Work With Us
Here at Mainstay DRP, we really care about what we do – opening doors for adults with learning disabilities, and supporting them to achieve independence. Our wonderful staff are the backbone to our success.
We look for truly caring people who are passionate about developing a career supporting adults with learning disabilities in all aspects of their lives. If you’re the kind of person who rises to challenges, thrives in a people-focused environment, and has genuine compassion and resilience, then Mainstay DRP could be the place for you.
Some experience in any kind of caring role is desired, but is not always essential – some of our best people have had previous careers in areas like trades, retail, and manufacturing. What really sets them apart is their willingness to make a difference to people’s lives.
And there’s no doubt that working with our incredible clients is life changing for our staff too.
As well as working every day in a fulfilling career, we also offer –
- Refer a friend bonus of £200
- Rate of £70 for sleep in shifts.
- Access to a well-being package, including access to free healthcare through Medicash
- Discounted gym membership at the local leisure centre.
- Free meals for the floor team members when on shift.
- Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
- Team Training Fund – Apply for training to further your personal development
- Team Welfare Fund – Offering a loan of up to £500
- Free parking on all of our sites.
- Double time paid on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day and Easter Sunday
- Time and a half paid on St Patrick’s Day, May Day, 12th July and the last August Bank Holiday
- Saving scheme offered
- Company pension scheme
Currently Available Posts
You are strongly encouraged to read the Job Description. This will help you identify the key skills and experience required for the role.
When completing your application, it is essential that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Support Worker
Location: Mainstay – Downpatrick Location will be determined on appointment. Please note that all team members may be subject to transfer between locations according to client’s needs
Accountable to: Registered Manager of the service
Reports to: Senior of the service
Hours of work: Up to 39 hours per week
(Work includes irregular hours e.g. daytime, evenings, weekends, split shifts. And will require regular waking night duty and sleep in’s to meet the needs of our clients)
Salary: £13.04 – £14.32 per hour
As well as working every day in a fulfilling career, we also offer –
Comprehensive training aligned to NISCC
Free meals while on shift (all frontline staff)
Support to gain market-leading qualifications
Mentoring and on the job training from our experienced team members
Auto enrolment pension
Free parking on all of our sites
Refer-a-friend bonuses
Employer funded Healthcare scheme (which includes savings on high street retail outlets and gym membership)
Annual Leave 20 days per annum (plus an additional 3 days following 5 years’ service)
8 Bank Holidays per year
Job Purpose:
To support Mainstay in delivering their vison for any individual with a profound and multiple learning disability to lead a happy, healthy, fulfilled life of independence within their local community. All whilst being given choice and support, enabling them to live their best life possible. As a Support Worker you will ensure everyone is provided with choices and support to lead a happy, healthy independent life to the best of their abilities within their community.
Main tasks and responsibilities are:
Support ALL clients to live THEIR best lives!
Compassion and Care
- Provide person-centred support to service users as identified in their support plans
Empowering
- Facilitate and enhance their daily and independent living skills
Motivational
- Inspire our service users to succeed and develop
Customer focus
- Act as a nominated co-worker for allocated service users, putting the service user at the heart of what they do
High Standards
- Accurately maintain records in line with the organisations policies and procedures, adhering to all guidelines and best practice
Role Model
- Be a positive, proactive and supportive member of our team
Creativity and Initiative
- Proactively develop new ideas to support our service users and to enhance how we work for our service users
Below are some examples of tasks you may be asked to complete each day, however each and every one of our clients are individual and have a different level of support required so all their care and support plans will let you know what they need.
Job Activities:
Service Lead (Applicable if at Pt 3 and Pt 4 of the pay scale)
- Responsible for leading a shift, delegating key tasks to team members, ensuring all tasks are completed, and be the first point of escalation of issues
- Plan and implement activities on a shift including staffing levels, work allocation, transport.
- Ensure communication is effective and transparent to team members and service users, and all policies and procedures are understood and followed
- Report significant events to the relevant stakeholders in line with the organisation’s policies and procedures e.g. RQIA, NISCC, Supporting People, HSC Trusts, families.
