Job summary
Calderdale Council, CCG and CFT are pleased to offer several opportunities to undertake the role of Independent Living Officer (ILO) within the Urgent Community Response team (UCR).
The role of ILO will be to support people to live as independently as possible through engagement, assessment and provision of equipment and aids to support independent living. You will assess, provide and install aids, equipment, adaptations, personal care, medicines management, rehabilitation exercises and support for carers to meet identified needs to support people to live safely at home and maximise independence. To support people to live healthy, independent, and full lives in their own homes and communities. To do this we are in the process of designing a new integrated Health and Social Care Urgent Response Team across Calderdale, consisting of new roles that will offer applicants the chance to think differently and creatively about how the service develops when it is established in December 2021. We are looking for people with or willing to acquire the skills that will bring a fresh approach to this important area of work.
Main duties of the job
A key member of a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency team providing support to adults of all ages who do not require specialist acute hospital admission but require support to maintain their independence within their home setting. With emphasis on promoting and maintaining individuals’ independence, dignity, and choice, undertaking medical, nursing or therapy related treatment programs or social care intervention to support and enable people. Working across the whole of Calderdale, this involves assessing a wide variety of situations, providing solutions (equipment, adaptations, and assistive technology), alongside caring and supporting individuals.
Participate in new initiatives and future changes in care delivery including the Rapid Reablement Service as part of the Urgent Community Response Team. Support hospital discharges and prevent unnecessary admissions to hospitals.
The UCR team delivers a seven-day service working on a rota basis for different shift patterns covering the whole of Calderdale. The service focuses on the delivery of rapid assessment and intervention for adults of all ages who do not require specialist acute hospital admission but who require crisis intervention within a community setting. This may be due to an alteration in their physical or psychological well-being, or a temporary change in their social circumstances which makes it difficult for them to be maintained in their own home without a short period of rehabilitation or intervention from UCR.
About us
Over the last 18 months Health and Social Care across Calderdale has changed and will continue to do so as we move out of the Coivd 19 and develop new ways of working to support people to live healthy, independent, and full lives in their own homes and communities. To do this we are in the process of designing a new integrated Health and Social Care Urgent Response Team across Calderdale, consisting of new roles that will offer applicants the chance to think differently and creatively about how the service develops when it is established in December 2021. We are looking for people with or willing to acquire the skills that will bring a fresh approach to this important area of work.
These roles have been regraded to reflect the new approaches we are developing and can be the first step in a rewarding career, covering a variety of professional roles in health and local government. If you are at the beginning of your career and exploring different options before you make the decision about your future, or if you have the life experience, thinking about a career change and willing to learn new skills that will take you into areas of work you didn’t know existed, please contact us for a further conversation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Establish positive relationships with the people we provide care for within professional boundaries, promoting dignity, choice, and respect.
- Working with people to encourage them to be able and independent by providing support and personal care to a range of service users in vastly different circumstances.
- Providing personal care, including washing, dressing, toileting, shaving, mouth care, catheter care, feeding, and meal preparation, with the objective of encouraging people to do these tasks independently. Support and enable service users to improve or maintain their mobility through exercise and the use of mobility appliances or fitting equipment if appropriate.
- Recording/Documentation accurately. Read, respond, and act upon support plans, risk assessments, manual handling assessments, medication profiles, and other written information within the person’s home. IT skills by completing mileage, booking A/L, toil, and applying for internal training on the system.
- Assist people, where appropriate, manage and take their prescribed medication according to their individualised medication profile and medication policy, be competent in dispensing medication from boxes and bottles, applying pain patches, contact chemist re medication, collection, and delivery prescriptions. Be competent in assisting a service user with stoma care and catheter care to recognise risks and report concerns to the appropriate person.
- Assess for equipment, assistive technology, and minor / major adaptations. To consider any preventative measures necessary to maintain independence, provide equipment, demonstrate, and instruct individuals, carers, and other professionals in the safe use of and provide ongoing training when required. Work will be carried out in patients own homes and the activities will include:
- Implementing treatment to protocols and based on competencies.
- Monitoring progress and feeding back to the registered practitioner or assistant practitioner
- Making minor adjustments to treatment programmes within predetermined limits
- Assisting registered practitioners with complex treatment.
- Community participation: support the individual and their families to identify community activities that will support the individual to maintain their connections with themselves, the people, and the environment surrounding them.
- Ability to use technology and interpret data to inform Reablement plans
- Attend training as identified through appraisal, in line with national minimum care standards, Skills Training and Council policy, and be proactive in any development opportunities as they arise. To assist in the induction of new colleagues and to maintain positive relationships within the team and beyond.
- Support and participate in treatment/exercise regimes and rehabilitation plans identified by other team members undertaking basic nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy roles following appropriate training, putting a splint on foot and following the exercise regime laid out, use of walking aids, deliver, and fit equipment.
- The initiative, to have a responsible attitude and a creative approach, to be open, you try new ways of working with service users and their carers. The ability to work alone and use your own initiative, however, also raise any issues that you feel need supervisory support and may have to deal with any emergency.
- Will be required to work in the homes of our service users. The types homes include houses, flats, sheltered housing, caravans, etc. some of which may be unpleasant or disagreeable, referring the difficult situations to the Locality Manager or Community Service Manager.
This is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities of this post. The post holder may be required to carry out any other duties as directed; the responsibility level of any other duties should not exceed those outlined above.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Establish positive relationships with the people we provide care for within professional boundaries, promoting dignity, choice, and respect.
