health and social care job descriptions
DESCRIPTION
These resources have been produced as part of the Traineeship Staff Support Programme commissioned and funded by The Education and Training Foundation. Find out more on the TSSP website: www.traineeship-staff-support.co.ukTRANSCRIPT
Job Descriptions, eCPD Resource
Health & Social Care
Health and Social Care
1eCPD Resource
Job Descriptions
Community Support Services
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Community Support is very person-centred provision. It entails enabling, promoting and motivation, with the aim of achieving
greater independence or maintaining sufficient independence. The service provides skilled guidance and support to help the
individual to lead an active and stimulating life.
Key Job Titles
Support Worker
Senior Support Worker
Team Manager/Assessor
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Community Support Services
Community support can be used by all service users:
Mental Health – Building a rapport quickly and easily, daily
living help, community engagement, informal monitoring,
encouragement of social networking, stepping stones to
independence, motivation, desensitisation, confidence.
Older Persons – Complex daily living provision, motivation,
establishing a rapport, introduction to other community
supports, promotion of existing skills.
Physical Disability/HIV – Complex daily living provision,
empowerment, community participation, employment,
establishing a rapport, preventing social isolation,
promotion of abilities, confidence and support with
accessing other professionals.
Learning Disability – Empowerment, independent living
support, promotion of existing skills, modelling and
training, overcoming difference and discrimination,
assistance to arrange and attend visits with appointments,
budgeting.
This is by no means an exhaustive list and many of the
supports listed could be attributable across the disciplines.
There are also many other Social Services clients who may
receive an individualised Community Service, for example a
person with drug and alcohol problems who needs
motivation to attend a self-help group. A person with a head
injury, and associate memory problems, may need someone
to pop in twice a week to support them with a self-
management system, such as a file or a diary, to help
organise their week.
Progression routes
This depends on the organisation, usually one starts as a
Support Worker and can progress to become a Senior
Support Worker as one gains more experience and
completes training/qualifications.
What experience is required?
The level of experience required depends on the complexity
of the support package. Support Workers may join with little
or no experience but should be level-headed. They should
have understanding, commitment, good communication
skills, good observation skills, patience and sensible
approaches to life in general.
For the more in depth and complex cases, Support Workers
should have at least a year of experience working in the
relevant field and the required training to equip them to do
the job.
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What skills are required?
Community Support calls for the utilisation of a Support Worker’s personal competence, life skills and experiences. Training on
user rights, proper recording, money, personal safety, confidentiality, other disability-specific supports (i.e. escorting a person
with visual difficulties) and equalities would seem to be important.
What hours could I work?
Depending on the needs of the individual and the size of the employer, a range of full and part-time positions are available on a
flexible basis. Some guaranteed contracts are available depending on your availability.
Salary
The salary for posts in Community Support Services varies from company to company, however an average salary for a Support
Worker in Y&H would be around £13,500 to £15,000 per annum.
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Domiciliary Care Services
Domiciliary Care is provided to adults in their own homes. This includes adults with physical, mental and learning disabilities.
The Community Care Worker will provide services such as personal and domestic care, food preparation, shopping, and
rehabilitation services focusing on client choice, independence, dignity and the right to remain in their own home as long as
possible.
Key Job Titles
Community Care Worker
Senior Community Care Worker
Care Force Worker
Care Assessor
Community Care Co-ordinator
Operations Manager
Registered Manager
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Domiciliary Care Services
Progression routes
The level of experience required depends on the type of post applied for:
Prospective community care worker
No experience or qualifications are needed but new Community Care Worker’s must be willing to undertake a Level 2 in
Health and Social Care.
Community care worker
Common induction standard training
(within 12 weeks of employment).
Specialist Training
(within 12 weeks of employment).
Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care.
Senior Community/Senior Care Worker or Care Force Worker
Must have a Level 2 in Health and Social Care.
Lead on to a Level 3 in Health and Social Care.
Care Assessor/Community Care Co-ordinator or Operational Manager
Must have a Level 2 in Health and Social Care.
Working towards or completed Level 5 in Leadership for Health and Social Care or equivalent.
Care Assessor must have also completed.
Manual Handling training, Risk Assessment training and recognised Health and Safety qualification.
Registered manager
Must have the Level 5 Leadership for Care or equivalent.
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What skills are required?
Good communication/listening skills
Understanding of the needs of the Adult you could be caring for
Observation/recording skills
Ability to undertake assessments of individual needs
Commitment to supporting others, maintaining independence, choice and dignity using Person centred approaches
What hours could I work?
Domiciliary services are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year so all team members must be able to work shifts, including
some weekends and bank holidays. Staff are also employed to work at night. A range of full and part-time positions are
available. There is a full range of hours available, depending on your need.
Currently, Community Care Worker contracts of work can range from un-guaranteed to guaranteed contracts.
Salary
The salary for posts in domiciliary services varies from company to company.
Average Salaries in Y&H:
Prospective Community Care Worker National Minimum Wage upwards.
Some providers pay mileage, approx 30p a mile.
Community Care Worker HSC Level 2 or 3.
£7 an hour upwards.
