Care at Home, , , Shawlands & Support Workers (Ref: 58/17) 16 hours per week

£8.45 per hour + excellent benefits

Blackwood is currently recruiting support workers to join our team providing care for our Care at Home Service in Glasgow. This pack contains information regarding our organisation, the position and how to apply.

It should provide all the information you require, however, you can contact us on 0131 317 7227 if you wish to discuss it further or email enquiries to [email protected].

If you would like a pack issued by mail please call 0131-317-0160 (24 hrs) and quote the vacancy reference number or e mail [email protected]

Closing date all applications will be 21 November 2017

Completed application should be sent to:

Human Resources Department Blackwood 160 Dundee Street EDINBURGH EH11 1DQ (Telephone 0131-317 7227)

Or by email to: [email protected]

We look forward to receiving your application.

COMPANY INFORMATION

Blackwood is a leading housing and care provider, specialising in services for people with disabilities across . Founded in 1972 by Dr Margaret Blackwood, the organisation is entirely focused on creating personalised and individual solutions to help people live their lives to the full.

With over 1600 properties, 4 care homes and over 350 employees, Blackwood operates in 29 out of 32 local authorities providing homes, care and support for individuals with physical disabilities, long term conditions, sensory impairment and learning disabilities.

Blackwood’s staff teams are friendly, committed, motivated and trained to the highest level, which ensures the best possible outcomes are achieved for our customers.

Blackwood’s three regional offices in Stirling, Glasgow and Aberdeen provide a great base for a unique and streamlined housing and care service. Being closer to our customers ensures we are in the best position to support people at a personal level and enable them to live their lives to the full.

We have accessible and modern bespoke housing aimed at providing great value to people with a range of disabilities and housing needs.

Our Care Inspectorate grades have been consistently very good and excellent and we are determined to maintain this high standard of care.

OUR VALUES

Blackwood believe that being open and honest, taking responsibility, having respect and understanding and keeping promises are values that ensure we meet customers’ needs.

Our ethos is that every person has the same fundamental rights as anyone else. In working to these principles, customers have maximum choice and control of their lives.

Our homes have high standards of accessibility so that people can live independently throughout their lives.

We want to support people to lead the life they choose and achieve a level of independence that suits them. There is no care package to small or too large; we provide what is right for the individual.

More information is available at www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk or telephone our Human Resources department on 0131 317 7227

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BLACKWOOD PROPERTIES AND DEVELOPMENTS

Aberdeen Hamilton

Airdrie Huntly

Alexandria Hurlford

Arbroath Invergordon

Armadale Inverness

Ayr Kilbirnie

Bishopriggs Kilmarnock

Brechin Kirkcaldy

Bridge of Allan Larbert

Bridge of Earn Largs

Broxburn Livingston

Buckie Methil

Cambuslang Montrose

Carluke Musselburgh

Clydebank Oban

Coatbridge Paisley

Denbeath Peebles

Dingwall Penicuik

Dumbarton Perth

Dundee Port Glasgow

East Kilbride Prestwick

Edinburgh Renfrew

Elgin Rosyth

Ellon Rutherglen

Falkirk Sauchie

Forfar Stirling

Forres Stranraer

Fort William Uddingston

Glasgow West Calder

Glenrothes Wishaw

Greenock

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JOB PROFILE

POST: Support Worker

RESPONSIBLE TO: Team Leader and Management Team

KEY DELIVERABLES:

 Responsible for the day to day care of Blackwood’s customers delivering personalised and outcome based care, allowing customers to live full and active lives.

 Provide dedicated support to a customer, ensuring their personal support plans, reviews, and all relevant administration are delivered in close collaboration with the customer’s family and representatives.

KEY OUTCOMES:

 Customers live their lives to the full

 Customers receive high quality personalised care

 Customers and their families and representatives are actively involved in the decisions that impact on their care

RESPONSIBILITIES:

 Responsible for delivering agreed personal care and support to service users in line with their personal support plans, that enables and encourages customers to live full and active lives.

 Ensure the needs, aspirations and requirements of individuals are met through an effective system of person centred planning, service user’s assessments, personal plans and risk assessments.

 Support the Team Leader in the preparation of care plans and in communicating with the customer’s family, ensuring an outcomes based approach to the delivery of care.

 To promote, enable, encourage and facilitate service users’ choice, citizen rights and participation in their neighbourhood.

 To contribute to customer support planning and review, ensuring service quality and performance of service delivery is maintained and enhanced.

