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Dear Applicant

RE:HEARS ResponderPost Ref:

Thank you for your interest in the above post. Please find enclosed in this application pack the following documents:

  • Job Description
  • Person Specification
  • Service Overview

Application Form:

The application form plays a key part in our selection process. We use the information you provide to shortlist for interview.

You are urged to ensure that all the information contained in your application is relevant and that you demonstrate how you meet the criteria on the person specification. Please use the person specification for guidance when filling in the application form.

References: If successful at interview, Ipswich Borough Council will seek to obtain two employment references. Wherever possible the name of your first referee must be from current employment/education and the second from either current or former employment/education. If you cannot provide an “employment” reference please contact the HR Team at Ipswich Borough Council for further assistance.

Disclosure and Barring Service:

The above post has been risk assessed and requires the completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) form. Should you be successful at interview, further details will be given to you regarding the disclosure process and the Council’s relevant policies and procedures.

Ipswich Borough Council complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. We undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.

We also fully comply with the DBS Code of Practice regarding the correct handling, use, storage, retention and disposal of Disclosures and Disclosure Information and our obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 and other relevant legislation pertaining to the safe handling, use, storage, retention and disposal of Disclosure information.

Copies of the full Policy Statements regarding the “DBS Code of Practice”, “IBC Recruitment of Ex-Offenders” or the “IBC Secure Storage, Handling, Use, Retention & Disposal of Disclosure” can be obtained by writing to Human Resources, at the above address, by phoning 01473 433402.

If you have any recruitment queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01473 433402. Please leave your name, number and brief details of your question and a member of the recruitment team will call you back.

Ipswich Borough Council

Job Description: F80a

HEARS RESPONDER

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB

Provide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week emergency, on-site response, to customers of the HEARS alarm service and tenants of Sheltered Schemes who need emergency help, assistance and first-aid, without direct supervision.

MAIN DUTIES

  1. Providing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week emergency on-site response to HEARS customers and Sheltered Scheme tenants who require emergency help. Usually first person to arrive on-site, thus requires rapid on-site risk assessment of customer and property, plus the taking of necessary decisions and resultant action, without supervision
  1. Administer first-aid (including resuscitation); undertake manual handling; use variety of lifting equipment (hoists and electrical lifting cushions); associated equipment and generally reassure/comfort person throughout
  1. Assess and deal with a multitude of often stressful situations, e.g. deceased customer/tenant; serious blood or bodily fluid loss, etc. Comfort and reassure family/Next of Kin and ensure property is safe and secure before leaving, e.g. safe disposal of bodily fluid loss
  1. Liaising with emergency services, doctors, social workers, contractors, engineers, next of kin, etc., regarding a wide-variety of emergency and routine matters.
  1. Undertaking risk assessments and interviewing potential customers for the HEARS service, explaining service in detail to customer and Next of Kin.
  1. Undertake marketing of the HEARS service through presentations, road shows, distribution of literature, over the phone, face to face and completing other administrative duties from Grafton House .
  1. In the absence of the Scheme Manager, check the welfare of tenants, building security and dealing with or reporting of any problems. Use of on-site warden call-equipment and other equipment if necessary. Assist Fire Service with emergency evacuations from sheltered schemes and general liaison.
  1. Undertaking routine testing of customer’s alarms; changing faulty equipment; programming alarms, advising customers on alarm usage generally and ensuring alarm tests are completed regularly.
  1. Completing customer agreements and paperwork to ensure that important information which will be used by others in an emergency is accurately collated and recorded.
  2. Such variations as may be required from time to time without changing the general character of the duties shown above or the level of responsibility entailed.

