Working in Care and Support Services

Would you like to make a difference to a person’s quality of life? Would you like to learn BSL while being paid? We are looking for caring and motivated staff to support deaf BSL users to join our team. Could that be you?

Who are we?

Deaf Action is a deaf-led charity, supporting and celebrating deaf people. We were established in 1835 and work with deaf people across Scotland and the South of England. Our work is geared towards empowering all deaf people to achieve their potential and fully participate in society, with equality of rights, access, and opportunity.

You can find out more about us at deafaction.org.

About you

We are looking for people who are caring, fun, motivated, willing to learn and show initiative. The people we support want our team to be friendly, reliable and practical.

If you have experience in supporting people in their own homes, tenancies, or a care home setting, that is beneficial. If you do not, we can provide training. We always provide on the job and formal training, and our workers often go on to complete formal qualifications in social care. If you already have knowledge of BSL that is a bonus, however we can provide training if you do not.

The ideal candidates will be fully committed to our values, which can be found on our website.

The role

We have varied roles within our Care and Support Services such as Care at Home support worker, Outreach Support worker in our services in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Glasgow; as well as Care and ancillary positions at our Care Home at Isle of Wight.

You will be delivering a person-centred service supporting deaf people within our services. This will enable them to fully participate in the decisions affecting their lives, ensuring that wherever possible, service users benefit from informed choice, control, and independence. This will include both activities in the care home, in their own home and within the community which will promote independence and social inclusion.

What do we offer?

• Living Wage Employer - £12 per hour
• Occupational pension scheme with employer contributions
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• 24/7 access to an Employee Assistance Programme provided by Health Assured. Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and IT Voucher Scheme
• Ongoing support for learning and development through our PDR process
• Training to learn British Sign Language at Level 1 and 2
• Death in service benefit.

The best part of my job is the people. I became a Support Worker as I wanted to help make a difference to someone’s life, however big or small.’

- Margaret, Visualise Support Worker

Do you want to join a team that is making a real difference to people’s lives? If so, Visualise Scotland are looking to recruit committed and passionate individuals for Support Worker positions that will allow you to work as part of a close knit, skilled and talented team.

Working for Visualise involves supporting adults living with disabilities to have the best quality of life possible, supporting their independence and choice. This can be in our housing support, day services or care at home. This includes supporting people with their day to day life- getting them ready in the morning, supporting them with personal care and hygiene, preparing food and meals, getting out and enabling them to take part in hobbies and leisure activities, using public transport, administering medication, attending appointments, managing their finances and accompanying them to social events. We are looking for someone who thrives on building relationships and working in a fast-paced environment where two days are never the same.

Good interpersonal skills, patience, and a willingness to learn are essential. Experience of working with people with disabilities is desirable but not essential as full training and support will be provided. Visualise provides quality support. We were graded 5 (very good, by Care Inspectorate in 2020).

About Visualise Scotland

Visualise is a small Edinburgh based charity providing support to adults who have complex support needs. The people we support are treated and respected as individuals with personalised care at the heart of what we do. We have a good record of providing high-quality support.

We are proud of our role as a local employer, and we pay over the Scottish living wage. We also offer a great staff benefits package, including Sick Pay, Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Pay, Life Insurance and access to the Hospital Saturday Fund and a Credit Union.

We provide a comprehensive induction and a variety of training including epilepsy, first-aid and manual handling. We are passionate about developing our employees and helping them achieve their career goals.

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Health & wellbeing programme
• Sick pay
• BHSF Rise- Free Confidential Advice and Support
• AIG Smart Health- Mental Health Support and Access to GP 24/7
• Hospital Saturday Fund- Contributory Scheme that covers Optical and Dental Expenditure, Physiotherapy, Hospital Stays and surgery.

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Edinburgh: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Work Location: In person

Successful candidates who have passed their probationary period, will get the chance to work towards an SVQ2 or SVQ3.

Kidscene is an after school and holiday club for children from the schools in the Morningside area, children from the Royal Blind School and who have additional support needs as well as a vision impairment.