- Safeguard the use of service users’ finances, managing checks and audits
- Ensure the medication policy is adhered to by all team members and breaches are escalated
- Complete sleep overs as required and be first response for any crisis intervention that may occur throughout the night
Support –
- Support our service users to meet their physical, personal and emotional needs as identified in their support plans, identifying and reporting changes in servicer users’ needs
- Support service users with growing their life skills, including advice & guidance to manage personal budgets, maintaining their property, living as part of a household, and to look after their health and wellbeing
- Participate in the planning and development of structured activity programmes for service users, which may include supporting service users with day activities and assessments
- Assist service users to overcome social exclusion by supporting them to attend and take part in community based social activities and play their part in the local community
- Fulfil the role as a Key Worker for service users and lead all liaisons with parents, carers, next of kin, medical professionals other third parties to ensure the best standard of support for each service user
- Review regular progression of service user’s SMART goals and outcomes. This includes the sourcing and implementation of additional support to achieve the goals.
- Maintain and review all Care/Support Plans and all relevant service user documentation
Care –
- Protect the rights and promote the interests of the service user
- Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of the servicer user
- Promote the independence of service users while protecting them from danger and harm
- Take part in the collection and distribution of money from our central office to your working location
- Support our service users with eating, drinking, personal care, and mobility as may be required and in line their support plans and best practice
- Report and escalate incidents appropriately and in good time, in line with our policies and procedures
- Maintain annual registration with the NISCC
General –
- Uphold the Mainstay DRP Code of Professional Conduct, in your role as a NISCC registered health and social care professional
- Actively participate in supervisions with your manager and develop your skills in required areas
- Actively and positively participate in regular team meetings
- Attend training events and courses as required in the fulfilment of your role
- Accurately maintain all records and administration in line with our policies and procedures, including using our online care logging system, and providing effective handover information to team members
- Adhere to all health and safety requirements in the fulfilment of the role
Skills you will need
You will need to be able to develop a strong and trusting relationship with the person you are supporting and enjoy helping them to live life the way they choose. Your role is not to make decisions for them, but to help them live an independent life. A Support Worker needs to be –
- Highly motivated, and committed to delivering service excellence
- Commitment to personal and professional development
- Can develop an approach to practice based on critical thinking, reflection and feedback
- Have the capacity and self-confidence to innovate
- Non-judgemental, with ability to empathise with clients
- Honest, trustworthy and respectful
- Possess cultural awareness and sensitivity
- Flexible, energetic, positive and calming disposition
- Resilient and self-caring
What we need from you
- Remember you are a professional Social Care worker and have signed up to the NISCC code of Standards and Practice
- To be punctual and demonstrate a strong teamwork ethic
- That you act in a professional way at all times
- Dedicate your time at work to supporting our clients
- Support your shift leader, senior and Managers to deliver a first class service for our clients and service users
- Partake in training to ensure personal and professional development and maintain the required level of training compliance
- Follow all Heath and Safety guidelines
- Take responsibility for your work
- Share your skills and knowledge to support the organisations ongoing development
Essential Criteria
- Ability to work under pressure
- Excellent IT and report writing skills
- Ability to maintain accurate documentation
- Knowledge of social care and NISCC standards
- NVQ Level 2 in Care or Equivalent qualifications (or willingness to work towards), or suitable experience
Desirable Criteria
- Experience working with or offering support to a vulnerable client group
- Experience of providing personal care for vulnerable adults
- NVQ level 3 in Care or Equivalent qualifications
- Experience of working in a supported living/residential/care organisation
- Experience of working with people who have a learning disability and/or autism
- Experience of administration of medication
- Full and Valid UK Driving License (or access to suitable transport to allow you to for fill the duties of the role)
NOTE This position is subject to an Enhanced Access NI check. Copies of the relevant policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders as well as the Access NI Code of Practice are available on request. Please note that having a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position with Mainstay.