Female* Personal Support Assistant

- Suffolk Independent Living
- Address: Stowmarket, Suffolk
- Salary: £14.50 per hour
- Hours: Up to 10 hours per week with more hours available
- Contract: Permanent, required as soon as possible
- Reference: 0014

Suffolk Independent Living is looking for a Female* Personal Support Assistant in Stowmarket.

Location: Base is my home in Stowmarket, although this job will involve travelling (mileage reimbursed).

Main purpose: To physically support a mother who is a full-time wheelchair user with day-to-day life with her two children. This Involves activities and trips out as a family.

A little about me:

Are you looking for a change? Wanting something a bit different?

Well … Hello! I am your ‘something different’. I have an amazing small team of PSAs and I am now looking to cover a retirement position. I need another fantastic support worker to keep the cogs turning and someone who can fill in the gaps where I am now needing a bit more support. Mainly working one evening a week, 4pm until 9pm plus one Saturday in four and additional days during the school holidays/covering annual leave.

I am looking for someone who is up for anything and has the energy to keep up with all of the things we do as a family. I am a busy working mum of two amazing girls. I work hard and need support to enable me to be the best mummy I can be and to support me as an individual. In our free time we like to keep active and spend time out and about, as a family and I also need support to access my own interests.

I’m moving into a new stage of my life both professionally and personally. I need the physical support, as well as someone that can read my mind/remember everything that I have forgotten. I need you!

I have a positive and independent outlook and want to do everything now! Sometimes I need you to support me to stop and breathe and remind me I’m being too stubborn and that Rome wasn’t built in a day… so “go and rest.” I can handle it!

It’s important to understand the difference between care and support – I am the latter. When I’m not racing around, I need support to do the less exciting ‘waiting around bit’, happy to support me with daily living: shopping, meal preparation, appointments, housework… I am tetraplegic and use a power wheelchair. I need support with transferring - guidance only and not actual lifting. I do not require any personal care, but I need help dressing/undressing and administration of medication.

When travelling in your car I use my manual chair that I need to be pushed in – it is lightweight and fits in most 5 door cars plus one out of two children uses their booster still.

This is a very varied and flexible supporting role, so please don't let it put you off applying if you don’t completely meet all the criteria.

You need to be a driver and car owner and someone who is happy to travel to multiple locations. Mileage expenses are paid at 55p per mile.

Personal Specification:

Essential Criteria:

- female required due to personal care* Schedule 9, P1 of the Equality Act 2010 applies
- access to own 5 door vehicle suitable to accommodate my small non-folding wheelchair plus two car booster seats. (A small/standard size family car should be fine)
- enjoys working with children
- willing to learn
- punctual and well organized
- professional and patient approach
- willing to 'step back' and facilitate independence
- a confident and safe driver who is happy driving for longer distances
- able to support me during term times and school holidays
- flexible approach to working times with the ability to provide cover for my other PSA's and this works Vice Versa
- reliable and trustworthy
- able to assist with light transfers.

Desirable Criteria:

- experience in care/support/personal assistant work
- experience with care/ young children
- experience with a power and manual wheelchair and handling
- first aid qualifications or knowledge or experience of seizures
- knowledge of PEG and bolus feeding
- knowledge of administrating medication
- non-smoker/vaper
- enjoys a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Main Duties:

Although this job description is correct at present, it may change from time to time after negotiation with the post holder.

- physically supporting me (e.g. lifting my manual wheelchair into a car, pushing me in my chair, carrying or lifting bags or similar when necessary)
- supporting me with my children e.g. car booster seats and ensuring they are safely trapped in
- keeping me and the children safe during a seizure (training provided)
- PEG feeding, bolus medication (training provided)
- assisting me when out and about as well as “Mum jobs", my appointments, helping me to visit friends and family
- support around the home (e.g. light housework and evening support with medication and getting into bed)
- food prep alongside me
- refilling medication and PEG feed and equipment
- day trips out at weekends and in the school holidays.

Terms and Conditions:

Hours of work: Up to 10 hours with more hours available.

Time of work: Varying times and days by prior arrangement which includes mornings, daytime and evenings.
Days of week of work: To be negotiated.

Flexibility of hours: Friday evenings term time, one Saturday per month plus days in the school holidays. This will be negotiated between us. I will take into account any current work, responsibilities, and appointments. There will be hours to cover my existing PSAs e.g. sickness, annual leave and appointments my other Personal Assistants have.

Expenses: You will be reimbursed any expenses incurred as part of the role. You will be paid mileage at a rate of 55p per mile from base.

Annual Leave: The annual holiday entitlement for this position is 5.6 weeks per year, pro-rata for part-time employees. It can be calculated based on the average of the hours worked in the previous 52 weeks.

Background checks: A satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (formerly Criminal Records Bureau) check is required for this position of which I will organise. You will be required to provide details of two referees, one of which must be your current or most recent employer, or character referees if you have not been employed. I will only contact these if you are offered the position.

This post is subject to a probationary period of 6 months.
To find out more For further information, please call 01473 603876 .
How to apply
If you wish to apply for this position, please complete an application form on our website , quoting the Job Reference Number 5351 .

Please refer to the job description, when completing your application form.

Please post your completed application to SIL, Unit 21, IP City Centre, 1 Bath Street, Ipswich, IP2 8SD.
Closing date: 1 pm, 29 November 2029.