning “manual handling” skills and the use of a traction hoist. Full training will be provided by my existing team and supported by expert nurses at the National Spinal Injuries Unit in Glasgow. Depending on your aspirations, there are a number of great educational opportunities, particularly for those developing a career in the care or nursing sector. The work can be physical at times so a reasonable level of fitness is important and you should be prepared to stay awake during night shifts.
I am seeking to fill two roles as soon as possible with a number of new hires:
Personal Assistant. This is an entry level position involving the provision of basic personal care and training towards a skilled “Trusted Personal Assistant” as described above.
Trusted Personal Assistant. This involves learning the skills outlined at a high level above. Depending on your capabilities and experience (as well as shifts worked) you might expect to reach this level within 1 – 3 months.
For further information on these opportunities please contact me with a brief CV and introduction at the following email address: [email protected]
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Part-time hours: 24-36 per week
Salary: £13.00-£14.60 per hour
Day range:
- Every weekend
- Monday to Friday
Physical setting:
- Residential home
Shift:
- 12 hour shift
- Night shift
Work Location: In person
