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Ref no:
VSA00064
Published:
12/11/2021
Closes:
17/12/2021
Location:
Linn Moor Residential School, Peterculter , AB14 0PL
Salary:
£19,000 - £19,800 per year
Contract Type:
Permanent
Position Type:
Part Time
Hours:
21 hours per week

VSA is a well-respected local social care charity, helping support the people of Aberdeen for over 150 years.

Our mission is to provide the best of care to enable the best of lives; supporting individuals and communities to fulfil their potential.

VSA provides vital support and services to people of all ages. At VSA we support a person’s physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing through a range of residential and outreach support Services.

Working in social care is a hugely rewarding career, and you can help change the lives of vulnerable children and adults. At VSA, we are looking for motivated and compassionate individuals to join our team.

VSA have an exciting opportunity available to join our Rowanlea House Service (Adult Services) as a Life Skills Practitioner based in Aberdeen. This will be a part-time permanent position and in return, you will receive a competitive salary and benefits.

Hours: 14-21 hours per week, 2-3 days

Rota: you will be expected to work on a rolling rota which will include late shifts and weekend working (shifts are: 7.30am-3.30pm & 2.30pm-10.30pm).


Salary: £9.75 p.h

We offer our Life Skills Practitioner fantastic benefits including:


- Competitive Salary

- Generous Holidays

- Sick Pay Scheme

- NEST Pension Scheme

- Refer a friend scheme

- Ongoing professional development




VSA's Rowanlea House Adult Service, situated on the Linn Moor Campus near Peterculter, provides an intensive housing and support service for young adults with autism that focuses on the development of meaningful life skills and personal fulfilment. VSA believe that young adults with complex needs should continue learning after they leave formal education. We provide a range of opportunities for the young adults in the service and use an education room at our newly refurbished Easter Anguston farm, where young adults can take part in arts and crafts workshops, log cutting, and furniture renovation among other activities. Our dedicated and enthusiastic team of Support Workers (Life Skills Practitioners - Adult Service), provide the necessary support and care to ensure this happens and we would love to hear from you if you want to join our team.

We are looking to recruit people that will both support and work with the adults within their home, and help them to develop interests and hobbies. We also want people that can be innovative and help us to embed our approach in practice within this new service.


It is important that you have experience of working with children/adults with autism, complex needs and behavioural challenges, as well as being confident in working alongside them and as part of a staff team. We will however provide full training and support.

https://www.vsa.org.uk/rowanlea-house/

Main Duties/Responsibilities:

  • Identifying ways of communicating effectively on difficult, complex and sensitive issues. Supporting Tenants appropriately in the communication process, especially where specific communication needs have been identified.
  • Promoting, monitoring and maintaining health, safety and security including medication administration. Minimise risks arising from emergency and ensure Tenants, colleagues and self are safe and secure in the Tenancy and to follow, at all times, the policy and guidance on adult protection and supporting Tenants to maximise self care skills.
  • Promoting the wellbeing and protection of the Tenants, working with them in ways which promote their rights and responsibilities, supporting them to express their views and preferences about their health and wellbeing.
  • Ensuring that the Tenants physical environment is clean and comfortable, guiding and actively supporting Tenants in Housing with Support tasks while they re-learn or maintain skills necessary for remaining in their Tenancy.
  • Supporting service users as Tenants in their daily living through identified ‘Care at Home’ tasks.
  • Contributing to the prevention and management of challenging behaviour in Tenants, negotiating boundaries and identifying goals to promote acceptable levels of behaviour and working positively with risk assessments to enable access to the wider community.
  • Participating in the maintenance of accurate recording systems and reports (both manual and computerised) to meet agreed standards in line with administrative, regulatory and management purposes
  • Complying with and having a sound working knowledge of necessary legislative requirements as laid down through the care standards and recognising the impact of following these standards on the overall provision of service.
  • Developing one’s knowledge and practice continuously through participation in training and development activities.
  • Carrying out any other tasks from time to time, provided they are reasonable and within the postholder’s capabilities.
  • Having awareness and work within internal control systems in your area to facilitate improvement in the quality of service provided.

Key Skills/Aptitudes:

Essential:

  • Ability to communicate well verbally with individuals
  • Ability to work with individuals who may display challenging behaviour.
  • Ability maintain accurate records
  • Basic I.T. skills (e.g.-mails)
  • Record keeping
  • Problem solving
  • Using initiative
  • Organisational Skills
  • Good interpersonal skills

Personal Qualities:

Essential:

  • Approachable
  • Evidence of ability to manage challenging behaviour.
  • Willingness and ability to carry out physical care tasks e.g. toileting
  • Ethical
  • Flexible
  • Team-worker (working in a small team)

Other Job Requirements:

To comply with the registration and qualification requirements as laid down by the Scottish Social Service Council (SSSC) and to strictly adhere to the SSSC Codes of Practice.

Ability to work in an environment with service users who demonstrate challenging behaviour and able to respond effectively to challenging behaviour, use and train in Behavioural Support Strategies (BSS) following VSA standards and procedures.

Implementation of communication and learning strategies such as TEACCH, PECS etc


In order to facilitate the transport of staff to and from our Linn Moor campus, VSA operates a staff bus in both the morning and evening.