Job Description & Person Specification
Post:
Shared Lives Co-ordinator
Accountable to:
Shared Lives - Locality Manager
1. Aims Of the Service
To provide a Shared Lives Scheme which is a support service for adults who have a long-term condition and want to live independently in their community alongside someone else in a supportive house-share. There are a variety of people that could be supported:
a young person in transition from foster care
someone with a learning disability or physical impairment
someone living with mental health needs
someone who is leaving hospital but not quite ready to go home
The Shared Lives scheme will take care to match Carers to someone with shared interests, lifestyle and sense of humour.
The service aims to:
Provide a valued high quality flexible and reliable support service.
Promote each individual’s choice and independence.
Help to improve the quality of life and assist to maximise and utilise an individual’s own skills.
Preserve each individual’s dignity, independence and motivation and to understand the stresses, frustrations and embarrassment, which some people suffer and the effect this may have on their acceptance of support.
Job Purpose:
To provide support, management and coordination of a number of long term or short term arrangements across a wide geographical area, within the Scheme’s Region.
To assess and train people who wish to become shared lives carers.
To work in line with Regulations and National Minimum Standards.
To identify carers’ skills and abilities and match them effectively with referred people we support.
Responsibilities
Service delivery
Provide a person-centred service enabling people to lead full and valid lives within a carers home and community in accordance with their preferences and choices.
Establish and maintain good working relationships with internal departments, parents, carers/families, advocates, external agencies, and care managers and other professionals and stakeholders to aid the delivery of individualised services; ensuring that the needs of our people we support are met. Additionally, a range of Local Authorities, Housing benefit Departments and benefit agencies.
Facilitate placement reviews involving people we support, their advocates where necessary, care managers and Shared Lives carers
Recruitment and selection
Develop and contribute to advertising and recruitment campaigns.
Visiting and interviewing all applicants.
Completion of initial confidential consent forms to gather personal references; GP references; DBS reports including verbal clarification for all references in line with our procedures.
Participate in Assistant Coordinator and Administrative staff recruitment including interviewing and involving people we support in the interview process.
Administration & Finance
Completion of formal Shared Lives Agreements and Licence Agreements for each arrangement.
Maintain effective records and administration in line with Ategi’s policies and procedures.
Produce clear, detailed reports for reviews; assessments; letters etc.
Monitor and agree monthly time sheets.
Management and support of Shared Lives carers
Recruit, approve, monitor and support all Shared Lives carers.
Manage and monitor the performance and training of shared lives carers.
Support carers to identify gaps in skills and knowledge and engage in professional development.
Provide detailed reports analysing information gathered through assessment / ongoing support / annual carer review.
Liaise with the Locality Manager regarding allocation of new work/business.
Manage a case load of Shared Lives carers as agreed with the Scheme Manager.
Training
Deliver training in a flexible way recognising the different needs and circumstances of Shared Lives carers.
Identify specialised training needs of Shared Lives carers.
To identify and complete mandatory trainings allocated.
Quality Assurance
Work with Shared Lives carers to monitor service delivery standards.
Ensure that the service is delivered in line with relevant codes of practice and other relevant legislation.
Maintain and approve service provision and participate in any evaluation.
Adhere at all time to contractual obligations laid down by the local authority.
Contribute positively to the development of Shared Lives through attendance and membership of Shared Lives Plus.
Organisational responsibilities
Keep efficient paper and computerised records of work undertaken in line with the data protection act.
Maintain the utmost confidentiality in line with Ategi’s policies and procedures.
Fully support the vision and mission of the Company and contribute to the achievement of any core goals/business objectives set by the management committee.
Represent the interests of Ategi at meetings and conferences.
Personal Development
Evaluate and develop own practice through full participation in the supervision and appraisal process, attendance at meetings and training session.
Keep up to date with best practice and ensure this is reflected in the service and contribute to the implementation of change as required.
Undertake other duties within the remit of the post as required.
Although initially appointed in a specific location, all employees should be aware that they must be prepared to work anywhere within the organisation on either a temporary or permanent basis.
As with all job descriptions, the pattern of work is subject to review and reasonable adjustment in accordance with the needs of the service
Person Specification
| Experience | Essential | Desirable |
| Level 2 or 3 in Health & Social Care or be willing to worktowards completing level 2 or 3 in Health & Social Care | √ | |
| Experience in developing positive working relationships with awide range of individuals, groups, and stakeholders | √ | |
| Excellent administration & communication skills | √ | |
| Knowledge of local authority commissioning practices | L | |
| IT proficient and self-supporting in standard business IT toolsand administration | √ | |
| Skills & Knowledge | ||
| Proven interpersonal and networking skills. | √ | |
| Relevant professional qualification and evidence of continuingprofessional development | ✓ | |
| Knowledge of safeguarding, mental capacity and deprivationof liberty legislation and guidance for both children and adultsin England | ||
| Knowledge and understanding of the issues facing people withadditional, sometimes, complex needs | √ | |
| Good knowledge of the legislation and regulatory frameworksgoverning heath and or provision in England. | √ | |
| Ability to prioritise own workload and to manage timeeffectively particularly in a pressurised environment. | √ | |
| Maintaining accurate records of activity for financialmonitoring purposes | √ | |
| Ability to communicate clearly and effectively to a wide rangeof audiences and people from a range of backgrounds | ||
| Must be able to work under own initiative | √ | |
| Personal Characteristics | ||
| Commitment to the purpose and Values of the Organisation. | √ | |
| Commitment to working with a diverse workforce and theimportance of equality of opportunity. | √ | |
| Highly motivated and enthusiastic | √ | |
| Works well as part of a team, communicates and collaborates well with people at all levels. | √ | |
| Good level of emotional intelligence | √ |