This role is truly person centred. The SLA will be matched to the individual and work specifically for them. They will follow directions from the person we work with, their family or circle and community support co-ordinator.  The role is to support the person to achieve the outcomes within their Outcome Based Support Plan and to support them to live as independently as possible and in the way they choose to keep them safe, healthy and happy.

Many of the tasks described in the role are similar but each person needs to be supported in their own individual way.  You should be non-judgemental, highly motivated and committed to the values of Inclusion. This role demands flexibility, confidence and resilience. You should have a positive can do attitude and you should be creative.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Working for Inclusion is hugely rewarding. It offers you a real sense of achievement and affirms that you are making a real contribution to creating the fairer, more equal world we all aspire for; a world where everyone is valued and included.

This role sits at the core of ensuring that every person we work for is in control of their support and able to build a real life in their community.

The post is exciting and hugely rewarding but is equally demanding as it is integral to ensuring that the people we work for have real experiences and experience real relationships with their friends, families, neighbours and communities. 

JOB PURPOSE

As a Supported Living Assistant (SLA) you will be matched to a specific person we work for and will spend your time working alongside them. How you work, what you prioritise and how you deliver the support will be directed by the person you work for, in many circumstances supported by the people who know and love them. Your line manager will be responsible for ensuring that this information is clearly articulated in the documents that the organisation creates to enable us to deliver excellent, bespoke, person-centred support.

A core component of the role is supporting the person you work for to keep sight of their hopes and aspirations and invest time in progressing these, whilst simultaneously providing excellent support to meet their day-to-day needs. The person’s Personal Plan and your line manager are there to help you find and maintain this difficult balance.

Many of the people we work for require quite complex support to maintain their health and wellbeing. Your induction, our training programme and mentoring from your line manager and more experienced peers will ensure that you are well equipped to deliver this type of support.

Many of the people we work for are not as socially connected as they wish to be. Supporting the person you work for to explore new opportunities, engage in their local communities and interact with their communities of interest is therefore likely to be a core part of the role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

TO THE PEOPLE WE WORK FOR

1. Ensure that the person sits at the core of any decision making process, providing any support necessary to enable this.
2. Be fully conversant with the person’s Personal Plan and comply with the directions and guidance it contains 
3. Make the person you work for (and their hopes, dreams and needs) your primary focus whilst you are at work
4. Support the person you work for to reflect on their health and wellbeing and the actions they could take to improve this
5. Where appropriate, coordinate the two-way flow of information between Inclusion and the other professionals in the person’s life 
6. Where appropriate, work alongside the person to explore how they can get to know more about their local community; the other people who live there; and the opportunities for them to get involved (by themselves or with paid or unpaid support)
7. Assist the person to reflect on whether they are making progress towards their outcomes and the contribution that their support from Inclusion has made to this
8. Communicate in an open, accurate and straightforward manner.
9. Honour any commitments, agreements or arrangements you have made.
10. Where (11) has not been possible because of exceptional circumstances explain why this has not been possible at the earliest opportunity.

TO WELFARE GUARDIANS AND WELFARE POWER OF ATTORNEYS

1. Ensure that they are involved in the decision making process in the way that is documented
2. Provide any agreed information and updates in the agreed format and depth and at the agreed frequency

TO THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW AND LOVE THE PEOPLE WE WORK FOR

NB – all of the responsibilities in this section should be applied in the context of being within the parameters set by the person we work for (or the person who is legally able to make welfare decisions on their behalf)

1. Provide clear and transparent information about the person’s health, wellbeing and support
2. Ensure that they are as involved as they wish to be in the design, delivery and management of the person’s support
3. Ensure that they are kept up-to-date with changes and developments

