Lead Practitioner - Inclusion (Renfrewshire LD) (REN/31)

JOB PURPOSE & CORE DETAILS- To:

1. Work to the service and organisation’s aims and values and promote the citizenship of the people we support.
2. Deliver support and facilitate activities to people who use Turning Point Scotland’s services and in so doing contribute to the provision of the highest possible quality of social care support which meets the service specification.
3. Facilitate activity opportunities both locally and community based for people we support to encourage choice, community integration and fun, whilst realising potential.
4. Work to promote and support social enterprise opportunities in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.
5. Operate at an established level of social care practice, or engaged moving towards established.
6. Work in accordance with the organisation’s aim of because people matter.
7. Undertake CPD (continuous professional development) with the support of your line manager and use appraisals and supervision fully.
8. Keep your registration and membership to relevant professional bodies up to date and valid.
9. Undertake any outstanding required qualification for registration, or if not working in a registered service qualify at the minimum of SVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care.
10. Undertake any other duties or responsibilities as may be deemed appropriate to the post by the Service Manager (or nominated deputy).

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

 Inclusion within the Renfrewshire area and Inverclyde:

• Be aware of the importance of inclusion within not only the local community but in the wider context.
• Advocate for and promote choice with adults with additional support needs.
• Support in the ongoing development of our Social Enterprise café at Orchard View, Inverclyde including support to our service user volunteers.
  

Renfrewshire Connects

• With colleagues, arrange, co-ordinate and support Renfrewshire Connects group activities.
• With colleagues, ensure Renfrewshire connects meetings are held regularly.
• Lead on the communication of information to service users i.e. newsletter and contribute to the development of other communication methods for example Facebook etc.
• Contribute to the development and support of communication toolkits for adults with additional support needs.
  

Support to people who use services- To: 

• Liaise with service users, teams and families to plan and organise community based and local activities which meet their needs and wishes.
• Encourage and facilitate service user participation in activities and provide guidance as appropriate.
• Co-ordinate activities with and for the people we support in accordance with their choices, support plans and personal outcomes.
• Advise people who we support in accordance with guidance from senior colleagues or in accordance with the service aims.
• Maintain professional confidentiality and boundaries at all times.
• Support and assist people who we support in crisis situations, and/or manage physical risk or behaviour likely to cause incidents, in accordance with the support plan or service protocol.
• Travel within the service area you are contracted for and supporting the travel and transportation of people who we support in accordance with their support plan (motability, own car service vehicles, public transport etc).
• Have an understanding of the causes and effects of social exclusion as is relevant to the service and area in which you work.

Planning, policies and record keeping- To: 

• Regularly review activity plans and contribute to outcome focused support plans and service user reviews.
• Keep a record of activities and events in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.
• Develop and contribute to health and safety including risk management plans, and follow and update risk assessments.
• Work with data in line with the data protection act.
• Work with and comply with standard operation (finance, operational, H&S, HR) and service procedures.
• Have a knowledge of Self Directed Support (SDS) and how this impacts services.

Interactions with other people- To: 

• Administer or prompting medication and ensure that medication protocols are adhered to. 
• Support or mentor new staff, students and volunteers/those on placement to show them how your practice complies with the SSSC Codes of Practice.
• Have a collegiate approach, ask when you need support or guidance and team work well with a diverse group of people.
• Manage and resolve conflict promptly and raise or report issues appropriately using the correct internal processes.
• Liaise with workers from other agencies when requested to do so by senior colleagues.
• Work in accordance with the relevant legislation and National Care Standards.
• Liaise with external agencies and venues to arrange an activity base as required
• Maintain confidentiality with shared information.
• Be aware of health and safety and contribute fully to keeping my work environment, community, people who use services and me safe.

Leadership- To: 

• Provide buddying or informal coaching to new staff.
• Support the delivery of a specific part of the service such as group work.
• Continuously contribute to service development and improvement.
• Contribute to Turning Point Scotland.
• Keep abreast of changes or sector requirements that are relevant to you.
• Appropriately challenge oppressive or potentially abusive behaviours or practices and report any concerns quickly to senior colleagues.

MISCELLANEOUS- applies only in certain services 

• To undertake evening and weekend working as required. This is not your regular 9-5 post.
• To undertake training that may be technical or specialised that will benefit the service.
• To perform lone working on occasions

Renfrewshire Learning Disability Services

Turning Point Scotland’s Renfrewshire Learning Disability Services deliver a Care at Home and Housing Support service for a large number of people who have learning and physical disabilities living across the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire areas. The accommodation includes 2 core and cluster services. Individuals who are supported by the service live either on their own or share with others. Individual’s homes are located throughout Renfrewshire. Most people receive 24 hour support.

