Work for us
Age UK Hull & East Yorkshire is a great place to work. Could you bring your skills to our team? See our latest vacancies below.
Home Support Worker
Post: 0.00 hours minimum contracted per week
(you can be expected to work significantly more hours should you wish)
Accountable to: Home Support Manager / Senior Home Support Workers
Accountable for: Providing service support.
Salary: £13.22 per hour plus mileage when escorting clients
Community Based: Lone working
Seeking people ideally in HU3, HU6, HU15 / HU16 areas but all applications welcome
Driving licence essential
The post holder will be expected to work with clients in their own homes and travelling efficiently across Hull and East Yorkshire. There will be a requirement to come into the Hull office for occasional meetings/training.
The service currently and predominantly operates between the hours of 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday to Friday, with evening/weekend services not currently being considered (but this may change due to clients demand and Home Support Worker availability).
Purpose of Post
To enable older people to live independently in their own homes with a person-centred approach by providing:
- Tailored assistance requirements to meet individual needs of clients in Hull and East Yorkshire
- Generic support to the Home Support Service Team
- To cover the service during sick or annual leave
Base
Home Support Workers work in client’s own homes and in a variety of community settings across Hull and East Yorkshire. Every effort will be made to minimise travel time; however, Home Support Workers will be required to work across Hull and East Yorkshire as the service requires.
Clients
Clients are older people (over the age of 50). Some live with dementia, are terminally ill and some have learning, physical and sensory disabilities. All support will be tailored to meet individuals needs with a person-centred approach. There will be no personal or medical care needs.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
To provide regular visits to clients in their own homes, giving practical assistance with domestic tasks and providing general companionship. There are no personal care duties.
- Housekeeping: domestic services such as keeping the home tidy, cleaning, changing bed linen, laundry, and ironing.
- One off deep cleaning.
- Support with prompting medication.
- Shopping and meal preparation: shopping for weekly groceries, checking the fridge for out-of-date food.
- Household management: assistance with managing bill payments, support with correspondence and telephone calls. Running errands such as picking up posting letters.
- Ensuring clients feel less lonely and isolated: support with hobbies and activities. Helping maintain contact with family and friends, accompanying people on outings or on shopping trips and providing support to attend appointments.
- Any other reasonable duties in line with the nature of the service and job description.
- All duties and responsibilities are to be carried out in accordance with agreed Age UK Hull policies and procedures.
Other
- Ensure that staff and volunteers always act to promote the interests of older people and uphold the organisation’s commitment to promoting equality and diversity and fighting age discrimination.
- Act at all times, to protect the organisation from any risk of wrongdoing or loss of reputation.
- Be willing to undertake responsibility for exceptional tasks from time to time.
- To participate in Age UK Hull’s fundraising, promotional and social events, working with other members of staff and volunteers.
- Undertake other duties as required in line with the duties and responsibilities of the post.
And bring your sense of humour - we like to laugh a lot, usually at ourselves, so you mustn’t be a diva!
Arrangements to Compliment this Post
- Induction
All staff will complete an induction and before beginning direct work with clients. Induction will include all Age UK Hull policies and procedures e.g. Health & Safety, confidentiality, staff handbook etc.
- Supervision and Support
Staff will receive regular and ongoing support from the Home Support Manager/Team Leader. All Home Support Staff are observed directly in their work at least two times a year.
- Training
Comprehensive training will be given to support staff to ensure they are fully aware and able to support the needs of a diverse range of older people. This will include the completion of Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults, supporting Age UK Hull Safeguarding Policy.
Person Specification
This is what an ideal post holder looks like, and to be honest, we’d be surprised if there is a someone who meets all the essential/desirable criteria!
Not everyone can “tick every box”, that is fine. We recognise that people may have transferable skills/experiences gained in a variety of ways – professionally in other sectors, from volunteering or other life experiences and we consider how these may contribute to someone being suitable for this role.
Essential
Desirable
Commitment to:
- a high-quality customer service to older people
- a client’s full participation in activities of their choice
- work part of a team
- empower and facilitate independent living for older people
- a flexible, person-centred approach
- the highest standards of professional conduct, accountability, and openness
- extend Age UK Hull’s reach and improve access to Age UK Hull services
Previous experience, knowledge, and skills
Ability to:
- carry out practical client support to a high maintainable standard.
- managing your own time and working without close supervision
- problem solving and taking initiative
- work with policies and procedures
- facilitating client engagement
- carry out a range of practical tasks.
- relate well to older people and understand their needs
- actively listen and hear
- communicate with empathy, in response to diverse clients
- inspire trust, confidence, and commitment
- maintain clear and accurate written records
- work flexibly
- work on own initiative and accept responsibility
- report and liaise effectively with colleagues and clients
- physically handle small loads e.g. carry shopping bags and move small items of furniture.
- A commitment to working within professional boundaries
- Good numeracy, IT and written skills
- Knowledge of the barriers to independence commonly faced by older people
- travel throughout Hull and East Yorkshire
Experience of working with older people living with dementia, terminally ill, learning, physical and sensory disabilities, and mental health and their families.
Knowledge of services, resources, and facilities for older people.
Basic understanding of risk assessment.
Education and Training
- to attend and participate in ongoing learning and training.
Transport
- Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle during working hours, and car insurance cover for business use
- Ability to travel across Hull and East Yorkshire.
- Comfortable in a rapidly changing workplace
Download Application Form