Co-ordinator £16,000 upwards.
Registered Manager £20,000 upwards.
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Learning Disability Services
Working with people who have a learning disability is stimulating, rewarding and good fun. Promoting independence to ensure
that people are able to access all parts of the community and community life, working with adults with learning disabilities will
provide opportunities for you to use your skills and talents for the benefit of others. Working with people with learning
disabilities can include people with autism, those with complex needs who have physical or medical needs as well as learning
disabilities and some who can present difficult and challenging behaviours. Opportunities exist in all aspects of the service
including residential care, domiciliary care, community support, activity-based day services and one to one work.
Key job titles
Support Worker
Senior Support Worker
Personal Assistant
House or Unit Manager
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Learning Disability Services
Progression routes
All services will provide you with a good induction into
working with adults with learning disabilities and training
to Level 2 and 3 is usually available. Opportunities for
promotion are good and Senior Support Worker and
Managerial posts are available for experienced staff.
What experience is required?
You need no previous direct experience in this work but
previous experience of caring, even within a family setting,
can be advantageous.
Managerial posts will usually require a Health and Social
Care Level 2 or Level 3 or equivalent qualification.
What skills are required?
You will need to have patience, a willingness to learn and an
appreciation of the difficulties faced by adults with learning
disabilities. The ability to teach people everyday living skills
such as cooking or the willingness to help people engage in
community activities is also necessary.
You will need to work in a person centred way ensuring that
every adult has the opportunity to direct their own support.
Opportunities to develop specific skills in areas such as
communication, managing difficult behaviour, developing
healthy lifestyles, report writing, advocacy and meeting
health needs are often available within the training provided
by services.
What hours could I work?
Hours are varied but are designed to meet the needs of
those you are caring for. Residential care may operate on a
shift basis whereas day services will usually have fixed
hours. One to one work or working as a personal assistant
will require you to fit into the hours needed by the person
you are supporting.
Most services offer full and part-time opportunities.
Working some weekends and public holidays may be an
essential part of the job.
Salary
The salary for posts in Learning Disability Services varies
from company to company.
An average salary for a Support Worker in Y&H would be
between £11,500 and £18,000 per annum. Extra payment
are often made for working weekends and public holidays
and some services may require you to ‘sleep in’, for which
additional payments are made.
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Mental Health Services
Primary Care Trusts/NHS Trusts usually commission services for those with mental ill-health through their Community
Mental Health Teams (CMHT) which now include Social Workers and Care Managers from local authority Social Service
Departments. They access a range of statutory services from specialists such as Occupational Therapists, Clinical Psychologists
and Psychiatrists.
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Mental Health Services
There are a range of career options for those interested in
working with people who have mental health issues.
Registered Care – providing homes in the community
regulated under the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Supported Living and Community Support – supporting
people in their own homes to develop life skills and
participate in meaningful day activities, e.g. swimming,
shopping, bowling, college or adult education classes.
Employment and Vocational Services – provide
opportunities to support service users into employment,
training and/or education through a range of initiatives.
Within all the employment programmes, individuals are
encouraged to progress into or return to paid, mainstream
employment, utilising individual action plans and some
form of individual placement and support model, as the
foundation for each individual’s pathway to employment.
Progression routes
A Diploma in Health and Social Care or a Certificate in
Mental Health or equivalent are the usual starting points in
terms of qualification needed to progress from Support
Worker to Senior Support Worker or Employment
Development Worker, or from a Senior Support Worker to
Registered Manager or Team Leader in residential services.
Service Development Managers may be promoted from
either residential or day/employment services and would be
expected to have a breadth of knowledge of both fields of
work as well as a management qualification.
What experience is required?
No specific experience is usually sought for a Support
Worker, although Senior Support Workers will need to have
worked at a Support Worker level. Registered Managers and
Team Leaders will also need to evidence experience of
working in this field, and be able to meet national
standards.
What skills are required?
Most important is evidence of understanding ‘life’ skills,
good communication skills, patience and a positive attitude
to people with mental health issues. Health and safety
awareness will be critical. Being able to support the
development and delivery of individual care or development
plans and programmes will be needed, together with a
commitment to support others to achieve independence.
Also essential is the ability to work as one of a team, work
with other providers and statutory services.
What hours could I work?
Residential services are available 24 hours a day 365 days a
year so team members often have to work shifts, including
some weekends and nights as well a some bank holidays.
Non-residential activities and employment services may also
cover weekends and evenings. A range of full and part
time positions are available and there are also opportunities for relief staff.
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Salary
The salary for posts in Mental Health Services varies from company to company. Average salaries for some key posts are:
Support Workers NMW to £15,000 pa (including enhancements for weekend/night working)
Senior Support Workers NMW to £23,000
Registered Managers/Team Leaders £23,500 pa upwards
Employment Development Workers £19,000 pa upwards
Service Development Managers £40,000 pa
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Personal Assistant
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Personal Assistants (PAs) are directly employed by disabled people, their family or trustees to enable them to live independ-
ently in their own home.
The disabled person has a choice of who they employ and decides how, when and at what time assistance is provided.