/ PERSON SPECIFICATION
Responder
ATTRIBUTES / ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLE / METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Knowledge/Qualifications / 5 GCSEs, or an NVQ Level 3 and 2 years qualitative experience in a related field / A qualification in nursing, caring or welfare provision.
A current First Aid at work certificate.
A current client based manual handling certificate. / Application / Interview/ Test
Work related experience, skills and competencies / Experience in similar role
Experience in a nursing, caring or welfare capacity
Proven experience of working with the elderly and disabled.
Proven experience of using Microsoft Windows (Word/Excel/Outlook)
Experience of retrieving and updating information on computer systems / Application/ Interview
Personal skills / Ability to act promptly on own initiative, without direct supervision
Ability to work effectively within a team
Demonstrate effective communication skills both written and verbal
Ability to be patient, calm and compassionate, with a sense of responsibility for others
Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times
Ability to calmly obtain relevant information from people who are often elderly, emotional or upset, and use it to make accurate assessments
Ability to empathise with the elderly and disabled and those that are distressed, angry or emotional / Application/
Interview
Special working conditions / Shift work covering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year
Must live within the HEARS Monitoring and Responding boundary (see website) unless prepared to respond on night shifts from an address within this boundary
Valid driving licence
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure and Police vetting procedure / Willing to undertake additional shifts, sometimes at short notice / Application / Interview

Ipswich Borough Council

Community Protection

Emergency Planning & Business Continuity:

This activity covers two specific statutory duties of the council under the Civil Contingencies Act (2005). This Act has made the council a ‘Category One Responder’ and requires it to be capable of supporting the response to a civil emergency. The requirements of this Act means the council must:

  • assess the risk of emergencies occurring and use this to inform contingency planning
  • put in place emergency plans
  • put in place business continuity management arrangements
  • put in place arrangements to make information available to the public about civil protection matters and maintain arrangements to warn, inform and advise the public in the event of an emergency
  • share information with other local responders to enhance co-ordination
  • co-operate with other local responders to enhance co-ordination and efficiency
  • provide advice and assistance to businesses and voluntary organisations about business continuity management (local authorities only)

These duties are assured out by membership of the Joint Emergency Planning Partnership and the work of the Joint Emergency Planning Unit, who has officers embedded within the council. The District Emergency Planning Officer (DEPO) ensures the Emergency Planning and Business Continuity functions within the council, but is shared across two other council areas (Babergh and Mid Suffolk). The DEPO is supported by a full-time Emergency Planning Officer (EPO) based in the council and another EPO who provides support to the Community Resilience Initiative in Ipswich.

This work is overseen by an Emergency Preparedness Forum and benchmarked against a Performance and Capability Assessment, which ensures that activity is agreed, appropriate, proportional and efficient to ensure the council can fulfil its statutory duties. The forum is supported by various task and finish working groups, consisting of emergency planners and council managers and staff to complete any work.

Anti-Social Behaviour:

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) covers a wide range of incidents and is dealt with by a number of services throughout the Council, partner agencies and organisations.

However, Ipswich Borough Council is so determined to stamp out this behaviour they also have a dedicated team, in partnership with the police, based at Grafton House within the Community Protection Team.

ASB covers many types of actions from low-level persistent nuisance to serious public/community disturbance. At IBC we aim to:

-identify, at the time of the notification, whether the person(s) reporting the ASB are repeat victims and/or vulnerable victims.

-tackle all reported cases, using local information, partners and data analysis.

-bring together other internal and external partners and share the information and agree on a combined approach.

-make use of the specialist team available to us in the Community Protection and Housing Teams

Community Safety:

The Community Safety Service has a dedicated Assistant Operations Manager who reports to the Community Protection Operations Manager.

The Community Safety team works to make Ipswich a safer place and to ensure the safety of residents, visitors and workers in Ipswich.

The Community Safety team leads on and contributes to various community safety projects and initiatives covering parenting, alcohol and drug misuse, domestic violence and the night-time economy. The team also operate a Closed Circuit Television scheme, take Out of Hours calls to Ipswich Borough Council and provide a Personal Alarm Service.

The Community Safety team is committed to reducing levels of crime and disorder, reducing the fear of crime and tackling underlying problems that cause crime and disorder within the borough.

Updated 2015