- Working with people to encourage them to be able and independent by providing support and personal care to a range of service users in vastly different circumstances.
- Providing personal care, including washing, dressing, toileting, shaving, mouth care, catheter care, feeding, and meal preparation, with the objective of encouraging people to do these tasks independently. Support and enable service users to improve or maintain their mobility through exercise and the use of mobility appliances or fitting equipment if appropriate.
- Recording/Documentation accurately. Read, respond, and act upon support plans, risk assessments, manual handling assessments, medication profiles, and other written information within the person’s home. IT skills by completing mileage, booking A/L, toil, and applying for internal training on the system.
- Assist people, where appropriate, manage and take their prescribed medication according to their individualised medication profile and medication policy, be competent in dispensing medication from boxes and bottles, applying pain patches, contact chemist re medication, collection, and delivery prescriptions. Be competent in assisting a service user with stoma care and catheter care to recognise risks and report concerns to the appropriate person.
- Assess for equipment, assistive technology, and minor / major adaptations. To consider any preventative measures necessary to maintain independence, provide equipment, demonstrate, and instruct individuals, carers, and other professionals in the safe use of and provide ongoing training when required. Work will be carried out in patients own homes and the activities will include:
- Implementing treatment to protocols and based on competencies.
- Monitoring progress and feeding back to the registered practitioner or assistant practitioner
- Making minor adjustments to treatment programmes within predetermined limits
- Assisting registered practitioners with complex treatment.
- Community participation: support the individual and their families to identify community activities that will support the individual to maintain their connections with themselves, the people, and the environment surrounding them.
- Ability to use technology and interpret data to inform Reablement plans
- Attend training as identified through appraisal, in line with national minimum care standards, Skills Training and Council policy, and be proactive in any development opportunities as they arise. To assist in the induction of new colleagues and to maintain positive relationships within the team and beyond.
- Support and participate in treatment/exercise regimes and rehabilitation plans identified by other team members undertaking basic nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy roles following appropriate training, putting a splint on foot and following the exercise regime laid out, use of walking aids, deliver, and fit equipment.
- The initiative, to have a responsible attitude and a creative approach, to be open, you try new ways of working with service users and their carers. The ability to work alone and use your own initiative, however, also raise any issues that you feel need supervisory support and may have to deal with any emergency.
- Will be required to work in the homes of our service users. The types homes include houses, flats, sheltered housing, caravans, etc. some of which may be unpleasant or disagreeable, referring the difficult situations to the Locality Manager or Community Service Manager.
This is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities of this post. The post holder may be required to carry out any other duties as directed; the responsibility level of any other duties should not exceed those outlined above.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING
Essential
- GCSE in Maths and English or equivalent
- NVQ level 3 or equivalent in Adult Care or equivalent
- Willing to work towards Trusted Assessor Accreditation
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE
Essential
- Working with a range of people delivering care or support in the community
- Practical experience of using equipment relating to Care or willing to learn
- Skilled understanding of the needs of people who need care at home
- Skilled understanding of the needs of people with Dementia including an understanding of promoting independence and choice to the individual
- Understanding of Person centred Approaches
Desirable
- Provide high quality support to people in their own home
- Flexible working responding to the ever-changing demands/needs of a community-based service
- Be Aware of and promote good practice with regard to ? Manual Handling ? Health and safety ? Mental capacity Act ? Equality and Diversity ? Driving Safely Safeguard adults and children
- Work with people in goal setting, devise support plan to enable the person to maximize their independence and rehabilitation through reablement process and emotional support. Work with people to assess for equipment, assistive technology, and minor/major adaptations where appropriate including carers. To provide and / or install aids/ equipment and Assistive Technology
COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)
Essential
- Excellent communication skills verbal, non-verbal and written
- Able to plan and prioritise workload
- Ability to demonstrate flexibility and initiative
- Ability to maintain judgement when working under pressure
- Ability to work effectively as a member of a team
- Ability to learn and develop skills
- Ability to undertake training and apply new understanding
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING
Essential
- GCSE in Maths and English or equivalent
- NVQ level 3 or equivalent in Adult Care or equivalent
- Willing to work towards Trusted Assessor Accreditation
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE
Essential
- Working with a range of people delivering care or support in the community
- Practical experience of using equipment relating to Care or willing to learn
- Skilled understanding of the needs of people who need care at home
- Skilled understanding of the needs of people with Dementia including an understanding of promoting independence and choice to the individual
- Understanding of Person centred Approaches
Desirable
- Provide high quality support to people in their own home
- Flexible working responding to the ever-changing demands/needs of a community-based service
- Be Aware of and promote good practice with regard to ? Manual Handling ? Health and safety ? Mental capacity Act ? Equality and Diversity ? Driving Safely Safeguard adults and children
- Work with people in goal setting, devise support plan to enable the person to maximize their independence and rehabilitation through reablement process and emotional support. Work with people to assess for equipment, assistive technology, and minor/major adaptations where appropriate including carers. To provide and / or install aids/ equipment and Assistive Technology
COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)
Essential
- Excellent communication skills verbal, non-verbal and written
- Able to plan and prioritise workload
- Ability to demonstrate flexibility and initiative
- Ability to maintain judgement when working under pressure
- Ability to work effectively as a member of a team
- Ability to learn and develop skills
- Ability to undertake training and apply new understanding
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .
