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Job description

RECRUITMENT PROFILE

Grade: 4D

Position Title: Support Worker

Department: Adult Social Care

Location: Various

Hours: Up to 37 hours per week

Salary/Rate of Pay: £11.59-12.31 per hour/ £22360.59 - £23,759.67 pro rata per annum

Registration Requirements: SSSC within 6 months

Contract Status: Permanent

Disclosure Status: PVG Adults

Work Pattern: Shift pattern following a 2-week rolling rota

Vacancy Number: SBO07107

Closing Date: 09/06/2023

Key Responsibilities

We are looking for Support Workers who care about making every moment matter.

An excellent opportunity has arisen within Adult Social Care to recruit Support Workers with the offer of temporary shared accommodation in a newly built development in Galashiels.

Candidates interested in working full-time within Adult Social Care will have the opportunity to access 1, 2 or 3-Bedroom accommodation for up to 6 months. Scottish Borders Council will also assist in helping you find longer-term housing opportunities throughout this period. Properties will be shared with fellow key workers providing an excellent opening to meet and connect with other Key Worker’s also new to the area.

We would also consider applications from couples and families subject to property availability.

The accommodation offers easy access to the services and amenities of Galashiels, with major roads and public transport links close by. The properties will be newly fully furnished and have access to a private or communal garden - all at an affordable price.

Payment of rent and Council Tax will be deducted directly from your monthly salary. Costs range between £300 - £585 per calendar month dependent on allocated property. This is inclusive of Council Tax.

A Support Worker must:

• Work productively on their own or within a team to create a person-centred approach and

ensure a positive working atmosphere.

• Be aware of individual service users' needs through person centred support plans. Support workers are responsible for contribution to this support plan and for identifying any area which is not current and reporting this directly to a senior member of staff.
• Develop valuable communication skills with service users, families, staff and other professionals.
• Support, enable and involve service users in all aspects of their lives, including personal hygiene, eating, drinking and mobility if necessary.
• Ensure all support provided to service users’ is recorded professionally and legibly in Health and Social Care recording notes and is documented every shift.
• Ensure any specific care relating to service users' health as directed by a health professional is undertaken, and associated health recordings are completed for every shift.
• Be responsible for safe administration of service user medication and be expected to comply and be competent in SBC Medication Procedure, including attendance at mandatory training.
• Treat all service users and colleagues, including external agencies, with respect at all times.
• Report any concerns relating to service user risk or harm immediately to the senior member of staff on duty, in accordance with SBC Adult Support and Protection procedures.
• Adopt a non-judgemental and anti-discriminatory approach to all aspects of the role.
• Adhere to all Adult Social Care policies and guidelines.
• Take a proactive responsibility for continuing professional development and undertake any training required by the post, including the need to maintain a record of all post registration training and learning as required by SSSC.
• Identify any gaps in knowledge and raise with senior member of staff without delay.
• Maintain any necessary records as appropriate in accordance with Adult Social Care policy on Open Access to personal files and client confidentiality.
• To proactively engage with regular supervision and Appraisal processes.
• Support service users to access local amenities.
• Report any colleague’s practice concerns which has the potential to be detrimental to service users immediately to a senior member of staff or manager. This is consistent with SSSC Codes of Practice and SBC’s Code of Conduct.

.

Essential

Desirable

Education & Training

• Basic numeracy and literacy – Standard Grade or equivalent
• SVQ Level 2 in Social Care or equivalent OR
• A willingness to obtain the above qualification within 1 year.
• Training relevant to the post e.g., Moving and Handling, Adult Support and Protection.

Experience

• No experience is essential.
• Experience in providing support and/or physical care to service users in a social care, health care, education setting or similar.

Job Specific Skills

• Understanding the needs of adults at risk
• Understand the need for confidentiality
• The ability to record activities and write a short report.
• Good communication skills
• Ability to work as a member of a team.

