support worker

service leader

learning and development specialist

specialist

neurodevelopmental assessment practitioner

Community Integrated Care

I had worked ion the field for Five years but worked for the "Charity" for just over two years and what I saw was terrible. HR and HRBP will read this and think that it's just another ex-worker who got the hump and is throwing his toys out the cot, but this is not so! I suffered greatly and as a bank worker I was told often that if I did not take a calls or do the hours they required that I would not get much to do later, so to keep the peace so to speak and as i had a "can do" attitude, as they were always short staff and I like to help, I would generally always oblige but there was never any gratitude or appreciation. Pay was always wrong for everyone, and it was up to you to "fight" for it with manual payments which were always weeks later, but you had to keep records to keep track of what was missing. So, if you rely on regular pay to keep up with bills and other vital payments think again. My pay was always 40-50% out including major discrepancies with my mileage. It transpired that I was subsidising service users travel!

The Ethos of the organisation is good, but what's on paper and with their policies does not mean it is implemented, far from it as managers and other senior staff do as they please and if they make mistakes they use staff as scapegoats anyways. I got caught up in all sorts of shenanigans which have affected me deeply. Within the two or so years CIC Nott'm had gone through Ten (10) managers, and since the beginning of this year (2019) over Twenty (20) "time served experience" staff have left including senior staff, what does that tell you?! The regional left as well as the line manager again, this doesn't mean that things are good because yet another inexperienced "leader" is steering the ship in my opinion.

Above all there is absolutely no true leadership which the "charity" clearly and desperately needs to make it work properly, that's the key to success, and a really good leader would be worth their weight in gold in an organisation which deals with people as their core commodity and needs to be 100% person centred at all times. They have NO duty of care whatsoever, when you are burnt out they merely abandon you and you are forgotten! They have much to learn IMO.

CIC hide behind smoke screens, and cover ups are common, mistakes are blamed on the lower ranking work force as they feel they have a hold on you but then they purport to have a "duty of care" for your well being, but I never witness this ever, even when I was having a melt down, I was still bullied. It's crazy in this day and age but it would appear to me that good leadership is hard to come by, but I have seen it and CIC did have some potentially good leaders who were pushed out early rather oddly.

let me answer briefly some of indeed's opinion questions....

- A typical day at work is tough, especially if you have 8-10 calls to make a day without having a break, which was almost everyday!
- What I learnt was that people need good support and it's important to them mostly.
- Management is so bad and un-supportive of you, they do not listen!
- Workplace culture is appalling, if you complain you will be eventually constructively dismissed and there is no such thing as speaking out because if you do you are merely regarded as a trouble maker and disrespected regardless of the reasons which are generally justified!
The culture is, If your "face" doesn't fit you are finished!
- The hardest part of the job was being able to survive the day with out a break and burnout!
- The most enjoyable part was to help others in need and helping them develop their self-esteem and confidence and to see them making progress, but this would only happen once you had developed a good rapport with them and they trusted you, if we were given that chance to work with them.

HRBP when you read this please do not respond with one of your patronising comments that you are bothered, I brought all the problems within the charity to your notice and you did nothing but dismiss everything. You people need to wake up and change what is not working correctly inline with the true Ethos of the Charity.....

Worst job i have ever had, they will literally hire anyone, staff are just numbers, no experience needed more like wanted as with experience you will notice all the wrong things with this "charity" which they don't like or seem to want to do anything to improve, bullying in the workplace seems to be tolerated, bad standards in medication, medication training is shocking or not given at all so if you have knowledge or experience
In this expect everything to be left to you to fix/do as nothing will be done to improve staffs knowledge or confidence in this. Extremely poor communications, no person centred or person specific training given and you will be expected to work with adults who have complex needs which means the service users do not receive good or correct /appropriate support to suit their needs.

