Support Worker

Job description

Job responsibilities

The role will support service users across the 3 service elements in Sandwell;

Short Term (72 Hours provision) to support the discharge process from hospital to home and into intermediate care provision, especially the isolated and vulnerable. Supporting self-care, referrals may require the support worker to provide transport take the patient home from hospital in a lease car to support their discharge, and/or medication and equipment. The post holder will respond to referrals from Clinicians and Community Health Professionals from Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) and will be required to assess service users needs, creating a co-produced support plan for the individual. The post holder will provide practical and emotional support in the service users own home and signpost to other services where appropriate, to enable the individual to live independently in their own home and prevent hospital re-admission.

Medium term (4 weeks provision) and Long-term (12 weeks provision) to receive low level support, information, advice and guidance support within the community and to prevent hospital admission and re-admission.

To work in partnership with other Community Offer delivery organisations to effectively deliver a practical, flexible, coordinated, and accessible service understanding the needs of local community members. Support Workers will encourage and support individuals to access opportunities that will enable them to increase their confidence, resilience and help them to maintain their independence.

The post holder will undertake duties required to meet the service users needs. To work alongside NHS Trust employees, Social Care professionals, partner organisations and other organisations to ensure those in need, including people from diverse communities, receive support within the community. To offer and provide practical support and advice to individuals and their carers and to raise any concerns and address issues which affect their health, quality of life and general well-being to the appropriate service.

The Support Worker will provide community support as well as in-reach support. They will conduct holistic assessments, support personalised care planning, coordinate multidisciplinary interventions, and manage caseloads.

Referrals will be accepted from a wide range of sources, including self-referral, GPs, social care, community health services e.g. Discharge 2 Assess Hubs (D2A), and voluntary sector partners.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Provide support to individuals and carers during their in-patient stay such as in Midland Metropolitan University Hospital building trusted relationships prior to hospital discharge and to encourage take up of ongoing community-based support (home visits) where appropriate.

Provide assistance to a person returning from hospital or medical facility, and those identified by local health professionals as being at risk of a further decline in health or without a support mechanism.

Conduct outreach and case-finding to identify individuals at risk of decline or crisis by attending Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust locations and community locations across Sandwell as necessary.

Help to identify informal family carers to raise awareness and support them with accessing a Carers Assessment

Facilitate carer respite from hospital visits, to avoid carer crisis, and offer low level Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) to service users, financial and practical, to promote health and wellbeing and maintain independence.

Support individuals to access benefits to maximise their income through access to Welfare Benefits Advice and Carers Assessments.

Take/accompany service user to attend hospital appointments or other activities as required in the care/support plan.

Provide an on-going assessment of service users needs, and work with them to develop a support plan which meets these needs, providing appropriate support to achieve positive outcomes.

Develop creative solutions with local people to meet their needs that outlines goals, needs, the actions and services required to support them.

Help people feel connected in their neighbourhoods and communities, playing an active role towards feeling less lonely and socially isolated.

Facilitate access to services available in the community.

Support culturally diverse groups and to enable access to local activities across Sandwell.

Record and report activities undertaken, highlighting any changes in a service users condition, ensuring appropriate actions are taken if health deteriorates.

Liaising with health, housing and other professionals to ensure that the needs of the service user are consistently met.

Ensure a safe living environment for service users, carrying out risk assessments and providing information/advice whilst respecting their individual dignity, choice and rights.

Carry out follow-up welfare checks and visits as required and assist service users with their activities to re-enable their daily living skills up to the maximum support period.

Monitor signposting and forward referral actions for the service user and their carer.

Provide practical and emotional support such as; mobility aids loans, transport, companionship, assistance with shopping, helping access to groups and activities.

When the user is ready to be discharged from the service, to formally sign off the Support Plan with the service user, to ensure a smooth transition to their next stage of care or independent living.

Provide information, advice, guidance, signposting and low-level practical support and to ensure that all referrals are offered basic information about appropriate benefits and to ensure that any referral needed to Welfare Rights is offered and actioned in a timely way.