 To promote the health and welfare of customers.

 To work in partnership with customers, and their representatives, to ensure they are supported in being involved, as far as they wish, in their support, the operation of the service, Blackwood and the wider community.

 To work in accordance with Blackwood's philosophy, values, policies and procedures to meet their objectives and the requirements of the individual people being supported.

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 To work within the Health and Safety Act and regulations, relevant Care Standards, Social Services Council Codes of Practice and Conduct, other legal and contractual obligations and Blackwood’s policies and procedures and financial budgets.

 To ensure proper records are maintained as required of all relevant activities.

 In line with Blackwood’s training and development policy it is expected the post-holder will maintain a high level of professional standards. This includes the post holder’s personal responsibility to maintain appropriate registration with the Scottish Social Services Council.

 To contribute to personal and professional development through coaching, supervision, regular staff meetings and appraisals and to respond positively to change.

 To work flexibly where required to help meet service demand.

 To undertake such other reasonable duties consistent with the scope and purpose of the post as may be instructed by the Regional Managers, Director or Chief Executive.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION

Value of

Criteria

SUPPORT WORKER

Essential Desirable

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

Relevant professional or personal experience in either health or social care,   homecare, home help or related service  Relevant vocational qualification (SVQ 2) or commitment to work towards achieving 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES    Knowledge of disability/ elderly care/ issues 

Ability to deliver basic personal care skills – maintaining personal hygiene, assistance   to use toilet, eating and drinking, in line with agreed personal support plan  Practical domestic / housekeeping skills   Good communication and listening skills   Good awareness of health and safety in the home/workplace   “Good Neighbour” skills (social skills, interaction with service users, advice etc) 

Ability to work without constant, direct supervision, seeking support from line   manager as required

Basic financial abilities – assist in planning domestic budget, paying bills, in line with   agreed personal support plan VALUES & ATTITUDES    Ability to demonstrate empathy with and commitment to the organisation’s values   An awareness of confidentiality   Empathy with service users and their family   Open and flexible approach to meet people’s needs  An awareness of the rights of service users  Honest and trustworthy  Respect for the opinions, values and beliefs of others

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SALARY AND BENEFITS

SALARY The hourly rate for this post is £8.45

HOLIDAYS A total of 34 days are provided annually. The annual leave allowance is 22 days plus 12 days public and local holidays. Some flexibility is offered as to when public and local holidays are taken.

PENSION SCHEME Blackwood operates the NEST pension scheme for the benefit of its employees. Blackwood makes equal contribution to those made by the employee. All employees are automatically enrolled in the scheme once their earnings exceed the lower earnings limit.

LIFE ASSURANCE A lump sum benefit equivalent to twice annual salary is provided at no cost to the employee.

SICK PAY Employees are eligible for enhanced payments during periods of sickness absence on completion of the probationary period. These are based on a graded scale based on length of service. The maximum entitlement is 26 weeks full pay and 26 weeks half pay.

CHILD CARE VOUCHER SCHEME Blackwood operates this scheme with Imagine Co-Operative Childcare voucher scheme; www.employeebenefits.coop/childcare-vouchers/

WORK LIFE BALANCE Blackwood promotes work life balance in relation to working hours. Our standard working week is 35 hours. We offer flexi time and the opportunity for flexible and occasional home working.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES Blackwood is committed to the development of all our staff and provides significant opportunities to undertake additional qualifications.

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GUIDANCE FOR COMPLETING THE APPLICATION

These notes are intended to help you present your application so that we understand how closely you fit what we are looking for. Please read the guidance carefully and refer to it as you complete the application form.

SECTION A

PERSONAL DETAILS

We ask whether you are related to current staff, tenants and Board members because Housing Associations are legally required to identify and record this information, to prevent any suspicion of favouritism. Being related to staff, tenants or Board members does not prevent you from being employed with us – but failure to disclose such a relationship would do. If in doubt, ask us.

REFERENCES

Please provide employment references, not character references. Your referees should be your two most recent employers, including your current employer if applicable. Make sure that you give the employment address of your referees, not their home address.

References from relatives, close friends and partners are not acceptable. If your current or previous employer happens to be a relative, close friend or partner, please say so, so that we can discuss with you whether to approach someone else for a reference instead.

We will take up references only when we have decided to make an offer of employment. If there is some reason why you are concerned about the reference you might get from one of your last two employers, we will be happy to discuss that with you before approaching them. However, we will not make an offer of employment if we are unable to confirm the information you have given about your most recent employment.