Qualities

• Ability to work with others in a positive and helpful manner.
• Enthusiastic and motivated
• Willing to undertake new experiences and learning
• Personal confidence to support individuals to participate in a range of activities.

Health & Safety

• Employees shall work in accordance with policies, procedures, information, instructions, and / or training received.

Benefits of Working for Scottish Borders Council:

• Living Wage Employer
• The opportunity to learn on the job whilst achieving qualifications
• Qualify for a Blue Light Card and SB Benefits
• The opportunity to provide rewarding work
• Flexibility regarding shift patterns

This profile is indicative of the nature and level of responsibility associated with the post. It is not exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to undertake such other duties as may be required by the Workforce Planning & Development Manager to meet the needs and responsibilities of the Service and the Council.

Equality – Ensure that all work and outputs comply with and promotes equal opportunities and diversity.

Supervisory or Managerial posts only - Ensure that HR systems are in place for reporting management information and making recommendations for any corrective action necessary.

Equal Opportunities - Scottish Borders Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from all minority groups and individuals who identify with one or more of the protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010. In particular from candidates who assess themselves as having a disability, under the Disability Confident Employer scheme this guarantees an interview to those individuals who meet the essential criteria of the post. All appointments will be made on merit.

Please note priority will be given to staff on the deployment/redeployment list who meet the essential criteria of the post.

Please note that applicants who have received early retirement/voluntary severance from Scottish Borders Council will not be considered.

TEMPORARY POSTS
If at a later date a temporary post becomes permanent, it will be at the discretion of the Department’s management team to confirm the post holder as permanent without readvertising.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT CHECKS
Essential
· Confirmation of Right to Work in the UK - (All posts)
· Standard/Enhanced/PVG Registration Disclosure Check – (PVG/Disclosure posts only)
· Pre-Employment Health Check - (All posts)
· References - (All posts)
· Confirmation of qualifications required to meet the essential criteria on the person specification - (All posts)

Right to Work in the UK
Under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 – require original documentation confirming legal entitlement to live and work in the UK.
· A Passport/National Identity Card showing you are a British Citizen or an EEA or
· Swiss National or
· a full British Birth/Adoption Certificate along with an official document containing your name and permanent National Insurance number
· or a passport or travel document endorsed to show that you are allowed to stay in the UK indefinitely or for a limited period of time and are allowed to work is required.

Please note that a Short Birth Certificate and a Driving Licence are not sufficient to show your entitlement to work in the UK.

OTHER DETAILS

Disclosure/PVG Registration
Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exclusion and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2003 to the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) Scottish Borders Council are entitled to ask "exempted questions" that require applicants for certain positions to reveal their full criminal history.

This means that all details of criminal convictions, whether they are spent or not, must be disclosed to help the recruiting manager assess the person's suitability for a position of trust.

Disclosure
These "excepted professions" are set out in the Exceptions Order and include:
· certain professions in areas such as health, pharmacy and the law;
· senior managers in banking and financial services;

PVG Registration
Certain posts are considered Regulated Work with Vulnerable Children and/or Protected Adults, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. Preferred candidates will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check prior to a formal offer of employment being made by Scottish Borders Council.

Political Restrictions
Certain posts within Scottish Borders Council will be deemed Politically Restricted. If you are appointed to such a post the Local Government Officers’ (Political Restrictions) Regulations 1990 provide that your terms and conditions of employment are deemed to incorporate additional provisions set out in the Schedule to the Regulations, a copy of which can be obtained from HR. Full details of restrictions will be provided in your application pack if you are applying for a Politically Restricted post.

*From 1 April 2022 a Scottish Local Government Living Wage of £10.85 per hour has been agreed. All employees recruited on a salary/wage less than the Scottish Local Government Living Wage shall receive a payment additional to their salary/wage in order that they are paid at the rate of £10.85 per hour. The additional payment shall count as pensionable earnings and be subject to deduction of tax, national insurance and pension where appropriate.