Office decides without even knowing you what is or isn't important in providing support for you in the workplace, as for the way staff are also treated very poor, made to feel bad if you don't do additional time at short notice often getting no choice due to staff sickness or not turning up more disciplinary action would reduce this as many are clearly taking advantage, bullying in the workplace not helped by so many staff being allowed to stand around not doing their job, senior staff do very little but intimidate, you will receive minimal to no support from management, meaning cover shifts yourself even being told if you are genuinely sick you are expected to cover your own shift yourself even though this is managements job, management wont answer phones more so at weekends and on call is hopeless as they are people who don't even work in your service,have copy of rota or even know your pws, meaning you are left with the rota during time you should be attending to pws needs. You can get a management position simply by turning up when you should nothing appears to be required to fill these positions meaning half the ones higher up running the place haven't got a clue! Even if you are completely loyal to this company you are guaranteed to be screwed over when you have the sense to leave. I was lied to about how much annual leave entitlement was left when their was a months notice given for this information to be received and short shifted ,also company not honoring contracted hours and not actioning request to lower contract due to their failure to provide hours other than expecting me to work my days off when have sometimes been on 10+ days in a row! leaving me with most of my final wage being taken from me meaning no wage for a month. This charity will take no responsibility for their breaching of contracts! Do not expect to feel appreciated for anything you do good, they will "destroy" you or even suspend you if you do the pettiest thing wrong. The more you do the more they will expect and the more the lazy management appear to be.

If you care and are passionate about working in care/support avoid this company as you are at risk of tarring your hard earned reputation by working for them!  less

Within our home we have rota'd days the typical day I will explain to you is a sleep in.
I start at 10am count the monies with another member of staff individuals monies petty cash and fuel budgets. There may be a lady or a man who I support who may be in distress with a bad stomach or a vocal man shouting for a drink. I would attend these people as an individual see if there is anything I can help them with for example asking what a man would like to drink, this could take some time but the response is the key importance. Another would be to ask what is causing distress is it whats on TV? would they like to go for a walk would they like some medication to relieve the pain. a lady may need changing due to being incontinent and is unable to do so herself. Activities such as games, walks out, shopping, colouring in pictures, baking can also be included on a day to day basis.

 At dinner time I may be a member of staff that will cook that day asking all people concerned what they would like to eat. At dinner time I may need to support someone in the help of feeding if they are unable to do so themselves. washing and drying dishes making sure everybody is ok whilst I go along with these chores.  A medical appointment may need to be attended by an individual and as a member of staff to support and help explain what seems to be the underlying illness or there as an advocate to someone who is none verbal. If prescribed a new treatment then return home and ring the pharmacy to collect the script also book the medication in.

Tea time I could also be the member of staff preparing meals and again helping support people who is unable to feed them selves. After tea and the washing and drying has been maybe need to support a member of staff with peg feeding or changing somebody. The public house is also a popular place to interact into the community in which the people we support like to go. On  returning home then I will help with hoisting and bathing of people I support . Communicating with the staff on shift. Once this is done medication is normally the next step so 2 competent members of staff will administer correctly with the guidance of the mars sheets. If a person I support would like to go to bed then I shall try and help took them in wishing a good night to them and tucking them in. Finish shift at 10 pm then I would write up in individuals notes what there day has been like, if any behaviours have been displayed how they have been feeling during the day for example  happy sad restless, in good spirits a little quiet. then I may go to bed for around 12 am to be ready for my shift at 7am, this rarely happens as I may be needed during the night or someone may be shouting out.

I have been working at Community Integrated Care full-time for more than 5 years

The peer to peer support is OK, just no support from Management and no senior supervisors either, it's in chaos most of the times.!
Support workers are not being listened to for the realities they face in terms of work related stress, sluggish recruitment and lacks mature people. There is no focus on presence in services - either by many service managers nor regional managers. Cronyism is rife throughout - evidenced by a complete lack of engagement even when this is asked for. Regulation methods are not consistent by organisational standards. Rationale is oblique and abstract - a lack of clarity in direction. Executive teams and directorates appear detached from empathy - the emphasis is allegedly on the greater good however - when this filters down and the lack of leadership really means that the emphasis is actually on career building and failing outstanding services in order to make oneself look competent and a natural problem solver. People who work in the organisation are frightened to upset the applecart, those at the top appear to be narcissistic.

Care management is fraught with contradictions and inconsistency, 
The main issue is that Community Integrated Care cannot seem to hold on to people. To say why would be conjecture however as a quiet observer i have noticed that consistency seems to be the main issue. Changes are again being made with a view to the bottom with more stringent controls that effect support workers to be able to deliver care and support on a personalised basis - The Charities executive team and directorates appear to have become bogged down in systems that not much more than vanity projects that are rigid and inflexible - the policy makers are to far removed from the realities of the services that they have to actually make mindful engaging solutions that work for the client as well as the staff teams. Too many resources are wasted on gloss and pomp like winning care awards based upon how many tables are purchased for an event - if you are going to do this invite the little people not the comms team and HR all of the time. Be humble, be real, make the right decisions even when no one is watching, remove personal and professional agendas and be kind - this is what will get you credibility, loyalty and legitimacy. Find real leadership and pay staff on the front-line a living wage not a minimum wage and in line with time served and for loyalty and experienced, and above all support your staff and listen to them, stand by them at all times, they are the ones who represent the charity after all!!

