Personal Care Assistant

Community Support Worker / Personal Assistant - 18 hours per week / 3 days / £10.50 per hour, 6 month Fixed Term Contract

We are looking for someone to support a young man with learning difficulties and autism, with activities such as horse riding, swimming and walking around parks and gardens, together with visits to Brighton and other local towns.

Previous experience of supporting someone with a disability is not essential as full training will be given but it is important that you enjoy helping others, are fit and active and have good interpersonal skills. Applicants must have a clean driving licence car and available to work on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

An enhanced DBS check will be required.

Information about the role

The role is to support Chris to lead a happy and healthy life involving him to make choices on the activities and places to visit. The role is offered on an initial 6 month fixed term basis.

The hours are 18 per week over 3 days Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, start and finish times to be agreed.

You will be expected to use the Motability car so must have a driving licence and be eligible to drive a Motability car.

Expenses can be claimed for incidentals whilst working such as refreshments, parking.

The rate of pay is £10.50 per hour paid monthly in arrears.

You are entitled to 5.6 weeks / 16.8 days holiday per year and are eligible to join the NEST pension scheme.

Information about Chris

Chris is 28 years old and lives in Burgess Hill with his mother and two sisters when they are home from university. He is currently supported by one community support worker / personal assistant on Wednesday and Friday. This role is to support Chris for 6 hours each day on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Chris sees his father regularly at weekends and also goes to a respite centre in Crawley.

Chris has learning difficulties and autism and is pre-verbal. Chris can understand simple short sentences and communicates with some sounds and pointing. He also uses a book with photographs of various foods, activities and common destinations to indicate what he wants or would like to do.

His existing PA says

‘Chris especially enjoys walking, horse riding and swimming. He has a small book with photographs of various activities and common destinations and it is a great help to him if he is directed to the relevant photo before setting off in the car.

A factor in successful support is to proceed at Chris’ pace- for example giving him plenty of time to get in and out of the car and to always speak to him in a quiet tone of voice perhaps providing some physical signs or indications e.g. makaton, where appropriate.

During summer walks Chris may pause as he particularly enjoys standing or sitting in the sun- he will eventually get up to move but if the halt has been very long, I have found he will respond well to a countdown procedure e.g. saying we’ll go in 5 minutes holding up 5 fingers, 4 minutes etc.

He enjoys walks in National Trust properties, Tilgate Park, Lewes, Arundel, Guildford, Horsham and the sea fronts at Littlehampton, Hove and Brighton including the Pier and Garden Centres.

Other favourites include Brighton and Crawley town centres where he will frequently point to show which shops he would like to go around- he will often go to the upper floors via the escalators and may revisit the same shop. He enjoys sitting in premises such as Costa or Cafe Nero- this is his preference during the inclement winter months as opposed to exposed country walks.

Chris can have a habit of biting his wrist protector if feeling frustrated. Elevation of this where he also “runs on the spot “and may scratch or bite the nearest person has become increasingly rare - I can’t readily remember a significant incident . If one should occur he must be given plenty of space and given 10 or 15 minutes with no demands being made of him. I hold my hand palm upright in the makaton “stop “ signal and may gently saying “no “. After this he calms and it can be as though nothing had happened at all. Chris does not like being touched and it helps to avoid over busy environments.

However he will allow for safety a guiding hand on his arm whilst waiting to cross a road and whilst crossing.

On arriving at any new location Chris should be given the opportunity to use the toilet facilities, although he will also say “ T, t ,t, t .. “ unprompted if he needs to go to the toilet.’
For more information or to register your interest please contact Raquel Bergin (Chrls’ mother) on 07958315237.

Job Type: Fixed term contract
Contract length: 6 months

Salary: From £10.50 per hour

Work Location: In person

Reference ID: Personal Carer