Mobilise timely and effective appropriate support from to meet the needs of the clients, enabling them to maintain their independence, make informed decisions, and to help to prevent unplanned hospital admissions.

Work with people referred into the service, visiting them at home or preferred setting as appropriate.

Liaise with and refer to other organisations in regards to supporting service users appropriately, and to communicate well and effectively in a timely manner.

Ensure all service activities are recorded accurately to contribute to, and demonstrate measurable outcomes.

Enter all activity into the Charity Log system in relation to planned interventions/visits and outcomes of the interventions/visits, ensuring that all data entry is accurate to enable accurate reporting.

Build and maintain effective communication between the Single Point of Access and Partner Projects across Sandwell.

Work closely with partner organisations, volunteers and community members to effectively deliver a practical, flexible, coordinated, and friendly service, understanding the needs of Sandwell community members.

Promote and raise awareness of the service and support marketing activities.

Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role.

Quality and performance

Comply with service specific policies and processes including those on lone working, manual handling and infection control.

Ensure service users health and wellbeing is preserved and safeguarding policies and procedures are always followed and act as a Designated Safeguarding Lead for the service.

Ensure at all-time information security protection is adhered, and the confidentiality of service users and sensitive information is maintained.

Work within a safe services culture of proactive engagement and shared learning when considering safeguarding and protecting people from harm.

Work with colleagues to ensure that health and safety legislation and risk assessments are understood and implemented, and that staff and volunteer safety is secured.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• To have worked in a similar position of supporting people within a
• health and social environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively with community members and
• those providing services for members of the community.
• Good listening skills, organisation and time management skills.
• Good communication skills and ability to promote the service.
• Good networking and building partnerships skills.
• Able to prioritise and manage own workload and deliver to agreed
• objectives within demanding deadlines and occasionally competing
• deadlines.
• Good IT Skills including MS Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Experience of record keeping and report writing.
• Must be able to work as part of a team as well as working with
• minimum supervision.
• An understanding of client confidentiality (GDPR) and responsibilities
• under Data Protection.
• Experience of delivering high quality services to the public.

Desirable

• Experience of working with volunteers.
• Experience of working with voluntary and statutory bodies.
• Participation in a multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Supporting service users who may have a sensory or physical impairment, or who may have dementia or mental health issues or who may be frail.
• Experience of finding information through the internet and other sources.

Qualifications

Essential

• Health & Social Care Level 2 or equivalent or proven experience in
• working with adults aged 18 plus and/or older people or community
• development.

General Attributes

Essential

• Empathetic to service users needs.
• Able to assess clients needs.
• Non-judgemental, supportive and inclusive communication.
• Commitment to and understanding of diversity and equal opportunity.
• Valid and current driving license and have access to a vehicle to travel
• independently across the service area. Must be insured for Business
• Use.
• To work flexibly to support the delivery of a 7-day service around the
• business needs of the organisation, including evening, weekend and
• bank holiday working on a rota basis.
• Ensure inclusive practice and promotes diversity.
• Willing to undertake training as required.
• Has a commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in
• service delivery.
• Undertake an enhanced DBS check and maintain a DBS Update service
• membership.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Ability to assess service users needs, devising and reviewing a support plan for the individual.
• Able to deal with queries in a diplomatic, professional and confidential manner.
• Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative.
• Able to plan own workload.
• Knowledge of services provided by the NHS and Social Care.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Working knowledge of health and safety practices.
• Understanding of the Risk Assessment process.
• Ability to communicate with health and social care professionals.

Desirable

• Supporting and developing individuals.
• Knowledge of the local area.
• Ability to monitor local financial procedures.
• Understanding of how to improve service quality for the benefit of users.
• Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act.

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

Murray Hall Community Trust

Address

Murray Hall Community Trust

St. Marks Road

Tipton

West Midlands

DY4 0SL

Employer's website

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