Responsible for mobilization process of projects. Supporting people with a wide range of needs, including learning difficulties, physical disabilities, complex needs (including dual diagnosis), mental health concerns, sensory impairments , challenging behavior and autistic spectrum disorders;
- Aim deliver a service which gives people real choice and control over how they live their lives, maximize talents and skills and fostering independence and support to achieve personal goals and aspirations.
- Key responsibility is to build the best service my team of 18 support workers. Understanding how to achieve the right physical environment for the people I support.
- Work closely with our in-house property team, as well as partner landlords and housing providers, to carefully create living environments properly attuned to needs. Promoting the most therapeutic and enabling environment possible for people we support.
- Motivating staff, who have the skills and understanding to see the world through the eyes of the people they support.
- Responsible for ensuring compliance with CQC regulations and all contractual requirements, take on the challenge of modernizing current provision and ensuring that at the forefront of modern social care provision, providing deeply personalized care.
- Improvement of service quality and the modernization of approach to the delivery of individualized and person centered support. In addition to demonstrate strong commercial skills with an appetite for business growth.
- Creating the assessment and new care/support planning process in partnership with the people we support, their families and the wider circle of support. Be part of personalization project and directly responsible to create new support plans documents.
- Promoting good practice. Developing new recruitment system, to provide services with ideas about how they can involve people with a learning disability/autism in choosing and developing staff.
- Delivering the most progressive services I can. Working in partnership with sector bodies and other care professionals, to shape and influence our thinking. Be a part of the accreditation process of National Autistic Society
- Working closely with lots of different employers, finding a wide range of job roles that offer the people we support real opportunities to become valued team members and enjoy the sense of self-esteem which work offers.

No day are the same in my job, but being happy to be doing what i am doing, i find it really enjoyable. My day would begin with meeting the service user in the mornig. After exchanging plesantries with everyone including my colleague, i am set up for the day's work. I support individuals with learning dificulties and also autsim spectrum disorder. Caring out risk assessment of the workplace and the individual is a must everyday. The individuals are quite independent and are able to do most thing for themselves, but they need prompting and a lot of encouragement to express themselves in a way we believe they are capable. I make coffee and breakfast everyday, and i support the individual to access comunity on daily basis. One of the individual is very funny but his jokes could be inapproperiate and rude, and would push boundary if allowed. Another service user prefer his personal space, although he is more open and seem to enjoy other's company now more than before.
I am very futunate to be working with very good member of staff. The team work very well to cover up for each other and compliment each other.
I have learned a lot in my job since i joined the company and working with this great individuals. I learned so much about my client individuality and why its neccessary to treat everyone the same according to their unique individuality. I also learn a bit of using sign language to communicated with individual to get the message delivered. Most importantly i learned why individuals think diffrently in the way they think and do things and therefore the need to understand them, respect them and focus on the individuals unique needs, wants choices, dreams and aspiration in life.
The management has been excelent in the way they train and develop the staff for effective and successful care delivery. I have had many training to develop my understanding of my role and responsibilities on the job.
The hardest part of my job is trying to please each one of my clients at the same time when they both want your attention without hurting anyone.
The most enjoyable part of my job is its like you are with your family and friends at home doing what you naturally would do for your love ones and still get pay for it.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Pay is poor and does not come close to reflecting the workload, responsibility, or expectations placed on frontline staff.
Senior leadership across regional management, HR, operations, and legal is consistently ineffective and visibly out of touch with how services actually run. Decisions often feel poorly judged and lacking in basic operational understanding.
There is a strong sense that progression is driven more by connections than competence, which undermines confidence in leadership and damages morale across teams.
“Wellbeing” is heavily marketed, yet in practice staff are overstretched, under-supported, and left to manage increasing pressures with little meaningful backing. Webinars do not compensate for the absence of real support.
Executive pay stands in stark contrast to what frontline roles receive, highlighting a clear imbalance in priorities.
Overall, the organisation maintains a polished external image, but internally it reflects weak leadership, poor support structures, and a culture that fails the very people delivering its services.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part is the constant pressure to meet unrealistic expectations without the resources or support to do so. This is compounded by a clear disconnect from senior leadership, who appear out of touch with day-to-day operations and the practical challenges staff face.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Colleagues are generally supportive and easy to work with, which is one of the few positives. However, the wider culture feels largely performative, with a clear disconnect between leadership messaging and the reality on the ground. Stress levels among support staff are extremely high, often to an unsustainable degree, while pay remains disproportionately low for the demands of the role.

