Job Descriptions, eCPD Resource

Health & Social Care

Health and Social Care1

eCPD ResourceJob Descriptions

Community Support Services2

Community Support is very person-centred provision. It entails enabling, promoting and motivation, with the aim of achieving greater independence or maintaining sufficient independence. The service provides skilled guidance and support to help the individual to lead an active and stimulating life.

Key Job Titles

Support Worker

Senior Support Worker

Team Manager/Assessor

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Community Support Services

Community support can be used by all service users:

Mental Health – Building a rapport quickly and easily, daily living help, community engagement, informal monitoring, encouragement of social networking, stepping stones to independence, motivation, desensitisation, confidence.

Older Persons – Complex daily living provision, motivation, establishing a rapport, introduction to other community supports, promotion of existing skills.

Physical Disability/HIV – Complex daily living provision, empowerment, community participation, employment, establishing a rapport, preventing social isolation, promotion of abilities, confidence and support with accessing other professionals.

Learning Disability – Empowerment, independent living support, promotion of existing skills, modelling and training, overcoming difference and discrimination, assistance to arrange and attend visits with appointments, budgeting.

This is by no means an exhaustive list and many of the supports listed could be attributable across the disciplines. There are also many other Social Services clients who may receive an individualised Community Service, for example a person with drug

and alcohol problems who needs motivation to attend a self-help group. A person with a head injury, and associate memory problems, may need someone to pop in twice a week to support them with a self-management system, such as a file or a diary, to help organise their week.

Progression routes

This depends on the organisation, usually one starts as a Support Worker and can progress to become a Senior Support Worker as one gains more experience and completes training/qualifications.

What experience is required?

The level of experience required depends on the complexity of the support package. Support Workers may join with little or no experience but should be level-headed. They should have understanding, commitment, good communication skills, good observation skills, patience and sensible approaches to life in general.

For the more in depth and complex cases, Support Workers should have at least a year of experience working in the relevant field and the required training to equip them to do the job.

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What skills are required?

Community Support calls for the utilisation of a Support Worker’s personal competence, life skills and experiences. Training on user rights, proper recording, money, personal safety, confidentiality, other disability-specific supports (i.e. escorting a person with visual difficulties) and equalities would seem to be important.

What hours could I work?

Depending on the needs of the individual and the size of the employer, a range of full and part-time positions are available on a flexible basis. Some guaranteed contracts are available depending on your availability.

Salary

The salary for posts in Community Support Services varies from company to company, however an average salary for a Support Worker in Y&H would be around £13,500 to £15,000 per annum.

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Domiciliary Care Services

Domiciliary Care is provided to adults in their own homes. This includes adults with physical, mental and learning disabilities. The Community Care Worker will provide services such as personal and domestic care, food preparation, shopping, and rehabilitation services focusing on client choice, independence, dignity and the right to remain in their own home as long as possible.

Key Job Titles

Community Care Worker

Senior Community Care Worker

Care Force Worker

Care Assessor

Community Care Co-ordinator

Operations Manager

Registered Manager

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Domiciliary Care Services

Progression routes

The level of experience required depends on the type of post applied for:

Prospective community care worker

No experience or qualifications are needed but new Community Care Worker’s must be willing to undertake a Level 2 in Health and Social Care.

Community care worker

Common induction standard training

(within 12 weeks of employment).

Specialist Training

(within 12 weeks of employment).

Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care.

Senior Community/Senior Care Worker or Care Force Worker

Must have a Level 2 in Health and Social Care.

Lead on to a Level 3 in Health and Social Care.

Care Assessor/Community Care Co-ordinator or Operational Manager

Must have a Level 2 in Health and Social Care.

Working towards or completed Level 5 in Leadership for Health and Social Care or equivalent.

Care Assessor must have also completed.

Manual Handling training, Risk Assessment training and recognised Health and Safety qualification.

Registered manager

Must have the Level 5 Leadership for Care or equivalent.

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What skills are required?

Good communication/listening skills

Understanding of the needs of the Adult you could be caring for

Observation/recording skills

Ability to undertake assessments of individual needs

Commitment to supporting others, maintaining independence, choice and dignity using Person centred approaches

What hours could I work?

Domiciliary services are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year so all team members must be able to work shifts, including some weekends and bank holidays. Staff are also employed to work at night. A range of full and part-time positions are available. There is a full range of hours available, depending on your need.

Currently, Community Care Worker contracts of work can range from un-guaranteed to guaranteed contracts.

Salary

The salary for posts in domiciliary services varies from company to company.

Average Salaries in Y&H:

Prospective Community Care Worker National Minimum Wage upwards.

Some providers pay mileage, approx 30p a mile.

Community Care Worker HSC Level 2 or 3.

£7 an hour upwards.

Co-ordinator £16,000 upwards.

Registered Manager £20,000 upwards.

