2 posts, one permanent and one temporary/secondment for one year from January 2017

Salary: £9,853 - £10,502 p.a. plus 17% shift enhancement

22.5 hours per week, Monday to Sunday, - worked over a 2 week rota both days & evenings.

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

DBS Disclosure at Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The Service

Housing & Property Services

The overall purpose of Sheltered Housing is to provide the right accommodation and support when needed.

Sheltered Housing is purpose built accommodation offering support and security for older persons. In Sheltered Housing we promote independent living but with the knowledge that someone is always on hand to give support and to be available to help in an emergency. You will be working to promote independent living for residents in the flats within a sheltered scheme. Residents have their own tenancy agreement with Portsmouth City Council; therefore residents are able to live independently in their own accommodation but with some support available as needed. There are shared areas in the sheltered scheme in which residents can enjoy some social activities.

As a service we take pride in our work by valuing others, focusing on what's important so that we make a real and positive difference. Our values are outlined in our Ways of Working and our Guiding Principles and if they reflect how you are and how you work then this could be the role that meets your expectations.

What is the role?

You will be working in a Portsmouth City Council Category 2.5 Sheltered Housing Scheme.

As a Support Assistant, you will provide residents with day to day housing related support according to need. This for example may involve domestic help or personal reassurance. You will arrange for property repairs and liaise with Care Agencies, Social Workers, GPs, chemists and families of residents where appropriate. You will be expected to deal with any emergencies. On occasions, this will involve assisting some frailer residents with personal care issues. A typical day will involve calling on residents to make sure they are ok. You will spend time with residents to understand their support needs, documenting your learning on residents support plans' as well as updating residents' records at the time as appropriate. You will be involved in the serving of meals to the residents, and this as well as some other activities, will require you to handle and account for cash collected from the residents.

You will be part of a Support Assistant team under the supervision of the Sheltered Scheme Manager. Part of your duties will be to assist the Scheme Manager with ensuring the security of the building and the carrying out of various health and safety checks.

You will be working 22.5 hours per week as part of a rota, Monday to Sunday, with the earliest shift commencing at 7am and the latest ending at 10pm.

Who is the person?

You need to:

1. Have an understanding of older persons and the needs and the concerns they might have. 2. Have a caring nature that works to enable people to maintain their independence in their own home as long as possible. 3. Be a good listener, with a calm manner who will not panic in an emergency. 4. Be prepared to provide direct assistance to residents with their personal living conditions. 5. Have the ability to converse at ease and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post 6. Be able to write short, clear records of what has happened to residents during your shift and to produce support plans following discussions with a resident. 7. Have basic numerical skills. 8. Be confident in talking to the families of residents and agencies involved with them (this might be a doctor, Social Worker or Care Agency). 9. An awareness of the importance of confidentiality and professional boundaries when working with older persons. 10. Be flexible and reliable. Although predominantly working within one scheme, you will be prepared to work in other schemes to meet demand and needs of the service. You also need to be flexible with your hours in order to meet the demand and needs of the service within the scheme in which you are working. 11. Be physically able to participate in moving and handling of people tasks. 12. Be able to support the Scheme Manager in promoting social activities in the scheme. 13. Be able to work as part of a team, but also to be able to work alone with confidence. 14. Be willing to attend relevant job training. 15. Have basic IT skills e.g. basic use of Microsoft Office packages such as Word and Outlook.

Closing time/date, 17:00, on the 13th of December 2016

Applications received after this may not be considered.

Interviews will be held on the 19th & 20th of December 2016 How to apply: Please see attached documents at the bottom of this job page and ensure you fully read and follow the guidance.