The staff who work in Renfrewshire Learning Disability services are committed to ensuring that individuals are always included in the development, implementation and review of their personal life plans. The ethos of the service is to assist people to meet their personal, social, educational and domestic aspirations in accordance with Keys to Life. Our staff work in a person centred, outcome focussed manner, working in partnership with Renfrewshire Council Social Work Department and community healthcare teams will ensure peoples’ support needs are fully met.

We are registered with the Care Commission and work in partnership with a number of external agencies i.e. Social Work Department, Community Learning Disability Teams, and Housing Associations etc.

The individuals we support are provided with the opportunity to become involved in their local and surrounding community. Our management structure, together with the administration team enables us to monitor closely the service we provide. All our staff, regardless of their position, receive extensive training which enables them to carry out their job to a high standard.

Essential Criteria:

Qualifications:

• A willingness to complete a qualification in Social Service and Health Care at level 7 (SCQF) or higher (or other speciality recognised by the SSSC for registration purposes) and if not already registered, to register with the SSSC within the timescale required, where relevant. Additional PDA units may be required.

Experience:

• Must have had direct professional experience of support to people who have a wide range of support needs to a person centred and outcome based approach.
• Has experience of working with people who have barriers to social inclusion. Welcoming them and creating supportive spaces that encourage a sense of belonging.
• Has direct experience of working with people whose behaviour is considered challenging. Is able to manage inappropriate behaviour in a supportive manner to tackle the exclusion and marginalisation people experience whilst maintaining a safe environment for others.
• Experience co-ordinating or facilitating activity based supports for people with additional support needs.
• Has strong experience in working with organisational policies, recording systems and support planning including using IT.

Values:

• Must be able to demonstrate an understanding and commitment to the values that underpin social care focussing on inclusion, person centred approaches and citizenship.
• Must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the need to maintain professional boundaries between social care workers and people who use services and the role of a professional social care worker.
• Must be wholly respectful towards all service users and colleagues and address issues constructively.

 Other skills and knowledge: 

• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of and the skills to operate to the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Care Workers.
• Must be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills in order to communicate well with service users and colleagues at all levels in the organisation.
• Must be willing to develop skills used when supporting people through reflective practice, active learning, personal and professional development, supervision and feedback.
• Knowledge of relevant safeguarding and adult or child protection.
• Driver essential/use of own vehicle for work purposes
• Experience of providing support with personal care.
• Includes cooking and housekeeping skills

Desirable Criteria:

Qualifications:

• Has completed a qualification in Social Service and Health Care at level 7 (SCQF) or higher (or other speciality recognised by the SSSC for registration purposes) and if not already registered, to register with the SSSC within the timescale required, where relevant. Additional PDA units may be required.

 Other skills and knowledge:

• Good organisational, admin and IT skills and experience planning and co-ordinating events and activities.
• Has experience of working in a lone working environment.
• Has had a coaching or mentoring role.
• Has strong experience in risk assessment.

We are a large, stable national provider and a charity. As we are not for profit there is ongoing investment into our staff training and development, a good GPP pension scheme, and annual leave and sick pay that significantly exceeds the statutory minimum.

We also have a brilliant employee assistance programme (independent advice, information and support online, by phone and in person), a group reward scheme to help your money go further and access to a contributory ‘hospital’ fund. We have a relationship with a credit union and promote saving directly from salary.

We aim to provide a working environment where opinions and ideas are valued and arrangements are in place to ensure that there is a high level of staff representation and that people are encouraged to make their views heard and to participate at service and organisational levels.

As a leading national social care provider our breakthrough and forward-thinking models of practice and service are well recognised. Examples of this recently have been: Housing First, Psychologically informed environments (PIE), Citizenship and both Scottish and International research and evaluation of a range of projects. We work across a wide range of types of services and the organisation provides pathways for development: a career development workshop; appraisal; learning and training options; internal forums and project groups; and opportunities for internal secondment, temporary acting up or sideways roles and career progression.

The salary scale for the post will be (reduced pro rata for part time posts, the full time equivalent is a 37 working hour week)

• £19,085
• £19,569
• £20,120
• £20,764
• £21,397

The annual leave entitlement will be (reduced pro rata for part time posts and will include a proportional entitlement to public holidays)

25 days per year, plus 8 public holidays and 2 local holidays.