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Learning Disability Services

Working with people who have a learning disability is stimulating, rewarding and good fun. Promoting independence to ensure that people are able to access all parts of the community and community life, working with adults with learning disabilities will provide opportunities for you to use your skills and talents for the benefit of others. Working with people with learning disabilities can include people with autism, those with complex needs who have physical or medical needs as well as learning disabilities and some who can present difficult and challenging behaviours. Opportunities exist in all aspects of the service including residential care, domiciliary care, community support, activity-based day services and one to one work.

Key job titles

Support Worker

Senior Support Worker

Personal Assistant

House or Unit Manager

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Learning Disability ServicesProgression routes

All services will provide you with a good induction into working with adults with learning disabilities and training to Level 2 and 3 is usually available. Opportunities for promotion are good and Senior Support Worker and Managerial posts are available for experienced staff.

What experience is required?

You need no previous direct experience in this work but previous experience of caring, even within a family setting, can be advantageous.

Managerial posts will usually require a Health and Social Care Level 2 or Level 3 or equivalent qualification.

What skills are required?

You will need to have patience, a willingness to learn and an appreciation of the difficulties faced by adults with learning disabilities. The ability to teach people everyday living skills such as cooking or the willingness to help people engage in community activities is also necessary.

You will need to work in a person centred way ensuring that every adult has the opportunity to direct their own support.

Opportunities to develop specific skills in areas such as communication, managing difficult behaviour, developing healthy lifestyles, report writing, advocacy and meeting health needs are often available within the training provided by services.

What hours could I work?

Hours are varied but are designed to meet the needs of those you are caring for. Residential care may operate on a shift basis whereas day services will usually have fixed hours. One to one work or working as a personal assistant will require you to fit into the hours needed by the person you are supporting.

Most services offer full and part-time opportunities.

Working some weekends and public holidays may be an essential part of the job.

Salary

The salary for posts in Learning Disability Services varies from company to company.

An average salary for a Support Worker in Y&H would be between £11,500 and £18,000 per annum. Extra payment are often made for working weekends and public holidays and some services may require you to ‘sleep in’, for which additional payments are made.

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Mental Health Services

Primary Care Trusts/NHS Trusts usually commission services for those with mental ill-health through their Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT) which now include Social Workers and Care Managers from local authority Social Service Departments. They access a range of statutory services from specialists such as Occupational Therapists, Clinical Psychologists and Psychiatrists.

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Mental Health Services

There are a range of career options for those interested in working with people who have mental health issues.

Registered Care – providing homes in the community regulated under the Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Supported Living and Community Support – supporting people in their own homes to develop life skills and participate in meaningful day activities, e.g. swimming, shopping, bowling, college or adult education classes.

Employment and Vocational Services – provide opportunities to support service users into employment, training and/or education through a range of initiatives. Within all the employment programmes, individuals are encouraged to progress into or return to paid, mainstream employment, utilising individual action plans and some form of individual placement and support model, as the foundation for each individual’s pathway to employment.

Progression routes

A Diploma in Health and Social Care or a Certificate in Mental Health or equivalent are the usual starting points in terms of qualification needed to progress from Support Worker to Senior Support Worker or Employment Development Worker, or from a Senior Support Worker to Registered Manager or Team Leader in residential services. Service Development Managers may be promoted from either residential

or day/employment services and would be expected to have a breadth of knowledge of both fields of work as well as a management qualification.

What experience is required?

No specific experience is usually sought for a Support Worker, although Senior Support Workers will need to have worked at a Support Worker level. Registered Managers and Team Leaders will also need to evidence experience of working in this field, and be able to meet national standards.

What skills are required?

Most important is evidence of understanding ‘life’ skills, good communication skills, patience and a positive attitude to people with mental health issues. Health and safety awareness will be critical. Being able to support the development and delivery of individual care or development plans and programmes will be needed, together with a commitment to support others to achieve independence. Also essential is the ability to work as one of a team, work with other providers and statutory services.

What hours could I work?

Residential services are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year so team members often have to work shifts, including some weekends and nights as well a some bank holidays. Non-residential activities and employment services may also cover weekends

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and evenings. A range of full and part time positions are available and there are also opportunities for relief staff.

Salary

The salary for posts in Mental Health Services varies from company to company. Average salaries for some key posts are:

Support Workers NMW to £15,000 pa (including enhancements for weekend/night working)

Senior Support Workers NMW to £23,000

Registered Managers/Team Leaders £23,500 pa upwards

Employment Development Workers £19,000 pa upwards

Service Development Managers £40,000 pa

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Personal Assistant3

Personal Assistants (PAs) are directly employed by disabled people, their family or trustees to enable them to live independently in their own home.

The disabled person has a choice of who they employ and decides how, when and at what time assistance is provided.

A Personal Assistant will assist with many aspects of a person’s life including work, leisure, education and daily living activities in the home.

