Job Description
Job Title: Senior Homecare Assistant
Location: Limerick
Hours: Full Time Mon-Fri with some flexibility required
Pay Scale: Discussed at Interview
Reporting to: Booking Co-ordinator
Accountable to: Clinical Nurse Manager / Care Assessor and Client Care Manager
Overall Purpose of the Post:
The purpose of this post is to provide person centred personal assistance to service user/s in their own home and to lead, support, and assist all care staff to ensure quality of care for all service users.
Key Working Relationships
Myhomecare believe that strong professional relationships need to be forged and fostered on an on-going basis. These working relationships include:
• The Service User
• Family Members
• Booking Co-ordinators
• Manager and other staff
• HSE staff and other service providers
Overview of Areas of Responsibility
- The role of the Senior Homecare Assistant is to assist the name service user in aspects of daily living. This assistance will be given in line with an agreed care plan and at the direction of the service user so that changing needs can be safely met. The service will be provided during days, nights, weekends and the Senior Homecare Assistant must be flexible to undertake additional client care visits when required.
- The role of the Senior Homecare Assistant will change to meet the needs of the Service User as needs change and supports will include assisting with intimate personal care and some cases complex care, assisting with eating, drinking, engaging in therapeutic activities etc. and will be required to prepare meals and provide light domestic support.
- The Senior Homecare Assistant is required to lead and support care staff this includes training and supervising new members of the team. The Senior Homecare Assistant must be flexible to accept additional client care visits when required and undertake relevant personal development training and upskilling to enable complex care to be provided to clients.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The position of a Senior Homecare Assistant is a front-line role within the service user’s residence, to enable service users to lead as independent a lifestyle as possible. The Senior Homecare Assistant is required to lead and support all care staff which involves training and supervising new members of the team to ensure quality of care to all service users.
This position will include a programme of personal care and household management that is personalised for each service user in the form of a Care Plan. Care duties will therefore include assisting the service user with the following activities and in so doing will at all times observe and respect the service user’s dignity, privacy and independence in line with Myhomecare’s policies and procedures:
Personal Intimate Care:
• Dressing and undressing / preparing the service user for trips out etc.
• Washing / bathing / showering / shaving / grooming / cleaning teeth.
• Hair care (washing / brushing).
• Toileting and all aspects of personal hygiene.
• Continence management.
• Care of pressure sores (under appropriate nursing supervision).
• Getting in and out of bed.
• Assisting with the use of aids to daily living / Rehabilitation Aids, as required.
• Helping with rehabilitation programmes, as prescribed by Healthcare professionals.
• Supporting therapeutic physiotherapy programmes
Dietary Care:
• Preparation of snacks and nutritious meals according to the service user’s likes / dislikes.
• Assisting with feeding, as required.
Personal services:
• Assistance with paying bills (see policy for handling service user’s money).
• Personal planning (birthdays / anniversaries etc).
Domestic / Household Services:
• General cleaning duties, to include cleaning / dusting / vacuuming / polishing.
• Bed‐making.
• Clearing refuse and rubbish.
• Laundering / Hand‐washing / Ironing.
• Fuel Management.
• Shopping, and the preparation of shopping lists.
Medication
• Prompting the service user to take prescribed and in line with our policy on Medication Management for Non – Nursing Staff.
Duty of Confidentiality
The use and sharing of service user personal information forms an essential part of the provision of health and social care. It benefits individual service users, enables health and social services to function effectively and is often necessary in the public interest. However, the essential nature of such uses needs to be set alongside the expectation service users have that all personal information will be kept confidential. All staff therefore have strong ethical and legal obligations to protect service user information. The right to confidentiality is guaranteed partly by the Data Protection Act 1998, 2003 & 2018 and Freedom of Information Act 1997.
Standards in the Service
Myhomecare is committed to maintaining and enhancing quality standards in all aspects of its service. Senior Homecare Assistants are required to work in line with:
• The Policies and Procedures of Myhomecare.
• Follow best practice guidelines such as but not restricted to Health & Safety, Children First Guidelines, Vulnerable Adult Protection Guidelines, Manual Handling Guidelines, Patient Handling Guidelines, Infection Control, Driving for Work Policy, Confidentiality etc.
Professional Development & Team Working
In this role Senior Homecare Assistants will work alone and as part of a team. All Homecare Assistants are also part of a wider Homecare team. Myhomecare will work to support Senior Homecare Assistants to ensure their professional development. When requested, the Senior Homecare Assistants will be required to:
• Participate in on-going professional supervision
• Train and supervise new members of the team
• Attend and actively contribute to staff meetings
• Attend and Participate in training
• Attendance at training is mandatory and failure to do so may result in disciplinary action
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. To conform to all Policies and Procedures laid down by Myhomecare in respect of carrying out these Care Duties & in other administrative aspects of the business, as relevant.
2. Safeguard and promote the welfare of the children and vulnerable adults.
3. To maintain accurate, concise and timely records of service user care plan (if applicable).
4. To comply with legislation that requires employers to record working hours (that is, using the One Touch app clock-in system).
5. To report back to the Clinical Nurse Manager / Booking Coordinator on any aspect of service user care which he / she feels warrants investigation or urgent action.
6. To participate in reviews of service users support service as required. To be aware of the tasks and activities which must NOT be undertaken as part of care duties, as set out in the Company Policy Documents.
7. Leading and supporting all care staff which includes training and supervising new members of the Homecare team to ensure compliance with procedures and quality standard of care to all service users.
8. Undertaking relevant personal development training and upskilling to enable complex care to be provided to clients.
This description is not exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to carry out other duties as requested by their Booking Co-ordinator / Manager
Key Requirements:
1. Full Fetac Level 5 or Higher Major Award in Healthcare.
2. A minimum of 4 months experience working with Myhomecare.ie.
3. Excellent IT Skills.
4. Excellent English written and verbal skills.
5. Full clean Driving Licence and access to a car.
6. Full time availability.
7. Participate in additional Training.