Overview
Personal Care Assistant – 24-Hour Care Support
We are looking for a reliable, professional and experienced Personal Care Assistant to provide long-term support to an adult client with a spinal cord injury in their own home.
The client requires 24-hour care and comprehensive assistance with personal care and daily living. We are particularly interested in applicants who are mature in outlook, calm, dependable, respectful, well-presented and experienced in providing high-quality personal care.
Consistency is extremely important, and we are looking for someone interested in becoming part of a stable, long-term care team.
Main Duties
Responsibilities will include:
- Providing high-quality personal care and assistance with daily living
- Assisting with washing, bathing, dressing and grooming
- Supporting toileting and other intimate personal-care routines
- Assisting with safe transfers and mobility
- Repositioning and supporting pressure-care routines where required
- Following the client’s established care plan and daily routine
- Supporting the client’s independence wherever possible
- Preparing meals and drinks
- Light household duties associated with the client’s care
- Keeping the client’s immediate environment clean, tidy and hygienic
- Following appropriate infection-control and hand-hygiene procedures
- Providing companionship and general day-to-day assistance
- Respecting the client’s privacy, dignity, personal choices and boundaries
- Communicating appropriately with healthcare professionals or other members of the care team when required
Spinal Cord Injury & Care Experience
Previous experience supporting someone with a spinal cord injury is strongly preferred.
Applicants with substantial experience in complex personal care are also encouraged to apply.
Experience or training in the following would be particularly beneficial:
- Spinal cord injury care
- Complex personal care
- Moving and handling
- Safe transfers
- Pressure-area care and repositioning
- Supporting wheelchair users
- Infection prevention and control
Any necessary role-specific training can be discussed with suitable applicants.
Personal Hygiene & Presentation
Due to the close-contact and intimate nature of the care provided, excellent personal hygiene is an essential requirement of this position.
Applicants must:
- Maintain a consistently high standard of personal cleanliness and hygiene
- Arrive for every shift clean, fresh and appropriately presented
- Wear clean clothing suitable for providing personal care
- Maintain good hand and nail hygiene
- Maintain good oral hygiene
- Follow appropriate handwashing and infection-control procedures
- Avoid strong or excessive fragrances while providing close-contact care
- Ensure that their personal hygiene does not compromise the client’s comfort or the cleanliness of the care environment
These standards are expected to be maintained consistently throughout employment.
Communication & English Language
Clear communication is essential to providing safe and effective care.
Applicants must:
- Be able to speak and understand English to a good standard
- Communicate clearly and confidently with the client
- Understand and follow verbal instructions
- Be able to read and understand written care instructions, care plans and safety information
- Communicate effectively with healthcare professionals and other members of the care team when required
- Be capable of communicating clearly and appropriately in an emergency
Personal Qualities
We are looking for someone who:
- Has a mature, calm and professional approach
- Is reliable, punctual and dependable
- Is trustworthy and respectful
- Maintains excellent personal hygiene and presentation
- Is patient and understanding
- Is comfortable providing close-contact and intimate personal care
- Respects the client’s home, privacy and personal boundaries
- Can follow an established routine and care plan
- Has good communication skills
- Understands the importance of confidentiality
- Is interested in providing consistent, long-term support
Male Personal Care Assistant
Male applicants are preferred due to the intimate personal-care requirements of the role and the client’s privacy and dignity. This preference/requirement will only be applied where permitted under the Equality Act 2010 and where an occupational requirement is applicable.
Pay: £15.50-£17.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