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Personal AssistantWhat is personal assistance?

Personal Assistance is different from care – it is assistance that disabled people have control over to enable them to lead the life-style they wish to lead.

A disabled person will employ a Personal Assistant to support them with the tasks they need assistance with, at the time and location that they need it.

The work of Personal Assistants varies depending on who you work for and the assistance they need. Every job is different as some people require support with a wide range of tasks while others employ a Personal Assistant to undertake very specific tasks.

As a Personal Assistant you have a choice of:

Who you work for

The types of jobs you wish to do

Flexible working hours at times you choose

How many employers you work for

Which geographic areas you work in

Who would my employer be?

Personal Assistants are employed directly be a disabled person. They are entitled to receive statutory employment entitlements including:

A written contract of employment where terms and conditions are defined by the employer

Paid holiday

Sick pay if eligible

Rights of employment according to current employment legislation

Personal Assistants would be covered by their employers ‘Employers’ Liability Insurance’.

What experience is required?

Experience of similar work is not always necessary. The employer will determine what experience is required; this will be detailed in the job advert and will depend on how complex their support requirements are.

For example, physically disabled employers may require their Personal Assistant to have experience in moving and handling, use of hoisting equipment and in supporting people with their personal care. Others may require a person to have experience of cooking the foods that they enjoy, particularly if they need a special diet.

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What skills are required?

A Personal Assistant would ideally:

• Be level headed

• Have a positive attitude

• Demonstrate commitment to promoting independence

• Have good verbal communication skills

• Be able to motivate others

• Have a flexible approach

• Life skills and experience are very important to the role of a Personal Assistant

What training and qualifications are needed?

Formal social care qualifications are not always required and many job adverts will say that no qualifications are necessary.

Many disabled people prefer to provide informal training on their individual assistance requirements to their Personal Assistants, however there may be more formal training available for specific needs.

What hours could I work?

A variety of work patterns, shifts, job sharing and even live-in positions are available.

Personal Assistants are in high demand in certain geographic areas, a trend which is likely to increase with the introduction of individual self—directed support from the Government.

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Residential Care Services4

Residential care services are provided for people who are not able to live in their own home even with support. This could be for a variety of reasons including old age, physical disability, learning disability or a mental health need.

A residential care service would normally provide accommodation, meals and personal care including help with things like getting up or going to bed, washing, dressing and using the toilet.

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Residential Care ServicesAs a member of the staff team in a residential home you could be involved in a wide range of tasks depending on the time of day or day of the week. This would include helping people with their personal care, supporting them with visits to the doctor or health professional, serving meals and helping people to eat, supporting people to manage their money or to make social visits.

Key Job Titles

Carer

Senior Carer

Deputy Manager

Registered Manager

What skills are required?

• Good sense of humour

• Good communication and listening skills

• Understanding of the needs of the clients in your care

• Observation and recording skills

• Ability to make an assessment of clients’ needs

• A sympathetic and understanding nature

• A commitment to supporting others in maintaining their independence and making choices

• An understanding of person-centred care

• Ability to work as part of a team

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Progression Routes

To become a carer a good basic education will be needed and some employers may ask for a Level 2 Health and Social Care as a minimum requirement. All staff must be willing to undertake Common Induction standard training within the first 12 weeks of employment and further Specialist Training following this, this would be provided by the employer. All carers will be expected to undertake training in Health and Social Care at some point in their career.

Senior Carer

Must have a Level 2 in Health and Social Care

Lead on to a Level 3 in Health and Social Care

Deputy Manager

Must have a Level 3 in Health and Social Care

Lead on to Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care

Registered Manager

Must have Level 5 Health and Social Care or equivalent

What Hours Could I Work?

Care homes are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 52 weeks a year, so the majority of posts will involve some working during unsocial hours such as evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Each home operates its own shift pattern, usually on a rota basis, and shifts can vary in length and time of day. Most care homes have a range of full and part time positions and staff can work on a guaranteed hours contract or a casual basis.

Salary

Salary varies from Home to Home

Average salaries in Y&H:

Carer from National Minimum Wage to £8.50 per hour

Senior Carer from National Minimum Wage to £10.00 per hour

Deputy Manager from £15,000 to £28,000

Registered Manager from £20,000 to £40,000

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Training and Qualifications

All new care workers will undertake an induction period when they first start work in social care or when they change employers/organisations.

Induction is presented differently in every organisation but is accredited against the Skills for Care Common Induction Standards. This creates a pathway to the Level 2 Health and Social Care Diploma where the induction contributes to the underpinning knowledge requirements. Induction should be completed in the first 12 weeks of employment.

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Health & Social Care Job Roles eCPD Resource

© In Touch Care

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These resources have been produced as part of the Traineeship Staff Support Programme commissioned

and funded by The Education and Training Foundation. Find out more on the TSSP website:

www.traineeship-staff-support.co.uk