Please note the Living Wage Allowance does not apply to Modern Apprentice posts, these posts are linked to separate age-related pay rates.

Information for Applicants

Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme and Disclosure Scotland Checks

You have requested information on a position within the council that requires either a PVG or Disclosure check. The level of check required will be detailed on the Job Description.

In order to protect young and adult people at risk Scottish Borders Council is required to undertake checks for the following individuals:

• Employees: Current staff and candidates who have been recommended for specified types of posts i.e. posts working with vulnerable groups (children or protected adults).
• Other people: Volunteers working with vulnerable groups, Foster Parents, prospective adopters, Children’s Hearing members, Host Parents, Elected Members who sit on certain committees.

Certain other specified positions also require checks to be undertaken.

Legislation makes it an offence for the council to offer employment or to continue to employ someone who has been found to be unsuitable to work with children or protected adults. Undertaking PVG Disclosure checks ensures that we comply with this legislation.

Under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2003 Scottish Borders Council are entitled to ask "exempted questions" that require applicants to reveal their full criminal history.

An “exempted question” is a question which employers are not normally allowed to ask in relation to a person’s criminal conviction history. Under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 offenders become rehabilitated after varying periods of time and their conviction(s) deemed “spent”, depending on the sentence imposed and whether they have re-offended. The Act provides that a spent conviction need not normally be disclosed by the individual, except in situations where information about spent convictions needs to be available. There are a number of positions with the Council where both spent and unspent convictions must be disclosed e.g. positions involving contact with children and/or adults at risk.

Under the PVG Scheme:
When a person applies to join the PVG Scheme for the first time there are two types of disclosure record available:

• the Scheme Record (and subsequently a Scheme Record Update) at the request of an organisation.
• the Scheme Membership Statement at the request of a personal employer or by the individual alone in anticipation of doing regulated work in the future;

The Scheme Record states the type of work the person is registered for, whether work with children, protected adults or both and whether they are under consideration of being barred. It also contains details of all convictions on record, whether spent or unspent, and other relevant non-conviction information held by Disclosure Scotland.

A Scheme Record Update states the type of work the person is registered for, and whether they are under consideration of being barred. It also confirms the date of issue of the last Scheme Record, whether or not any further information is recorded on that Scheme Record and whether or not any further information has subsequently been recorded.

Depending on the contents of the Update it may be necessary to obtain a Scheme Record.

A Scheme Membership Statement simply states the type of work the person is registered for, and whether they are under consideration of being barred.

Under the Police Act:
There are 3 types of Disclosure Certificate:

Standard Disclosures are available for certain purposes including those involved in the administration of the law, and senior managers in banking and financial services. A Standard Disclosure will contain details of all convictions on record, whether spent or unspent. This means that even minor convictions, no matter when they occurred, will be included on the Disclosure.

Enhanced Disclosures can now be obtained for only certain specific purposes. Those most relevant to Scottish Borders are:
1. an individual seeking appointment as a member of an adoption panel or joint adoption panel;
2. an individual seeking appointment as a member of a fostering panel or joint fostering panel;
3. an individual being assessed by an adoption agency as to their suitability to adopt a child;
4. an individual over the age of 16 residing in the same household as an individual being assessed by an adoption agency as to their suitability to adopt a child;
5. an individual over the age of 16 residing in the same household as an individual being assessed by an adoption agency as to their suitability to adopt a child;
6. an individual over the age of 16 residing in the same household as an individual being assessed as to their suitability to be a foster carer;

An Enhanced Disclosure will show all of the information contained in a Standard Disclosure and also other relevant non-conviction information held by Disclosure Scotland.

A Basic Disclosure is also available, however this can be obtained only by an individual rather than an organisation, as long as they apply in the appropriate manner and pay the relevant fee. Basic Disclosures include all convictions considered to be unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act or state that there are no such convictions.

Job Type: Permanent

Salary: £11.59-£12.31 per hour

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discount
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

Physical setting:

• Care home

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: SBO07107