I’ve worked for the organisation for almost a year and have really enjoyed my time here so far.  The work is challenging and plentiful, but I feel that this is well-balanced by a really supportive and friendly Management team.  Having come from a very different workplace, I really appreciate the passion that everyone shows for improving the lives of the people we support and for guiding, supporting and developing their staff.

As with any organisation, there are downsides and, at times, communication between different departments can be really poor, or changes are made on the operational side of things without consultation with front-line staff.  However, there is a definite culture shift towards more staff input and inclusion, which I think has really helped everyone take more ownership of their roles and understand what it is that they’re actually working towards.

I cannot speak highly enough of the team in Edinburgh and the West Lothians.  The Support Workers do a fantastic job under very difficult conditions, a lot of which is due to the generally poor government funding for Health and Social Care.  They make an effort to engage and support individuals to the best of their abilities and the company is happy to put additional support in place to help make this happen.  The Management team are all very dedicated individuals who have a lot of experience and work really hard to build good relationships with their teams.  It’s not always easy, but I see the daily effort everyone is making and I’m really starting to see the direction the company is trying to take.

Obviously not everyone has the same experience of Community Integrated Care, but I can’t speak highly enough of the support, encouragement and opportunities I’ve had since starting here and I look forward to developing further within the company.

A typical day in work would be arrive to work looking forward to seeing the service users, assist in showering and brushing teeth. ask what they would like to wear that day and help them to get dressed. Make breakfast and then if the weather was nice enough to go out then we would. If the service user felt like that is. Then have dinner out, or if we stayed in we would make some dinner and watch telly, chat or do whatever service user wanted to do. Through the afternoon we would go shopping or for a lovely walk. if we stayed at home then we would chat, watch the telly or DVD's or maby have a relaxing afternoon painting nails and having fun. Then we would make tea, include sercice users in as much activity possible if they wanted to help. Let meal settle and then get redy for bed.
I learned that a little goes a long way and to treat people the way i would like to be treated. I also attended courses such as, first aid, health and safety, moving and handling and more. i was happy with the management and the co-workers, always got along. Also if there ever was a problem i would not feel awkward to talk to my manager. The hardest part of the job was the effect it had on my heart, i was young when i started the job and found it difficult when there was a death. In my family i had never experienced death before so i did struggle abit. i am now older and more mature so would handle the hard parts alot more professionally. The most enjoyable part of the job is knowing that you are helping people and seeing them appriciate what you are doing. Letting the service users know that you have there best interests at heart and them being able to feel that.

There isn't a 'typical' day at work due to the nature of the services we provide. There are some things that do happen on a daily basis such as administering medications, providing emotional and physical support and supporting people to live a fulfilled and important life.
I have learned many new skills from this role and one of the most important is communication. Some people can't communicate in the conventional sense and so we have to adapt to their ways which can be really difficult but very rewarding.
My co-workers are generally part of a bigger team but sometimes we can be working with a stranger from an agency or our bank. Usually staff are supportive of one another and communicate effectively because otherwise the service needs would not be met.
The hardest part of my job is being able to support someone in the ways they want to be supported which isn't always possible due to funding and staffing. This can also be because of the persons needs and whether that person has capacity or not. It's very frustrating to understand someone and what they want and need, yet not be able to provide this because it's not suitable for one reason or another.
The most enjoyable part of the job without doubt is when you sit with people who have willingly accepted you as a person and a staff member and they allow you to be a part of their everyday life. It's lovely to see people get to that point where they can be as independent as possible in the safest way. It makes me very happy to see someone else happy because I was part of a team that changed their life.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Support worker 4518 salaries reported	£13.14 per hour
Service leader 244 salaries reported	£31,466 per year
Learning and development specialist 16 salaries reported	£26,365 per year
Specialist 5 salaries reported	£32,500 per year
Neurodevelopmental assessment practitioner 27 salaries reported	£27,000 per year

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