Introduction to
Prospective Employees

The aim of this introduction is to provide further information about what it is like to work for New Boundaries Group, as well as information on the people we support and what is expected of our team of support workers.

Our Service Users

• All our service users have a learning disability. Some service users will also present with challenging behavior which can include verbal & physical aggression, destruction of property and non-compliance, to name a few. The role is to support our service users to be as independent as possible and provide encouragement, however at times the role can be intensive. This includes supporting service users with personal care tasks such as assistance with any continence issues, bathing and dressing, helping them to prepare and eat their meals and administer medication. Full training is provided in every aspect of the job to enable you to perform in your role at a high standard. However, you must have a genuine desire to want to help and support individuals with learning disabilities and be prepared to carry out some basic care tasks.
• Some service users may require some physical assistance using specialist equipment such as bath chairs. They might need help when out and about in the community getting in and out of vehicles and may require a wheelchair.
• In addition to these care tasks, time will also be spent supporting the service users with community based activities and leisure/social pursuits and helping them enjoy themselves. Activities may include going to the cinema, the pub, park, going out for a meal, shopping, bowling, visiting friends and family or attending their chosen place of worship. Some Service Users also participate in further education and volunteer work.

The Hours

• As New Boundaries Group provides residential care, we support our services users 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which includes bank holidays. All the services plan their rotas in advance so most of the time you will know well in advance what shifts you will be working. The needs of the service are a priority and there may be times when you are required to change your shifts or work additional shifts, sometimes at short notice.
• Day and night shifts need to be covered, and in some services we appoint staff to specifically work night shifts. However, you may be requested to vary your work pattern between days and nights in certain cases. Day staff will work on a rota system covering a mixture of early and late shifts. In some services the early shift starts at 7.15am and the late shift finishes at 10.00pm. All staff are expected to work alternate weekends.
• In some services where dedicated waking night staff are not needed, there will be sleep-in duties. Staff are contractually obliged to do occasional sleep-in shifts, but these are always in addition to the normal contracted weekly hours and therefore an extra flat rate payment for these shifts is provided.

Administration

• Each service user has an individual care package which includes care plans and risk assessments. Support Workers are expected to keep up to date with this information and ensure that they are followed. We are required by law to keep up to date accurate records surrounding all our service users, which may include their daily activities and also documenting any incidents or accidents as they occur, as accurately and clearly as possible. There may also be other documentation that needs to be completed on a regular basis. This means that a reasonable level of literacy and numeracy skills are required in order to fulfill all aspects of the role.

Drivers

• Wherever possible we try to recruit staff that can drive (a full clean UK driving licence) as on occasions you may be expected to drive company vehicles to enable service users to access their scheduled activities, and attend occasional training sessions at our Training hub in Felthorpe. If you use your own vehicle for work purposes then you must ensure that you have business insurance cover.

Service User Holidays

• As we support our service users with every day to day aspect of their lives, accompanying a service user on holiday is an expectation of the role.

A day in the life of a Support Worker

We asked one of our long-serving Support Workers for a first-hand view of what their work day involves.

“Firstly, there is no typical day. Each morning there is a handover between night and day staff. Support workers assist with personal care and the issuing of medication. This is usually followed by cleaning the Service Users rooms and doing household chores. Service Users can then do their chosen activity or social outing.

At lunchtime, Service Users can help to prepare lunch alongside Support Workers if they so wish. After lunch, Support Workers complete any necessary paperwork and daily care reports. The afternoon consists of handover between early and late shift, checking what activities are planned and ensuring the Service Users needs are being met. In the evening, tea time medication is handed out if required. The evening meal is prepared by the chef based on what has been chosen from the weekly menu, and some Service Users then like to either relax at the house watching TV or playing board games.

Alternatively others like to go out either to the pub, bowling or disco, for example. Staff assist some Service Users with personal care and night medication. Necessary paperwork and household chores are also completed.

The work can be extremely fun and rewarding and requires a good team to work together, especially when dealing with the more challenging behaviours.”

Shall I apply for a job?

We hope that the information provided has given a good understanding of what is involved with being a Support Worker for adults with learning disabilities. It is a responsible job and can be very demanding and challenging at times. However, it can also be very enjoyable and satisfying.

If you would like to make a difference, and have a genuine desire to help adults with learning disabilities to lead a happy, pleasant and fulfilling life, then we would love to hear from you.

You can apply online by clicking on the link to the left or alternatively call 01692 407549 to request an application pack. Please note that you need to complete both the application form and equal opportunities monitoring form.