A Personal Assistant will assist with many aspects of a person’s life including work, leisure, education and daily living activities
in the home.
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Personal Assistant
What is personal assistance?
Personal Assistance is different from care – it is assistance
that disabled people have control over to enable them to
lead the life-style they wish to lead.
A disabled person will employ a Personal Assistant to
support them with the tasks they need assistance with, at
the time and location that they need it.
The work of Personal Assistants varies depending on who
you work for and the assistance they need. Every job is
different as some people require support with a wide range
of tasks while others employ a Personal Assistant to
undertake very specific tasks.
As a Personal Assistant you have a choice of:
Who you work for
The types of jobs you wish to do
Flexible working hours at times you choose
How many employers you work for
Which geographic areas you work in
Who would my employer be?
Personal Assistants are employed directly be a disabled
person. They are entitled to receive statutory employment
entitlements including:
A written contract of employment where terms and
conditions are defined by the employer
Paid holiday
Sick pay if eligible
Rights of employment according to current employment
legislation
Personal Assistants would be covered by their employers
‘Employers’ Liability Insurance’.
What experience is required?
Experience of similar work is not always necessary. The
employer will determine what experience is required; this
will be detailed in the job advert and will depend on how
complex their support requirements are.
For example, physically disabled employers may require
their Personal Assistant to have experience in moving and
handling, use of hoisting equipment and in supporting
people with their personal care. Others may require a
person to have experience of cooking the foods that they
enjoy, particularly if they need a special diet.
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What skills are required?
A Personal Assistant would ideally:
• Be level headed
• Have a positive attitude
• Demonstrate commitment to promoting independence
• Have good verbal communication skills
• Be able to motivate others
• Have a flexible approach
• Life skills and experience are very important to the role of a Personal Assistant
What training and qualifications are needed?
Formal social care qualifications are not always required and many job adverts will say that no qualifications are necessary.
Many disabled people prefer to provide informal training on their individual assistance requirements to their Personal
Assistants, however there may be more formal training available for specific needs.
What hours could I work?
A variety of work patterns, shifts, job sharing and even live-in positions are available.
Personal Assistants are in high demand in certain geographic areas, a trend which is likely to increase with the introduction of
individual self—directed support from the Government.
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Residential Care Services
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Residential care services are provided for people who are not able to live in their own home even with support. This could be
for a variety of reasons including old age, physical disability, learning disability or a mental health need.
A residential care service would normally provide accommodation, meals and personal care including help with things like get-
ting up or going to bed, washing, dressing and using the toilet.
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Residential Care Services
As a member of the staff team in a residential home you could be involved in a wide range of tasks depending on the time of
day or day of the week. This would include helping people with their personal care, supporting them with visits to the doctor
or health professional, serving meals and helping people to eat, supporting people to manage their money or to make social
visits.
Key Job Titles
Carer
Senior Carer
Deputy Manager
Registered Manager
What skills are required?
• Good sense of humour
• Good communication and listening skills
• Understanding of the needs of the clients in your care
• Observation and recording skills
• Ability to make an assessment of clients’ needs
• A sympathetic and understanding nature
• A commitment to supporting others in maintaining their independence and making choices
• An understanding of person-centred care
• Ability to work as part of a team
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Progression Routes
To become a carer a good basic education will be needed
and some employers may ask for a Level 2 Health and Social
Care as a minimum requirement. All staff must be willing to
undertake Common Induction standard training within the
first 12 weeks of employment and further Specialist
Training following this, this would be provided by the
employer. All carers will be expected to undertake training
in Health and Social Care at some point in their career.
Senior Carer
Must have a Level 2 in Health and Social Care
Lead on to a Level 3 in Health and Social Care
Deputy Manager
Must have a Level 3 in Health and Social Care
Lead on to Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social
Care
Registered Manager
Must have Level 5 Health and Social Care or equivalent
What Hours Could I Work?
Care homes are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 52
weeks a year, so the majority of posts will involve some
working during unsocial hours such as evenings, weekends
and bank holidays. Each home operates its own shift
pattern, usually on a rota basis, and shifts can vary in length
and time of day. Most care homes have a range of full and
part time positions and staff can work on a guaranteed
hours contract or a casual basis.
Salary
Salary varies from Home to Home
Average salaries in Y&H:
Carer from National Minimum Wage to £8.50 per hour
Senior Carer from National Minimum Wage to £10.00 per
hour
Deputy Manager from £15,000 to £28,000
Registered Manager from £20,000 to £40,000
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Training and Qualifications
All new care workers will undertake an induction period when they first start work in social care or when they change
employers/organisations.
Induction is presented differently in every organisation but is accredited against the Skills for Care Common Induction
Standards. This creates a pathway to the Level 2 Health and Social Care Diploma where the induction contributes to the
underpinning knowledge requirements. Induction should be completed in the first 12 weeks of employment.
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Health & Social Care Job Descriptions - eCPD
Resources
© In Touch Care
xx
These resources have been produced as part of the Traineeship Staff Support Programme
commissioned and funded by The Education and Training Foundation. Find out more on the TSSP
website: www.traineeship-staff-support.co.uk