Day Opportunities Support Worker

Purpose

Are you creative? Would you enjoy teaching the people we support new skills?

We have an opening for you to join us as a Day Opportunities Support Worker at our St Albans community. If the following appeals, we’d love to hear from you:

• You will be creative and willing to learn new skills.
• You’ll have a fun but mature attitude.
• You’ll have a kind and considerate manner.
• You’ll enjoy working in a team but be confident in taking on personal responsibilities.
• You must be hardworking, have a flexible approach and willing attitude.

Location & Travel

Community-based

This role will be based at our St Albans Community.

Duties & Responsibilities

Main responsibilities:

• Your first responsibility will be to provide the people we support with the opportunity to learn skills in such things as arts and crafts (including textile weaving, felt-making, needlecraft and pottery), working in a cafe and food preparation.
• You will help support the individuals and workshops through effective planning, utilising and developing existing skills and generating creative ideas using a person-centred approach.
• You will adapt a creative, flexible way of working with the promotion of inclusion and individuality and celebrating achievement using a person-centred approach at all times.
• You will be aware of your environment with due notice given to recycling, reduction of waste and ensuring equipment is both working safely and effectively.

• You will be supporting within the guidance of health and safety, manual handling, accident reporting and fire regulations.
• You will be attending mandatory training, supervisions, team meetings and other areas of personal development.
• You will be willing to attend forums, events, festivals and other community events.
• You will be working alongside the extended community including care & support, office staff and management teams.
• You will work within Camphill’s code of conduct and policies and procedures to always provide a high quality of service in all areas.
• You may be required to perform duties other than those given in this job description. The specific duties and responsibilities may vary from time to time.
• Some evening and weekend work may be necessary across roles.

Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

Essential

• A suitable level of education is required, you should be able to converse with the general public and others in a polite, clear manner utilising a confident approach tailored specifically to those you are conversing with.
• Good IT knowledge.

Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of creative and artistic techniques such as arts and crafts (including textile weaving, felt-making, needlecraft and pottery), working in a cafe and food preparation.
• Previous experience of supporting vulnerable people, ideally with adults with learning disabilities and mental health conditions.
• Proven ability to be honest, dependable and dedicated to your role.
• Ability to write in a legible manner, keep records and write clear accounts of your work/ incident reports etc.
• Empower others and help them achieve personal learning and development targets.
• Focused on results and quality.
• A calm, person orientated approach with a flexible mindset and the ability to take and give direction from and to others.
• Good social and oral communication skills.
• Able to motivate and organise self and others.
• Flexible, with good problem-solving skills.
• Resilient to changes and challenges.
• Working knowledge of first aid, risk assessment, health and safety, safeguarding, person centred planning, equalities and human rights.

Desirable

• Experience of teaching or delivering group activities.
• A common-sense approach, fun but mature attitude and approachability are key.
• Being supportive of the Camphill values and philosophy and helping promote our approach to building our community is desirable for this role.

Competencies

Respecting & understanding others

• Able to understand issues from others’ viewpoints and build an atmosphere of trust and openness so that others are treated with respect and dignity without discriminating or stereotyping.
• Able to tailor their approach depending on who they are with and act as an advocate for people.

Effective communication

• Able to communicate effectively with others using verbal and non-verbal communication methods.
• Recognises the needs of others when seeking agreement to their plans, adapts their communication style to match the person they are speaking with.

Working with & developing others

• Is an active member of the team, working cooperatively with others and assisting when they need support.
• Provides direction and empowers others to help them achieve personal learning and development targets.

Results and quality focus

• Conscientious, strives to complete work to high standards and looks to improve and maintain the quality of performance in themselves and others.
• Completes work with the best interests of others in mind.

Problem solving & decision making

• Able to collect, interpret and evaluate information to develop a deep understanding of a problem, explores alternative ways of resolving problems including new possibilities.
• Makes timely and well considered decisions, is aware of the impact their decisions may have and is willing to make difficult but necessary decisions to improve the service.

Resilience to change & challenges

• Open to change and embracing new developments/initiatives, adapts well in new and unfamiliar situations responding to changing plans quickly, works independently without direction, is resilient and copes well under pressure.

Camphill Village Trust is an equal opportunity employer.

Camphill Village Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all adults who use our services and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to complete the relevant pre-employment checks including a DBS check.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a sufficient number of applications