Direct Worker

This is an external vacancy and is not employment with East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

4 hours per week term time and 8 hours per week in school holidays.

The hours are flexible and can be arranged after school, at weekends, and during school holidays.

The individual is male, 16 years old and resides in South Cave. They require a dedicated and suitable person to support them due to having Autism and a Learning Disability which means they can find social situations, busy environments, and changes to routines difficult. They can be quite quiet when first meeting people and it takes time to get to know and trust someone.

Once they feel comfortable, they enjoy talking about the things that interest them, especially sport.

They like/enjoy football, basketball, going to cadets, working out at the gym, visiting museums, spending time at the beach, gaming, and keeping active. They enjoy getting out and about and would like more opportunities to access activities in my community. They would like support meeting other young people, building social skills, and try new experiences. Having someone who can encourage them when they are unsure about things and help build confidence would make a big difference.

If you are reliable, patient, and enjoy helping young people achieve their goals and have fun, they would love to hear from you.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Encouraging the recipient to engage in community and leisure activities.
• Supporting the development of social and communication skills.
• Providing emotional support and reassurance when required.
• Promoting independence, confidence, and life skills.
• Keeping the individual safe whilst accessing the community.
• Supporting access to activities, clubs, and opportunities of interest.
• Attending and transporting the individual to activities where required.
• Encouraging social inclusion and positive participation in the community.
• Helping the individual work towards their aspirations and future goals.

The suitable candidate must:

• Be conscientious and committed to supporting a young person with additional needs.
• Be motivated, proactive and able to work on their own initiative.
• Be patient, caring and understanding.
• Have good communication skills (clear and effective communication).
• Be reliable, flexible, and able to work at the young person's pace.
• Be able to build a positive and trusting relationship with the individual to both encourage and support them.
• Help the young person develop their confidence and become more independent.
• Be confident supporting a young person in community settings.
• Have previous experience supporting an individual children or young people with autism, learning disabilities, or SEND.
• Be flexible to accommodate the hours of work where necessary.
• Hold a full driving licence and have access to a vehicle (preferred) to transport individual to social activities outside of local area.

DBS/Reference checks will be required for this post - Cost to be met by the local authority.

Children and Young People, Specialist Services Direct Payments is an in-house service provided by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to support families of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to fulfil their potential and aspirations.

Whilst caring experience is always useful, you don’t necessarily need to have worked in care to be a great Direct Payment Worker, the right attitude and a person-centred approach is more important.

Some travel across East Riding of Yorkshire may be required, applicants must be able to transport themselves.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS clearance check.

Direct Payment Worker