Support Worker

Job Description

Join us – make a difference in our communities

Do you want a role where you can make a real difference every day? At Strawford Day Opportunity Hub, we support adults with learning disabilities and additional needs to achieve their personal goals, develop life skills, access their local community, and enjoy meaningful experiences. Our team delivers a wide range of engaging activities, from arts and crafts and physical wellbeing sessions to volunteering opportunities and community-based projects.

We are seeking positive, caring, and creative individuals who can empower people to make choices, build confidence, and live enriched lives. In return, you'll join a supportive team where your ideas, skills, and commitment will be valued, and where no two days are ever the same.

The Opportunity

Salary: £26,427-£26,847 per annum / £13.70-£13.92 hourly rate depending on experience
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week
Location: Strawford Day Opportunity Hub, Horsham

Number of positions available: 2

Please see the following link to the job description for this role

You will work as part of a team based within the Day Opportunity Service, where the key aim is to support people, learning to use a strengths-based approach to meet their agreed outcomes. For some people, this could be through a time limited programme of support to build confidence and help develop skills for independent living, both within the centre and out in the community. For people with more complex needs, a strong focus on maintaining independence skills and having personal control over their care is central.

You will enable people to develop and/or maintain daily living skills and attend to physical, social, and emotional needs - ensuring comfort, safety and improving each person’s wellbeing.

About Strawford

Strawford provides activities and opportunities to support people to live the life they want to lead. This may include work, education, and accessing their local community. These are delivered through a mixture of sessions on-site and out in the community.

Some of the activities we do that supports this include:

• Developing employability skills
• Promoting community access
• Safety and independence skills
• Social skills
• Leadership and team-working skills

About you

Required experience and skills

(These will be used as the shortlisting criteria)

Key Skills:

1. A basic understanding of the needs of the people you will be supporting and their rights as an individual.

2. You will understand individual situations and be able to identify basic practical solutions. Be kind, supportive, encouraging and non-judgemental whilst building on people’s strengths that support people’s goals. Sharing communication at the daily handover to ensure there is a continuity of care and to write daily records for the people you support.

3. Able to communicate clearly with the people who use the service and participate in conversations with family members and paid/unpaid carers and professionals/ colleagues from time to time.

4. The ability to adapt communication appropriately and use suitable tools where needed (e.g. basic Makaton), along with being aware of the sensitivities of language when working with a diverse range of people.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• Adult Care Worker – Level 2 or equivalent is desirable. If you do not have this qualification it is expected that you will begin this immediately after your 6 month probationary period.

• Basic literacy and numeracy skills in order to record and document activities.

• Basic knowledge of Health and Safety practice, First Aid and Fire procedures, Moving and Handling of people is also desirable.

• UK full driving license – Desirable

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the job description

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

Please visit our Rewards and Benefits page for a full list.

Further information

The reference number for this role is 135.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact the Hiring Manager: Simon Kral simon.kral@westsussex.gov.uk

For issues or queries regarding your application please contact HR Recruitment at HRRecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk

Struggling to apply? Book onto a Digital Support Session  in a library near you to get help navigating our application form (subject to availability)

To apply, please follow the links below to complete an application form and upload your CV. In your application, please outline your motivations for applying and explain how you meet the key skills listed in full and the experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills on the job description) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description linked to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years of satisfactory references and health check.

Equity, inclusion, accessibility and diversity is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all cultures, ethnicities, identities, backgrounds and lived experiences, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

Any candidates wishing to apply for this position, who would require sponsorship can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for the post by assessing their circumstances against criteria specified on the gov.uk website.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application helppage.