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Job Description

PLEASE NOTE: LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL IS NOT THE EMPLOYER FOR THIS JOB. YOU WILL BE SELF-EMPLOYED. WE WILL SEND YOU REFERRALS OF CLIENTS WHICH YOU CAN CHOOSE TO ACCEPT OR DECLINE AS YOU WISH.

Contract Type: Self-employed - we will send you referrals of clients which you can choose to accept or decline as you wish

Hours: Depends on the placements undertaken (you can support up to 3 people at any one time)

Rate: An allowance will be paid for each placement undertaken (e.g., the allowance for 3 long term placements can be up to £1,647 per week)

Location: Home based (you must live in Leicestershire, not Leicester city)

Are you looking for a rewarding career in adult social care where you can make a direct difference to people’s lives?

Have you considered becoming your own boss, working the hours you want, from home, whilst making a difference to the lives of others? If so, we want to hear from you!

What is a Shared Lives Carer?

Leicestershire Shared Lives Service is different to anything else offered in the Adult Social Care sector. Our carers provide person-centred services tailored around the needs of their clients. Services are provided in the carer’s home or in the community and therefore deliver a more natural and real-life experience. Our carers love their work, are passionate, and want to make the best life possible for their clients, whilst having fun at work.

As a Shared Lives Carer, you will provide support to adults with social care and support needs. This might include dementia, physical disabilities, learning difficulties, behavioural needs, or poor mental health. How much support you provide is flexible, depending on how much time you can commit:

• Long term placement (living in your home full-time for 28 days or over).
• Short break (staying in your home overnight or full-time for up to 4 weeks).
• Day support (provide activities for 3-6 hours).

Clients require sole use of a bedroom and are treated like any other member of the household. Like other family members, clients usually have their own interests to pursue, so they may go to day service, college, or work during the day so you will have time to pursue your own personal interests or look after other members of your family.

Shared Lives Leicestershire is accountable to Care Quality Commission and is rated “Good.” The Registered Manager of the Scheme remains ultimately responsible for the quality and safety of the care and support offered in every Shared Lives arrangement and visits are made on a quarterly basis with carers and clients to ensure the placement continues to meet the desired needs.

As a Shared Lives Carer, you will be required to:

• Provide a happy and healthy home for clients, supporting their needs as stated in the clients’ support plan and risk assessment and tailored around the clients’ interests.
• Undertake all mandatory training requirements and where necessary attend specialist training to meet specific needs of complex clients depending on their care and support needs.
• Maintain great communication with Shared Lives team members, external agencies, and client’s family members to ensure a joined-up approach to the provision of support.
• Keep accurate records of all aspects of support provided to the client, including financial transactions, medication, and daily routines, as well as ensuring the client’s support plan and risk assessment is up to date.
• Promote equal opportunities to our clients.
• Ensure that great care is always taken for the health, safety and welfare of yourself and your client.

In return, you will receive:

• Generous allowance payments (amount dependent on the number and type of placements you provide).
• Tax relief (as a self-employed worker you can qualify for tax relief of up to £18,140 per year).
• A comprehensive induction and training programme including free care certificate and first aid training.
• 24-hour access to advice and support.
• Up to 42 nights’ paid time off per year if providing long term care.

For further information about the Shared Lives Service including some frequently asked questions about the role of a Shared Lives Carer, please visit our website.

About You

To become a Shared Lives Carer, you don't necessarily need any specific qualifications or experience however some previous experience of caring, whether paid or unpaid, would be beneficial. Instead, we are looking for people who demonstrate the following qualities:

• Patience
• Initiative
• Good sense of humour
• Good listening skills
• Able to maintain confidentially
• Committed to equal opportunities.

In addition to the above, you must be aged 18 or over, live in Leicestershire (not Leicester City), and hold a valid driving licence.

You will be required to undertake a DBS enhanced check for a regulated activity.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

The Shared Lives Team

Telephone: 0116 3058133

Email: sharedlives@leics.gov.uk

How to Apply

To apply to become a Shared Lives Carer, please complete our online application form which is available here. The form asks about your education, qualifications and employment experience so please have this information ready before you begin.

Please note that the ‘Apply Now’ button below only allows you to create a job alert for vacancies with Leicestershire County Council, it is not an online application form for this job.