Outreach Day Service SupportCare Assistant

Vacancy: Outreach Day Service Support/Care Assistant Part-time 15 hours per week initial 12-month contract.

WE REQUIRE APPLICANTS WHO ARE ALREADY RESIDENT IN CORK IRELAND AS START DATE IS ASAP

LArche Cork is recruiting for the position of Care Assistant to provide an outreach day service

for a 65-year-old woman in Cobh due to her recently-reduced capacity to attend LArches day service and to help facilitate her intended return to a much-reduced day service.

Expectations of the role of Outreach Day Service Support:

To build a trusting Person-Centred relationship with the person you support advocating for her needs with due regard to her will and preference

To forge a close rapport with the persons guardian also residing in the house via regular communication to promote a needs-led and responsive service

To promote quality of life for the person you support enabling access to pastimes hobbies and supports via assistive technology (e.g. zoom) and driving

To attend medical appointments with the person you support as required

To communicate frequently with LArche regarding progress challenges identified supports etc. to improve support both to the person and to you in your role

Requirements for the role:

A minimum QQI Level 5 qualification in social care or equivalent qualification

Minimum 2-years experience in intellectual disabilities (related field experience considered)

Managing your time effectively working autonomously and demonstrating initiative.

Ability to manage behaviours that may challenge

A satisfactory level of IT proficiency for use of online/assistive technology

Commitment to best practice guidelines to regulations and to LArche policy especially regarding safeguarding upholding confidentiality and accountability

• Full clean driving licence

The post is subject to Garda vetting

Special Circumstances:

Some degree of flexible working in order to meet the needs of the person you support

Salary scale: HSE Health Care Assistant 27571 -41952 Euros per annum pro rata

Please refer to Job Description for further details of the role. Queries about the post should be directed to the Day Service Co-Ordinator by phone or email as follows Tel: or Email: . LArche Cork is an equal opportunities employer.

WE REQUIRE APPLICANTS WHO ARE ALREADY RESIDENT IN CORK IRELAND AS START DATE IS ASAP

Job Description Outreach Day Service Support (part-time 15 hours)

Overview: LArche Cork is recruiting for the position of Care Assistant to provide an outreach day service to support a 65-year-old woman in her home whilst recuperating from a fall. The distribution of the 15 hours throughout the week is subject to discussion. The role will require supporting the person to sometimes physically attend LArche day service. This work will be conducted in adherence to the highest standard of care and support in accordance with the ethos of the LArche Community and with the relevant national policies standards and legislation specifically New Directions Interim Standards for Adult Disability Services and the National Framework for Person Centred Planning in Services for Persons with a Disability.

Location: At a private family residence in the general area of Cobh County Cork and at LArche Togher as required

Reporting to: Day Service Co-Ordinator LArche Cork/Day Service Team Lead

Main purpose: The role of any frontline worker in LArche is to support and enable adults with intellectual disability (ID) to improve their quality of life and to achieve equality and independence through meeting their social support needs. This specific role involves providing an outreach day service for a 65-year-old woman in her own home due to her recently-reduced capacity to attend LArches day service. The focus of the support will be to maintain social connectedness for this woman through conversation music zoom calls with LArche staff and board or card games. The use of online/assistive technology would greatly improve quality of life for this woman and as such some IT proficiency is essential. The role will involve some personal care whilst immobile (in addition to that provided by Home Help three times a day). As the persons condition is expected to improve she may return to the day service in a much-reduced capacity. If this improvement unfolds the Outreach Day Service Support/Care Assistant would be expected to convey the person to and from LArche.

Position Summary: The Outreach Day Service Support/Care Assistant will play an advocacy role in helping to meet the social support needs of this person with a focus on wellbeing and accessibility.

