Job Description

Being a Support Worker at AFG is a hugely rewarding role and could be your first step on a long and happy career in Health & Social Care.

So, what does a Support Worker do?

We have a vision to create a world where people control their lives. Here at AFG, we pride ourselves on helping the people we support to design, develop and \'own\' the support they receive by planning this with them; we support people to make informed choices and increase their own independence; and we support people to maintain their own health, wellbeing and living environment. These principles are really important to us.

Our Support Workers work in a variety of settings including community-based services (often supporting people in their own homes) to our Treatment & Recovery Centres.

One thing that is common across all of our services is a focus on personalised support and tailoring our services to the needs and aspirations of the people we support with a diverse range of care needs (including Learning Disabilities, Physical Disabilities, Mental Health Concerns, Complex Care, Substance Misuse issues to name a few).

We value the people that work with us\xe2\x80\xa6

At AFG we recognise the contribution and value that our staff make. We would not be able to provide the life changing support that we do without people like you! In return for your contribution we will support you throughout your career and we provide a wide range of employee benefits, career development (including opportunities to undertake vocational qualifications) and lifestyle support services to ensure that you too feel supported, fulfilled and valued from day one of your employment with us.

About you\xe2\x80\xa6

There are a few things that we look for in all of our support workers; we would need you to\xe2\x80\xa6

• be a good communicator (verbally and in writing)
• be patient, confident and enthusiastic about caring for others
• be able to use your own initiative
• be able to work as part of a team
• have flexibility to work a varied shift pattern to provide 24-hour support
• share our AFG values

We don\'t ask for any other relevant training or a previous career in care as full training will be provided - you just need a willingness to learn and develop.

Your pay - our Support Workers receive a rate of \xc2\xa311.00 per hour for all worked hours. Once you are successful for a role with us, full details of your pay will be included in your written offer.

As a \'values based\' employer, the people that work for us genuinely care about the people they support, and we are seeking likeminded people to join our AFG family. If you are passionate about caring for others and have a real desire to make a positive difference to the lives of the people we support then we would love to hear from you.

More about this vacancy...
We asked the Team Leader to tell us more about this role and the amazing person that we need to work here.

Where is this vacancy based?
This vacancy is based in Burnley.

Who do you support?
We support 3 ladies who all have learning disabilities. One lady we support is non-verbal, one lady has limited vocabulary and one lady is able to express herself verbally. This service requires personal care to be undertaken along with moving and handling. The ladies ages range from 60\'s-80\'s. They enjoy going out for lunch or to the caf\xc3\xa9 for a coffee and a cake.

They enjoy going for day trips out to Blackpool or St Anne\'s. They also really enjoy going for a drive in the countryside. They like to watch TV or listen to music. One lady likes to bake and do arts and crafts at home including sewing and colouring. The ladies often go on holiday abroad this is something they really enjoy.

Where do they live?
The property is a four bedroomed bungalow with a converted attic. It has a very spacious garden and decking area and a drive way.

What would a typical shift be like?
A typical day at this service starts with supporting the ladies to getting up and ready for the day. This will mean carrying out personal care, assisting with dressing, administering medication and making breakfast. One lady is very independent and will make her own breakfast and brew but the other two ladies need support staff to do this for them. After this staff will sort the washing of any clothes that needs doing and carry out cleaning tasks around the house.

The ladies then have their own 1-1 time throughout the week where staff will support them into the community to chose what ever they would like to do. This might be lunch out, personal shopping, trip to the coffee shop or a drive into the countryside. One lady attends an activity centre twice a week for a few hours. The other ladies like to relax at home sometimes watching TV, watching films or listening to the radio. Support staff will then make tea and after tea everyone will relax before going to bed.

What activities do the people that we support at this property like to do?
The ladies enjoy watching TV and films, they like to have lunch out, they like going to parks for a walk around or to feed the ducks, one lady likes to do sewing and colouring. They all enjoy day trips out to Blackpool, St Annes, The Trafford Centre for clothes shopping and going on holiday at least once a year.

Are there any skills or interests that a candidate could have that would be great to use to support this service?
The ladies have a car so someone who is able to drive and is confident with driving different vehicles. Someone who likes to cook to ensure they ensure healthy home cooked meals and also anyone who likes to bake various things as one lady loves to bake.

What is the team here or is it lone-working?
Once you have completed any mandatory training there will be expectations to lone work at times. There is always two staff on during the day from 08.30am-19.00pm and then it will be lone working from 19.00pm-08.30am as that person will be on the sleep in shift. The team leader is available 09.00-17.00 and there is telephone access to an on-call manager between the hours of 17.00pm-09.00am. It is an experienced team who know the ladies well and who will help anyone settle into the role.

What are your shift patterns?
Day: 08.30am-19.00 Sleep-in: 08.30am-23.00pm-08.00am-09.00am or 10.00.

We hope this has given you more insight into this role and we hope to see your application soon.

Please note our Support Workers are contracted by area therefore flexibility is essential to work in other services where required.

Alternative Futures Group