We ensure all the children who attend Kidscene feel safe and included. We encourage the children to choose from an array of interesting activities. We provide a safe, quality play and care club, within the framework of the club’s policies and procedures.

In this role you will start the day with the team having a 5-minute meeting to discuss what the plans are for the day, you will then head out to the surrounding schools to collect the children from their teachers. Once you are back at the club, its snack time then the children go off to play. Staff will assist the children and young people throughout the session as they head off to various areas within the site. Towards the end of the day, you will greet parents and carer’s as they come in to collect the children and take on duties to help with the clean and preparation for the next day.

Within this role you will be able to take part in training courses such as emergency first aid, gastrostomy, manual handling, epilepsy and safeguarding both online through the LearnPro portal and in person.

You will also have supervisions and development discussions for the purpose of helping you to progress in your role.

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic person who can assist with the planning and delivery of play opportunities, provide comprehensive care for the children, provide snacks and refreshments whilst ensuring health and safety and hygiene standards are met, assist children with personal care, administer first aid, supporting and implementing good communication within the team and other colleagues within the organisation as well as parents and outside agencies, help with club administration and keeping the work environment healthy, safe and secure.

• Have an appropriate SVQ Level 2 or equivalent qualification, as per SSSC requirements or willingness to work towards
• Be registered or in a position to register with the SSSC
• Understand the varied needs of children and their families
• Have experience of working with children and be willing to learn new skills in relation to working with children with additional support needs and vision impairment
• Have an understanding of the issues involved in the delivery of quality play care for all children including those with additional support needs
• Provide and facilitate safe and creative play
• Have the ability to adapt to change and respond positively to non-routine situations
• Have good communication skills
• Be able to work as part of a team
• Undertake appropriate and relevant training
• Have an understanding of the issues of equal opportunities

Disclosure and PVG are required for this role.

The best part of my job is the people. I became a Support Worker as I wanted to help make a difference to someone’s life, however big or small.’

- Margaret, Visualise Support Worker

Do you want to join a team that is making a real difference to people’s lives? If so, Visualise Scotland are looking to recruit committed and passionate individuals for Support Worker positions that will allow you to work as part of a close knit, skilled and talented team.

Working for Visualise involves supporting adults living with disabilities to have the best quality of life possible, supporting their independence and choice. This can be in our housing support, day services or care at home. This includes supporting people with their day to day life- getting them ready in the morning, supporting them with personal care and hygiene, preparing food and meals, getting out and enabling them to take part in hobbies and leisure activities, using public transport, administering medication, attending appointments, managing their finances and accompanying them to social events. We are looking for someone who thrives on building relationships and working in a fast-paced environment where two days are never the same.

Good interpersonal skills, patience, and a willingness to learn are essential. Experience of working with people with disabilities is desirable but not essential as full training and support will be provided. Visualise provides quality support. We were graded 5 (very good, by Care Inspectorate in 2020).

About Visualise Scotland

Visualise is a small Edinburgh based charity providing support to adults who have complex support needs. The people we support are treated and respected as individuals with personalised care at the heart of what we do. We have a good record of providing high-quality support.

We are proud of our role as a local employer, and we pay over the Scottish living wage. We also offer a great staff benefits package, including Sick Pay, Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Pay, Life Insurance and access to the Hospital Saturday Fund and a Credit Union.

We provide a comprehensive induction and a variety of training including epilepsy, first-aid and manual handling. We are passionate about developing our employees and helping them achieve their career goals.

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Health & wellbeing programme
• Sick pay
• BHSF Rise- Free Confidential Advice and Support
• AIG Smart Health- Mental Health Support and Access to GP 24/7
• Hospital Saturday Fund- Contributory Scheme that covers Optical and Dental Expenditure, Physiotherapy, Hospital Stays and surgery.

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Musselbrugh: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Work Location: In person

Successful candidates who have passed their probationary period, will get the chance to work towards an SVQ2 or SVQ3.