Casual Support Worker
Support Worker: Discharge Support Service
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic service offering support to people leaving hospital or at risk of readmission. The postholder will play an intrinsic part is enabling the individual to get home safely, settle back into their own environment and regain and maintain as much independence as possible to keep them living at home safely and increase their sense of wellbeing. This service operates 7 days a week, 11.00-19.00.
Salary: £10.42 per hour
Contract: Permanent contract with fixed hours and casual flexible contracts available
Work location: Wexham Park and / or Stoke Mandeville Hospital, plus user homes. Staff working with Stoke Mandeville may also need to use an office base in Aylesbury.
Hours of work: Various hours available up to full time 35 hours, including weekends and evenings.
Reporting to: Service Coordinator / Manager
Job purpose:
Undertaking all duties required to meet the service users’ needs for them to return home safely from hospital, remain in their own home and prevent hospital re-admission. Referrals may require the support worker to take the patient home from hospital to enable their discharge, using the service’s vehicle or their own vehicle.
The post holder will respond to referrals from Clinicians and Community Health Professionals and will be required to have the ability to assess service users’ needs, completing and following a support plan for the individual.
The post holder will be providing practical and emotional support in the service users own home and signposting to other services where appropriate to enable the individual to live independently in their own home.
Key tasks and responsibilities:
- Ensure safe discharge home from hospital for service users, transporting them in the service vehicle or the staff member’s own vehicle.
- 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.
- Provide 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.
- Recording and reporting of activities undertaken and highlighting any changes in a service user’s condition and ensure that appropriate actions are taken if a service user’s health deteriorates.
- Liaising with health, housing and other professionals to ensure that the needs of the service user are consistently met.
- To ensure a safe living environment for service users through carrying out risk assessments and providing information/advice whilst respecting their individual dignity, choice and rights.
- To carry out follow-up welfare checks and visits as required and assist service users with their activities to re-enable their daily living skills for up to the maximum support period.
- Provide practical and emotional support such as; mobility aids loans, transport, companionship, assistance with shopping, helping access to groups and activities
- Signpost to further support available; liaising with Community Connectors, external organisations, partners and voluntary and community sector colleagues
This job description may be changed according to the needs of the organisation.
Age UK application form.docx
Guidance notes for completing the application form.
Please send all completed application forms to: recruitment@ageukbucks.org.uk