To The Organisation

1. Work in a non-judgemental way that evidences a commitment to the values of inclusion.
2. Understand the organisations policies and procedures and apply these in your work
3. Understand the limitations of your role and expertise and seek advice, support, guidance and direction from more experienced when this is required
4. Establish and maintain positive working relationships with external agencies and individual colleagues with whom you interact.
5. Deal with difficult situations and misconceptions as soon as they come to light in a sensitive manner
6. Ensure that the gifts and capacities of the people we work for guide all our conversations with third parties
7. Promote and extol the virtues of active citizenship
8. Strive to make people’s gifts and capacities the basis of any decision making
9. Share what you are learning about the person you work for (hopes, dreams, aspirations, views, wishes, preferences,…) with the organisation and actively contribute to updating their Personal Plan

TO YOURSELF AND YOUR PROFESSION

1. Understand the SSSC Code of Practice and its implications for practice and practice in a way that embodies these standards
2. Understand the National Care Standards and evidence practice that adheres to them
3. Continue to develop your knowledge and skills by engaging in formal and informal learning and development opportunities
4. Be clear about the scope and parameters of your own decision making in relation to the people we work for; their services; and their lives
5. Reflect on how well you are navigating the complex boundaries that are created when you develop meaningful relationships with the people we work for whilst supporting them in a paid capacity
6. Challenge discrimination and poor practice

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Maintain your own health and safety and that of others and alert your manager immediately if any hazards or potential risks to health and safety cannot be effectively controlled
2. Comply with the Data Protection Act and its associated Regulations and ensure that an appropriate level of confidentiality is maintained around all information gathered as part of your work
3. Undertake any other duties reasonable and appropriate to the role.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Criteria

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Openness to learning

Willing to fully engage in Inclusion’s training programme

Willingness to obtain a practice qualification that meets the SSSC registration requirements for support workers in care at home and housing support services.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

A basic understanding of the difference between care and support

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

Of building effective relationships

Of working on own initiative

SKILLS & APTITUDES

A good listener

Approachable and able to get along with others

Able to challenge others positively

Able to competently describe situations and events (orally and in writing)

Able to coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously

PERSONAL QUALITIES

A commitment to working how and when works best for the person

Resilient

Self-motivated and confident with a ‘can do’ attitude

Creative & innovative

Honest, reliable, dependable & trustworthy

VALUES AND ATTITUDES

An unshakable belief that every person has a unique contribution to make to the world and that these contributions are needed

An unwavering commitment to creating an environment that enables contribution

An unwavering belief in and commitment to inclusion

A commitment to advancing human rights practice in the context of social care services

Desirable Criteria

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Holds a qualification that meets the SSSC registration requirements for support workers in care at home and housing support services.

IT skills – ability to demonstrate effective use of word, excel and email software

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

How to connect people who are socially isolated

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

Of keeping people with additional support needs in control of their lives and support

Of person centred practice

Of person centred planning

Of communicating with people who do not use words to communicate

SKILLS & APTITUDES

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Additional Information

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and as such applicants must disclose all spent and unspent convictions. Please note - this does not mean that a criminal record automatically disbars you from the role, merely that the convictions must be disclosed.

The successful applicant will be required to gain the appropriate level of registration with the SSSC within their probationary period (first six months in post).

The below adverts are designed by the Service Users you would be working with. Please quote their reference number when applying for any of the positions.

ABOUT INCLUSION

Inclusion is a not for profit organisation that was set up to ensure that people moving out of long stay institutions had the opportunity to build ordinary lives in, and become part of, real communities. We believe strongly in everyone’s right to be an equal citizen and to live life to the full and this belief underpins everything we do.

We are a living example of how one organisation can exist to provide individually tailored, creative, person centred services in a real way which means people who need support get a real life.

We were founded in February 1996 and originally called ourselves Inclusion Glasgow (because we only supported people in the Glasgow area).  Over time we began to support people in different areas across west central Scotland and in 2012 we changed our name to Inclusion to reflect this change.

Throughout our years of service we have been dedicated to ensuring that the people we work for:-

• Are truly in control of their lives and the support they receive.
• Have real experiences
• Experience real relationships with their friends, families, neighbours and communities. 
• Are able to make a contribution and share their gifts with the world.