Position: Care Worker/ Support Worker

Responsible to: Registered Manager

Purpose of Position

To share with other staff in meeting the personal care needs of service users in a way that respects the dignity of the individual and promotes independence. Care provided by care assistants is expected to include care that would reasonably be given by members of the service user’s own family and will not include tasks that would normally be undertaken by a trained nurse.  Only when trained to do so would care workers undertake any specialist tasks.

Principal Responsibilities

1. To assist service users with all personal care needs including, undressing, washing, bathing and toileting needs.
2. To assist service users with mobility problems and other physical disabilities, including incontinence and help in use and care of aids and personal equipment.
3. To support and care for service users who are dying.
4. To engage in the promotion of mental and physical well being of service users through talking to them, taking them out, sharing with them in activities such as reading, writing, hobbies and recreations.
5. To make and change beds and all domestic tasks within the household.
6. Where required, to assist with service user’s laundry, including using a laundrette where necessary.
7. To read and write reports and take part in staff and service users’ meetings and in training activities as directed.
8. To perform such other duties as may reasonably be required.
9. To comply with the organisation’s policies and procedures at all times, which includes the service users care plan and medication needs.
10. To report to the registered manager any significant changes in the health or circumstances of a service user.
11. To encourage service users to remain as independent as possible.
12. All staff are required to attend mandatory training where appropriate, this includes induction and National Vocational Qualifications or their equivalent.
13. To enable and assist service users to maintain on a day to day basis as much autonomy and independence as possible.
14. To support and assist service users in identifying risks and recording the support plan which minimizes and manages the identified risk
15. To agree and record with the service user their needs wishes and preferences and how these will be met.
16. Identify and support appropriately service users with capacity and those who lack capacity.
17. Record appropriately all decisions which relate to service users who lack capacity.
18. Involve and consult with service users, their families, representatives or advocates to ensure that the service user’s views are expressed and acted upon.
19. Attend reviews of care as appropriate.
20. Update and continually improve practice by a mutually agreed method which may include attendance at staff meetings, learning support briefings and one-to-one supervision.
21. Take responsibility in conjunction with line manager for identifying further learning.
22. Be aware of requirements regarding codes of practice and relevant codes of conduct where appropriate issued by professional bodies.
23. Understand the requirement of the New Fundamental Standard Regulations 9 – 20, in relation to the Care Quality Commission Inspect regime and its importance to your workplace practice.
24. Promote good practice and be vigilant in recognising and reporting practice which does not meet the defined standard.
25. To assist and contribute to any regulatory body inspection or monitoring visit.  
26. To act always, to safeguard service users from any form of abuse and to report such concerns immediately.

Note

The above list is not exhaustive but should be used as a template of chosen tasks to form the required job description e.g. care worker, care assistant and support worker. This job description should be a minimum of 12 principle responsibilities and any from a current job description can still be included.