Home care assistant in Kirkless

Job Purpose

The Home Care Assistant provides high-quality, compassionate, person-centered care directly to service users within the comfort of their own homes. The primary objective of this role is to enable elderly individuals, people recovering from illness, or adults with physical and learning disabilities to maximize their independence, maintain their dignity, and remain living safely at home for as long as possible.

Duties and Responsibilities

Personal Care & Dignity

• Assistance with Daily Living: Support service users with intimate personal care, including bathing, showering, washing, hair care, oral hygiene, and dressing, always maintaining their privacy and dignity.
• Toileting & Continence Management: Assist with using the commode, toilet, or managing continence aids (catheter bags, pads) discretely and hygienically.
• Mobility Support: Help service users safely move in and out of bed, chairs, or wheelchairs using approved manual handling equipment (e.g., hoists, slide sheets) as outlined in their care plan.

Practical & Domestic Support

• Meal Preparation: Prepare nutritious breakfasts, lunches, dinners, or snacks according to nutritional plans and service user preferences, ensuring hydration is monitored and recorded.
• Medication Administration: Prompt, assist, or administer prescribed medications in strict adherence to care plans and JustInTime Healthcare's medication policies, recording administration on MAR charts.
• Light Housework: Assist with light domestic duties such as washing up, emptying bins, dusting, doing laundry, or doing light shopping to ensure the home environment remains safe and clean.

Companionship & Well-being

• Social & Emotional Support: Act as a friendly, reassuring face, providing meaningful companionship and conversation to alleviate loneliness and isolation.
• Observation & Monitoring: Notice and report any changes in a service user’s physical health, cognitive state, mental health, or living conditions to the Care Coordinator.
• Emergency Response: Follow strict company protocols to handle emergencies calmly (e.g., calling emergency services following a fall) and ensure the service user's safety.

Record Keeping & Compliance

• Daily Communication Logs: Complete clear, accurate, and legible objective daily logs in the home care file (or digital system) at the end of every single visit.
• Infection Control: Adhere rigidly to infection control guidelines, utilizing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as aprons and gloves provided for each visit.

Person Specification & Qualifications

Qualifications & Requirements

• Highly Desirable: NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Health and Social Care (or equivalent).
• Essential: A commitment to complete the Care Certificate within the first 12 weeks of employment if not already held.
• Essential: An Enhanced Adult Workforce DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check.

Experience

• Experience in a professional care setting (home care, care home, hospital) is preferred, but a compassionate attitude and a willingness to learn are highly valued.
• Personal experience caring for a loved one or family member will be taken into consideration.

Skills & Attributes

• Empathy and Patience: A genuinely caring nature with a strong desire to make a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable adults.
• Punctuality & Reliability: Excellent time management skills; service users rely on timely visits for their well-being and safety.
• Strong Communication: Ability to communicate clearly with service users who may have hearing impairments, cognitive decline, or dementia.
• Independence: Comfort working alone in the community while maintaining professional boundaries and communicating back to the office team.

Logistics & Travel

• Essential: A full, valid UK driving license and access to a reliable vehicle with business insurance is highly preferred due to the travel required between service user homes across Bradford and surrounding West Yorkshire areas.
• Must be flexible to work on a rota system that includes early mornings (from 7:00 AM) or late evenings (up to 10:00 PM), and alternating weekend shifts.