Duties and responsibilities:

Supporting the person in the following areas:

• Personal care- Toileting as required (Note that Home Help attends three times day to assist in this regard and to wash and dress the person)
• Medical needs-Monitor the well-being of the person in close liaison with the guardian accompanying the person to medical appointments and administering medication as required. Keep records of all medical events.
• Health promotion-Encourage good health habits including appropriate exercise (in consultation with any other professionals involved in the persons care such as Occupational Therapist Physiotherapist etc.) diet and relaxation techniques.
• Spirituality To support the persons spiritual needs such as for example engagement in religious service of their choosing Mindfulness practice etc.

Activities appropriate to the individual- Encouraging and supporting participation in activities or pastimes appropriate to the persons level of ability interest areas and in accordance with their expressed preferences.

Active citizenship - Encouraging and supporting the person to engage with community groups with similar interests or hobbies including sometimes transport. This would include visits to LArche in Togher. Activities for this particular person might include taking car trips to places of interest online or chair yoga/qi gong (run at LArche)

Safeguarding - Ensuring the safety and wellbeing both of yourself and the person you support with respect for risk assessments incident reports and adherence to best practice guidelines and organisational policy.

Driving- Driving the person you support to appointments to LArche community events or on trips out locally.

Quality:

Aligning with New Directions standards to ensure that the service you provide to the person/people you support is safe responsive to individual needs and high quality

To be cognisant of continuous professional development in terms of self-recognised or service-identified training needs

To be cognisant of continuous service improvement consistently documenting and reviewing services in consultation with the person/people availing of those services to ensure that they are meeting the needs of those individuals and promoting positive outcomes

To obtain feedback from the person/people you support and their circles of support with regard to service development improvement and change

To comply with and contribute to day service monitoring systems

Communication and Reporting:

Forging a positive and trusting relationship with the person you support and the persons guardian

To report directly to the Day Service Co-Ordinator/Dy Service Team Lead

Liaison with Day Support Staff as required (with regard to social events of interest to the person you support planned community events external facilitator activities etc.)

To attend regular support and supervision sessions with the Day Service Co-Ordinator - to ensure adequate support is available to you and to the person you support and to identify training needs

To facilitate person centred planning (PCP) meetings and reviews for the person you support

To attend other meetings relating to the person you support when necessary such as multi-disciplinary case conferences or LArche Community reviews as required

Administration:

To complete accident or incident forms where necessary

To report safeguarding concerns within the designated time limits

To document contacts for the person you support (phone calls emails visits) for day service monitoring

To monitor and document resource requirements for activities of interest to the person you support make purchases as authorised and retain receipts for any expenditure for the Day Service Co-Ordinator/Day Service Team Lead

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential criteria:

A minimum QQI Level 5 qualification in social care or health care. An equivalent qualification will be considered with a minimum of 2 years relevant experience of working with Adults with an Intellectual Disability or in a related service

Ability to manage behaviours that may challenge with experience of same

Commitment to best practice to regulations and to LArche policy especially regarding safeguarding upholding confidentiality and accountability

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage a person with intellectual disability in a one-to-one capacity

Ability to work on own initiative and in collaboration with a team effectively managing your time to work autonomously

Treating the person you support with dignity and respect demonstrating patience compassion and understanding in accordance with Person Centred Practice and aligning with New Directions

Upholding confidentiality (in relation to the persons privileged information)

Adaptable to changing needs and solution-focused with the ability to contingency-plan

Some degree of flexibility in response to the arising needs of the person you support

• Full clean driving licence

The post is subject to ongoing Garda vetting

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of working in a care delivery capacity preferably within a disability service
• Experience of communicating with persons with an intellectual disability (ID)

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The post is offered on a part-time basis 15 hours a week for an initial fixed-term period of 12 months.

Working Hours: 15 hours per week (spread of hours negotiable)

Salary: HSE Care Assistant 27571 -41952 Euros per annum pro rata D.O.E.

Annual Leave: Annual Leave will be 25 days per annum pro-rata. Entitlement to Public Holidays will be in accordance with the Working Time Act 1997.

Required Experience:

Junior IC