Support Worker

Our son is secondary school aged boy with Down’s Syndrome who lives at home with his loving family. He is a happy, kind and affectionate child who enjoys play, interaction and spending time in the community.

He can sometimes feel nervous in new situations and may be sensitive to loud noises, although he is gradually becoming more confident. He benefits from reassurance, patience and encouragement from the people around him.

Our son requires support with some aspects of daily living, including reminders around personal hygiene and toileting. When out in the community he will require supervision and support with road safety. The Personal Assistant will work closely with him on a 1:1 basis and will report to his parents, who will provide guidance and support regarding his needs and routines. We are looking for someone who will become a positive and trusted part of his support network and who will treat him with kindness, dignity and respect.

The role involves providing 1:1 support to our son in a caring and supportive manner. Duties will include:

• Supporting on a one-to-one basis at home and in the local community.
• Engaging  in play activities that support his development and enjoyment.
• Supporting some Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) and Occupational Therapy (OT) activities as advised by parents (these will mainly be incorporated through play and fun activities).
• Encouraging and supporting the development of fine motor skills.
• Providing gentle reminders and support around personal hygiene and toileting routines.
• Supporting when accessing the local community in a positive, encouraging and safe manner.
• Supporting with road safety awareness when out and about.
• Transporting to and from home and other appropriate locations if required (mileage will be paid if using your own vehicle).
• Ensuring our sons safety, wellbeing and happiness at all times.

We (parents) will provide guidance, instruction and support to ensure the Personal Assistant understands our sons needs.

We are looking for a kind, patient and caring individual who genuinely enjoys working with children and wants to make a positive difference in our sons life.

The ideal person will:

• Have a warm, kind and patient nature.
• Be compassionate, understanding and empathetic.
• Be calm and able to support Sehaj if he becomes anxious or overwhelmed.
• Be respectful and understanding of the Sikh faith and family values.
• Maintain confidentiality and respect the family’s privacy at all times.
• Be reliable, punctual and trustworthy.
• Be able to cope calmly in situations that may be challenging or stressful while maintaining a stable and reassuring environment for our son
• Always demonstrate respect and dignity when supporting our son.

It would be desirable if the applicant:

• Has previous experience working with children or young people with learning disabilities.
• Holds a full clean driving licence and is willing to drive when required.
• Panjabi speaking would be an advantage as our son is multi lingual

We would like to emphasise that we are not simply looking for a Personal Assistant or “worker”. We are inviting someone into our private family home to support our son, and therefore we are looking for someone who will become a positive and trusted part of our family environment during the time they spend with him.

It is important to us that the successful applicant builds a genuine, caring relationship with him and supports him with kindness, patience and encouragement.

In return, we will ensure that the successful applicant is treated with the same courtesy, respect and dignity that we expect to be shown to him and our family.

2 hours each week of school term.

5 hours each week of the school holidays.