Senior Healthcare Support Worker - Leeds

Job description

Job responsibilities

At Care in Mind our homes are always a hub of activity and energy where the young people can feel safe, and our staff enjoy coming to work. As Senior Support Worker your role will involve working alongside and supporting the Deputy and Registered Manager in supervising a team of staff and will carry out the co-ordination and leading of shifts. You will take the lead and play an active part in the young persons key team, creating and updating care plans, work collaboratively with the homes multi-disciplinary team ensuring all actions have been completed. You will also take an active role in supporting new members of the team and be involved in the recruitment of new staff attending interviews and local job fairs.

At our home in Leeds, you will be working with young people who have diagnosed eating disorders, alongside a variety of mental health diagnoses. Our young people often use self-harm and compensatory behaviours as a strategy to cope with their emotions. Your role will be required to support the young people through their eating complexities, including meal support, food and fluid documentation and post meal support. You will also support and help to manage incidents of self-harm and other risk-taking behaviours. Some of our young people have physical health concerns which require close monitoring and documenting - full training for this is provided. A number of our young people are preparing for independence too, to move on from the home into the community. Therefore, you will be supporting this transition through things such as: discovering different education routes, accessing public transport and appointments independently and supporting them to self-administer their own medication. Our young people are all unique and have different interests, they engage in a variety of activities including going to theme parks, pottery painting and watching theatre plays, so there will never be a dull moment when you are on shift.

Previous experience of working with young people who have mental health needs is essential and ideally you will have worked as a Support Worker in a similar environment. Experience of working with service users who have eating disorders would be beneficial but key is a good understanding of nutrition, You will receive full training and ongoing support & mentoring from our friendly residential and clinical team. The job is highly rewarding and is an excellent development opportunity if you would like to gain supervisory experience and move into a future management role of which we will support the right candidates to do.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Desirable

• Has NVQ Level 2 qualification in in care or equivalent
• NVQ level 3 qualification in care or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience of working in a team
• Previous experience of working with young people who have mental health needs
• Good understanding of Nutrition

Desirable

• Previous experience of working with service users who have eating disorders

Skills

Essential

• Good written communication skills and the ability to write basic reports and record information accurately
• IT skills and the ability to write emails and use Microsoft office
• An understanding of the issues young people may face
• Excellent observation and communication skills as well the ability to build trust and rapport with individuals who have experienced trauma
• Able to work shifts within 24 hour/ 7 days per week rota (including some bank holidays)

Desirable

• To have a clean manual driving licence and access to a car

Other

Essential

• Able to work shifts (including weekends, bank holidays where required to complete any necessary training)
• Good verbal communication skills and the ability to listen to others
• A non-judgemental approach and the ability to demonstrate unconditional positive regard
• Ability to think on your feet, remain focused and maintain your composure in difficult situations
• Understanding of the issues around confidentiality
• Understanding of safeguarding
• Ability to meet the day to day needs of young people, including providing practical support with daily living activities
• Form and maintain professional working boundaries between staff and service users.
• Ability to remain calm in emergencies, supporting others during difficult situations.
• Excellent telephone manner, polite, professional and relay accurate information to the manager.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Care In Mind

Address

Maplehurst Residential Service

Moortown

LS17 5PP

Employer's website

https://www.careinmind.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)