Support Worker – Plympton

About Me

I am a woman in my 40s living independently in the community in Plympton. I am social and enjoy meeting new people, making friends, and staying connected with people I know. I like getting out for coffee, going for walks in my local community, and having a bit of an adventure when exciting events are on. At home, I love watching TV, especially Home and Away. In the past, I have kept a blog and spoken publicly about living independently with assistive technology and self-directing my supports.

About My Support

I live with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy, severe dysphagia, and chronic pain. My dedicated support team assist me in all aspects of my daily life, including personal care, transfers with a lifter, nutrition and medication via my PEG, mealtime management, and supporting me to live out my vision for a good life. At times I also struggle with my mental health and keeping a positive outlook, and I value a team who can recognise those times and support me through them.

Role Overview

We would like to bring someone onto the team with regular shifts on our fixed roster for approximately 20-30 hrs per fortnight to start. Additional hours will be available when other team members are on leave. For example, a team member going on maternity leave in late November or early December, and a couple of team members who will be away for large parts of December and January.

Ideal Candidate

I work well with people who are:

• Fun, funny and bubbly
• Empathetic, confident and assertive
• Proactive — happy to step up when things need doing
• Strong communicators who build good relationships
• Reliable, flexible and willing to learn

Two to three years’ experience with high-intensity supports, enteral (PEG) feeding, and supporting someone with their mental health would be an asset.

Work Schedule

I prefer to work with a fixed monthly roster as much as possible so that my team and I can plan our lives around it. There’s also room for flexibility when needed. We’re offering 20-30 hours per fortnight to start.

My roster is built around 2:1 support — two workers on shift together — at the times of day I need it, and passive overnights, where you sleep over and are only called on if something comes up. Passive overnights are a new thing for me. At present, my team works across roughly the following shifts:

• 8 am – 4 pm
• 9:30 am – 1:30 pm (2:1 support)
• 3 pm – 10 pm
• 6 pm – 8 am (2:1 support, 5 hours active and 8 hours passive overnight)

Tuesday evening, 3-10 pm, is a required shift.

The rest of the hours will either come from the Wednesday 3-10 pm shift or one or more of the 9:30 – 1:30 am or 6 pm- 8 am shifts.

Compensation and Training

Pay is at the Level 2.1 casual base rate, currently $45.28 per hour. Ongoing training is provided.

Requirements

All applicants should possess or be prepared to obtain:

• A valid driver’s licence and reliable vehicle
• A current NDIS worker screening check
• A current First Aid certificate
• A current Manual Handling certificate
• A current Assist with Medication certificate
• A current Enteral Feeding certificate
• A current Supporting Safe and Enjoyable Meals certificate (Dysphagia)