Job Description – Care Assistant

Reports to: Registered Manager or Supervisor

Purpose of role

To support customers with all aspects of their day to day living, so they can enjoy the best possible quality of life. You will mostly work independently with the customer(s) in their own home. Providing care and support offers many rewards, but can also be challenging. Compassion, good communication skills and a calm and caring manner are essential to be successful as a Care Assistant.

Key responsibilities

To provide safe, reliable, compassionate care and support to meet the individual needs and wishes of each customer. Each person is unique. You must respect each customers’ choice about how their care and support is given and promote their dignity at all times.

You may be the only person the customer sees regularly or during a particular period of time, it is therefore essential to report any changes or causes for concern to your line manager promptly. You need to be clear about when to seek help and advice in order to keep customers safe and promote their well-being.

Duties

Care and support

Give non-discriminatory care and support that values the whole person rather than merely seeing a list of care needs. Carefully listen and observe how each customer prefers their care and support to be delivered on a day to day basis. Help them make their own decisions so they can be as independent as possible.

Follow the instructions in the care and support plan agreed with each customer. This may include:

• All aspects of personal care such as showering and bathing, dressing and grooming, dental hygiene, toileting and continence care.
• Assisting with medicines, ordering and collecting prescriptions or returning unwanted medicines to the pharmacy for safe disposal.
• Supporting the customer to eat and drink well. For example, helping the customer to plan what to eat and drink, giving gentle encouragement, shopping, preparing and serving food and drinks, clearing the table, washing up and keeping the kitchen area clean and tidy, agreeing with the customer how to store food safely and when to dispose of out of date produce.
• Safely using aids and personal equipment in a manner that respects the dignity of customers. For example walking frames, wheelchairs, manual and electric hoists, sliding sheets and moving boards,hearing aids and other physical aids
• Housework such as dusting, tidying, washing floors, vacuuming and sweeping, doing the laundry and ironing, making beds and changing the linen.
• Social and physical activities or mental stimulation such as keeping in touch with friends/relatives, taking a customer out shopping or to social activities, hobbies such as reading, photo albums, games, etc.
• Supporting a customer through temporary and terminal illness, including end of life care, hospital appointments, liaising with community health support and families.

Record and report all relevant customer information, including:

• The care and support that you provide and assistance with medicines;
• Changes to a customer’s condition or other concerns e.g. faulty equipment or hazards in the home;
• Response to emergencies, accidents, incidents and safeguarding matters;
• Contact with families or carers and other professionals;
• Other matters as required by Bluebird Care procedures.
• Keep all information about customers and their families secure and confidential.

Work well as part of the Bluebird Care team

• Follow Bluebird Care policies, procedures and guidance at all times
• Take part in staff and customer meetings
• Attend training activities, supervision and appraisal meetings

This list is not exhaustive and you may be asked to carry out additional duties. We will provide you with full training in line with regulatory requirements.

Role Specification

This provides a picture of the skills, knowledge and experience you must have to carry out the role. You should demonstrate how you meet the ‘essential criteria’ by giving examples where possible. We will use this information to select suitable applicants for this post.

Essential Criteria

Personal Values and Attributes

Kind and Caring – compassionate towards others who need support.

Professional and Respected - excellent time keeper, reliable and understanding of professional boundaries. Dedicated to non-discriminatory care practice. This means respecting people suffering from a range of medical conditions with different backgrounds and beliefs to your own.

Innovative – strong problem-solver, who thinks outside of the box to identify solutions and opportunities.

Supportive – a team player and fantastic communicator, with good emotional intelligence.

Fun and Passionate – understand that homecare can bring joy and happiness to a customers’ day, and strive to achieve this.

Knowledge and Understanding

General understanding of the needs of people who require care and support

Respect for the rights of our customers. Understanding the importance of giving the best possible care and support centred on the individual needs and wishes of each customer

Understanding about the importance of confidentiality and what this means as a Care Assistant

Experience and skills

Ability to listen, communicate clearly and build positive working relationships with customers, their families, Bluebird Care staff and other social and health care professionals

Ability to give care and support to customers with all aspects of their daily living. To always respect their dignity, privacy and choices, be non- judgmental and promote their independence.

Good organisational skills, so customers receive the services they expect.

Ability to use own initiative and work alone or as part of a team especially in an emergency.

Numerical skills to support customers in managing their money and buying shopping or paying bills when requested to do so

Ability to keep written records in clear English about the care and support given to each customer, including help with medicines.

Ability and willingness to follow Bluebird Care’s policies, procedures and instructions and to participate in relevant training

Good stamina and level of fitness to meet the physical demands of the job

Additional requirements

All staff are expected to meet regulatory training standards. Care Assistants must attend and successfully complete initial induction training with Bluebird Care before providing care and support to our customers. During your probation period, and beyond, you will continue to receive on the job and classroom based training to help you fully understand your role. You must be willing to participate in ongoing training so you can continue to give good and safe care and support.

You will need to obtain an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service formally known as the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)

Valid driving licence with fewer than 6 points. Class 1 business insurance and current MOT (if using own car for business purposes)