If you have not previously held two jobs, or if they were a long time ago, or if you have been in education or doing voluntary work rather than paid employment, we will be happy to take references from (for example) an educational establishment or a voluntary group instead as long.

SECTION C

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

We only need summary information about the number of exams passed, at which level or grade.

For example, if you list “Higher Grade” in column 2, you can put ‘4 including Maths and English’ in column 3. We don’t need a full list of all your exams and grades, unless one or more of these qualifications are especially relevant to the post you are applying for, in which case you can highlight this within the section outlining your suitability for the post.

Under Registration Status – we want to know about any professional body you belong to, whether it is the Scottish Social Services Commission, Nursing & Midwifery Council or any other relevant body. Please 08 tell us what your membership grade is and what your membership number is. Certain posts in Care and Support are dependent on SSSC membership as a condition of employment, if you don’t currently have membership, but meet the registration criteria; Blackwood may pay your registration or professional fees.

Under ‘Further Education’, if you have a qualification which does not obviously correspond to the better known UK education levels such as HNC or degree, please explain what level that qualification equates to. This is useful if you have gained qualifications from overseas.

SECTION D

EMPLOYMENT

Under previous employment, provide a full picture and don’t leave any unexplained gaps. If you have had periods of unemployment, or if you have been out of the employment market for any significant time, for whatever reason, please make sure that this is clear – it won’t prevent you from being appointed, but it might be something we want to discuss at interview. Also highlight any temporary roles, so that we can see why you may have moved jobs.

SECTION E

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This is the most important section of the application form, and it is crucial that you understand what we are looking for so that you can present your application in the best way. CVs are not accepted.

The basis on which we shortlist is the person specification. This sets out what we think are the essential and desirable experience, qualifications, skills, knowledge and abilities. When we shortlist, we evaluate to what extent you meet the requirements set out here.

The key word here is demonstrated. For example, if we say that we are looking for experience of staff management, we would like you to explain what experience you have had and some detail of what your work involved and what your responsibilities and achievements are.

For example, for managing people, the following type of answer provides a good description:

I have 3 years’ experience of managing a team of four people. I am responsible for the recruitment and supervision of my staff. I am responsible for managing performance, appraising staff and ensuring my team meets performance standards. I have had to deal with disciplinary and grievance issues l. and have had to tackle problems of poor motivation. I decided to get my team involved in team-building activities over the last year in order to improve team performance

When describing our experience, explain what you learned, what your responsibilities were and any significant achievements in the role. Please explain with examples what your successes have been rather than just say you are good at something.

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Taking the above example again, being nominally in charge of many staff who in practice manage themselves and don’t have any day to day supervision requirements is different from experience managing fewer staff for a shorter time where there are many more day to day supervision issues to deal with. Each role is likely to require different skills. So tell us about your experience in order to explain the skills you have demonstrated and what you learned.

Many applications fall down because people think they can just claim something rather than demonstrating it via examples.

Explain what you have done and what part you played. If you just say that you were part of a project team that implemented a £4 million IT strategy, we don’t know if you were leading the team, or playing a different role, for example, carrying out a technical role. What was your part, what were you responsible for?

When writing your application, aim to address each element of the person specification. This is because it is much easier for us to understand whether someone meets our requirements if they set out their application in this way.

If you just write a general account of why you think you are suited to the job, it is very likely that you won’t address everything we are looking for. You may think there are some parts of the person specification that you don’t meet. You might want to think about whether you have acquired this experience or demonstrated this skill other than in paid employment – maybe in voluntary work, on an educational assignment, or in your private life. If so, put it down.

But if you really don’t meet part of the person specification, don’t make it up. If there are one or two areas where you don’t meet what we are looking for, we will consider whether your other strengths suggest that we should see you anyway because you are likely to have the potential to learn.

If you need any further guidance on completing your application, contact the Human Resources department on 0131 317 7227.

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HOW TO APPLY

To apply you should complete the enclosed Employment Application Form, an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form and a Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Form. There is a guidance document enclosed to assist you in this process.

Please ensure the three forms are completed in full and returned to Blackwood's Human Resources Department at 160 Dundee Street, Edinburgh marking your envelope Staff-Confidential. Please do not staple onto the Application Form as this is photocopied – a paperclip can be used instead.

It is not our policy therefore to acknowledge receipt of applications nor to write to candidates who are not short-listed for interview. If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks you should presume that your application has not been successful

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