Job title: Care Assistant / Service: People
Post number: / Division: Adult Services
Grade: 3 / Section/team: Regulatory Services/The Lilacs Resource Centre
Overall purpose of job:
To provide rehabilitation, reablement and therapy support through service users’ individual support plans. Assisting with personal care tasks, encouraging service users to help themselves and enabling them to regain or retain their independence anddignity.
Main responsibilities:
1 / Co-operate with other staff working as a team in order to formulate service user support plans and maintaining appropriate records.
2 / Attend to the physical needs of the service users, involving dressing, washing and bathing, toileting and other personal needs where necessary and to enable and encourage service users to perform such tasks for themselves.
3 / Carry out procedures in accordance with training, documenting any variations or issues in the service users support plan, reporting back to the duty Registered Care Coordinator/Shift Leader and/or appropriate social/health care professional.
4 / Implements individual support programmes for service users as identified in their agreed support plan.
5 / Be thoroughly acquainted with the risk assessment in respect of each individual service user.
6 / Assisting, encouraging and promoting independence e.g. enabling individuals to participate in their own personal and practical care and encouraging the use of aids or prescribed exercises in accordance with assessed needs.
7 / To observe the service users’ general wellbeing, reporting and recording any changes to other appropriate stakeholders e.g. main carer, district nurse, care team.
8 / Work towards rehabilitating service users wherever possible and undertake basic healthcare tasks where required e.g. changing dressings, assistance with prescribed medicines.
9 / Participate in appropriate training, QCF, and mandatory training, the appraisal process, formal supervision, quality assurance, and work towards an appropriate level and competencies.
10 / Be accountable for own practice and take responsibility for maintaining and improving skills and knowledge.
11 / Comply with Council policies and procedures, concerning the Welfare, Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities of all service users and staff and an awareness of Care Quality Commission regulations and standards.
12 / Promote the independence of service users whilst protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm.
13 / To maintain accurate records, write daily records, contribute to team meetings and liaise with other necessary agencies and professionals.
14 / Take appropriate precautions to maintain service user confidentiality and dignity whilst promoting equality, diversity and rights.
15 / Care of linen and clothing, including washing, ironing, sluicing of soiled items and other duties of a domestic nature as required.
16 / Preparation and serving of light meals, snacks and beverages.
17 / On occasions, may be required to act as an escort to enable service users to maintain appointments
Knowledge, skill and experience:
  1. Ability/willingness to undertake NVQ/QCF (or equivalent) and other mandatory and refresher training in relation to the post.
  2. Good literacy, numeracy and recording skills
  3. Experience of providing care and supporting individuals to maintain their independence.
  4. To understand and comply with the safeguarding procedures for the protection of all North Lincolnshire citizens
  5. To have the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues in other agencies and knowing when to report back to professionals and raise concerns.
  6. To be able to work effectively as part of a team and using initiative appropriately.
  7. Awareness of data protection regulations and ability to maintain confidentiality.
  8. Ability to use equipment e.g. bath equipment/hoists etc on a daily basis.
  9. Ability to transport self around North Lincolnshire to various health and social care locations in accordance with service need

Creativity and innovation:
  • Implements individual support plans for service users.
  • Engage service users in activities that promote independence and wellbeing and promote better outcomes for service users.

Contacts and relationships:
  • Service users, carers and families on day-to-day basis when supporting and implementing support plans.
  • Other agencies/professionals, i.e. G.P, North Lincolnshire NHS staff (District nurses, therapists etc) on a daily basis on behalf of and with service users.
  • Line manager and duty officers during shift – regarding day to day issues/advice/exchange of information etc.

Decision making:
  • To work within established policies, procedures seeking further advice from senior officers/colleagues if necessary for clarity re: further action needed.
  • Implementing individual service user support plans.
  • Make decisions within delegation and know when to consult with the appropriate line manager e.g. safeguarding concerns
  • Recording reporting and passing on relevant information e.g. faulty items.

Responsibility for resources:
None
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work demands:
  • Working as part of a team with contracted hours, which are to be utilised throughout the week (24/7) to meet the individual needs of the service.
  • Rota can change at short notice if the service demands.
  • Need to be flexible to meet demands of the service, which includes working unsociable hours within Regulatory Services.

Physical demands:
  • Moving/handling people in line with current moving and handling policies
  • Normal physical demands on a daily basis, e.g. walking, stooping, bending and using equipment appropriately
  • Using hoisting equipment in different environments (i.e. carpeted and non carpeted areas)

Working conditions:
  • Working with services users, families and carers
  • Assisting service users with personal care tasks
  • On occasions the working environment can be quite warm, as older people can feel the cold and need to be kept warm.
  • May be required to work at other health and social care locations, including service user’s homes eg for home visits, escorting service user’s to appointments, doing assessments and training

Work context:
  • Some risk in relation to infections.
  • Potential daily risk from service users e.g. physical or verbal aggression
  • Minimal exposure to cigarette smoke as service users have a designated room.

Position in organisation:
Indicate how many staff the post is directly accountable for: 0

Does the postholder manage the posts N/A

OR
Does the postholder supervise the posts N/A
Are posts in more than one location? N/A
Is the supervision/management shared with another post in the structure? No
Please indicate which post(s) ______

Note:

Post holders will be expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties, which reasonably correspond to the general character of the post and are commensurate with its level of responsibility. This job description is provided for guidance only and does not form part of the contract of employment.

Date of Job Description….JAN 2013…………………………..

Date copy sent to Post holder…………………………………………

Registered care – care assistant draft – DRAFT Page 1 of 5