Support Assistant; Category Sheltered Housing

You will be working in a Portsmouth City Council Category 2.5 Sheltered Housing Scheme. The current vacancy is at Ian Gibson Court, although you may be required to work in another Category 2.5 sheltered scheme if there is a need.

You will be part of a Support Assistant team under the supervision of the Scheme Manager who will provide you with the induction and guidance that you need to gain confidence in the role. This is in addition to other training available to assist you in your personal development.

As a Support Assistant, you will provide residents with day-to-day help according to need. This, for example, may involve domestic help or personal reassurance. Where support is needed, you will liaise with care agencies, Adult Social Care, GPs, chemists and families of residents. You will need to be able to deal with any emergencies and on occasions, this will involve assisting some frailer residents with personal care issues, as well as being able to manage challenging behaviour from time to time.

• Have a caring nature, enjoy talking to people and have good listening skills.
• Have a professional approach to your work.
• Have good written skills and basic numeracy.
• Be prepared to provide domestic help to residents who require support, and in an emergency, with their personal care.
• Be physically able to participate in moving and handling tasks.
• Be a good team worker, have the confidence to work alone and to deal with challenging situations in a calm manner.
• Have basic IT skills - e.g. basic use of Microsoft Word and Outlook.
• Be flexible and reliable. Although mainly working in one scheme, you will be prepared to work in other schemes to meet the 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.
• The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.