Personal Care Worker – PCW Contract

Personal Care Worker (PCW)

Employer: Wattle & River Home Health Employment type: Part-time or casual, as applicable Location: Goondiwindi and surrounding service areas Work streams: Private care, Support at Home and NDIS-funded services

Position summary

As a Personal Care Worker (PCW) with Wattle & River Home Health, you will provide safe, respectful and person-centred support to people living in their own homes.

You may work with older people, people living with disability and people with complex or changing care needs across Wattle & River Home Health and WattleCare Services.

The role focuses on supporting each person to maintain their independence, dignity, choice, safety and quality of life. Care is delivered according to the individual’s goals, care plans, preferences and assessed needs.

Depending on your training, demonstrated competency and participant allocation, the role may include personal care, domestic and community support, overnight sleepover support and higher-intensity disability supports.

You will work independently in participants’ homes while remaining part of a broader clinical and operational team, with access to escalation and clinical support when required.

Key responsibilities

Personal care and daily living support

• Assist with personal hygiene, showering, grooming, dressing and continence support.
• Support toileting and other activities of daily living while maintaining dignity and privacy.
• Assist with meal preparation, nutrition and hydration in accordance with individual care plans.
• Support mobility, transfers, positioning and use of mobility or assistive equipment.
• Encourage independence and participation rather than completing tasks unnecessarily on behalf of the person.
• Provide companionship, reassurance and meaningful social engagement.
• Support community access, appointments and everyday activities where required.

High-intensity and participant-specific support

Where appropriately trained, assessed as competent and authorised, duties may also include participant-specific high-intensity supports such as:

• PEG-related support
• prescribed medication assistance within role scope
• cough assist
• oral suction
• BiPAP preparation and support
• respiratory positioning and secretion management
• complex transfers and use of transfer equipment
• participant-specific communication supports
• recognising clinical deterioration and responding according to escalation plans.

High-intensity or complex supports must only be undertaken after the required education, supervised practice and competency assessment have been completed.

Overnight and sleepover support

Where rostered, the role may include overnight supports and Night-Time Sleepovers.

Responsibilities may include:

• providing active support prior to the sleepover period
• remaining available to respond to participant needs overnight
• providing active support during the sleepover where required
• accurately recording the time, duration and reason for any overnight interventions
• escalating changes in care needs where overnight activity becomes more frequent or the existing support model may no longer be appropriate.

Observation and escalation

• Monitor for changes in physical health, mobility, cognition, behaviour, communication or general wellbeing.
• Recognise and respond appropriately to deterioration, incidents and emergencies.
• Escalate concerns promptly to the appropriate clinical lead, manager or emergency service in accordance with organisational procedures and participant-specific plans.
• Follow all clinical instructions, risk management plans and escalation pathways relevant to the person being supported.

Documentation and communication

• Complete clear, accurate and timely progress notes and care records.
• Document incidents, changes in condition, interventions and relevant observations.
• Maintain accurate records of high-intensity and overnight supports where applicable.
• Communicate effectively with participants, families, colleagues and members of the care team while respecting privacy and consent.
• Participate in handover processes and provide relevant information to support continuity of care.

Safety and quality

• Follow participant care plans, risk assessments and organisational policies.
• Maintain a safe environment in the participant’s home while respecting that it remains their home.
• Use equipment safely and report equipment faults or risks promptly.
• Follow infection prevention and control requirements.
• Support dignity of risk and participant choice while identifying and escalating safety concerns appropriately.
• Work within your scope of role, training and demonstrated competency at all times.
• Participate in incident reporting, feedback, quality improvement and clinical governance processes where required.

Working across WRHH and WattleCare Services

Your employment is with Wattle & River Home Health.

As part of your role, you may be allocated to support people receiving services through:

• Wattle & River Home Health private care
• WattleCare Services Support at Home
• WattleCare Services NDIS-funded supports.

Allocation to particular participants or service streams will depend on organisational need, your availability, relevant qualifications and your demonstrated competencies.

Being employed as a PCW does not automatically authorise you to perform every support listed in this position description. Participant-specific requirements and competency sign-off will apply where appropriate.

Training and competency requirements

You are expected to participate in ongoing education and professional development relevant to your role.

This may include:

• organisational induction
• First Aid and CPR
• medication assistance
• manual handling and safe transfers
• infection prevention and control
• NDIS and aged care requirements
• participant rights, dignity and choice
• recognising and responding to deterioration
• emergency procedures
• participant-specific clinical training
• supervised practice and competency assessment.

You must not independently undertake a specialised or high-intensity support until you have been assessed as competent and authorised to do so.

Essential attributes

• Compassionate, respectful and person-centred approach to care.
• Strong commitment to dignity, independence, choice and privacy.
• Reliable and able to work independently in community settings.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to follow care plans, clinical instructions and organisational procedures.
• Sound judgement and willingness to escalate concerns appropriately.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary and operational team.
• Ability to adapt to changing participant needs and care environments.
• Commitment to accurate documentation and professional boundaries.

Desirable experience and qualifications

• Previous experience in aged care, disability support, community care or health care.
• Certificate III or IV in Individual Support, Ageing, Disability or a related qualification.
• Experience supporting people with complex or high-intensity needs.
• Experience providing community-based or in-home care.

Equivalent experience, qualifications or demonstrated capability may also be considered depending on the requirements of the role.

Employment and screening requirements

Depending on duties and participant allocation, you may be required to hold and maintain:

• NDIS Worker Screening clearance
• National Police Check
• Working with Children Check where applicable
• current First Aid and CPR
• current driver licence
• evidence of right to work in Australia
• relevant qualifications and competency records
• any additional screening, vaccination or compliance requirements applicable to the participant or service stream.

Professional expectations

All employees are expected to:

• comply with the NDIS Code of Conduct and applicable aged care obligations
• uphold WRHH values and standards of behaviour
• maintain participant confidentiality and privacy
• work within the boundaries of their role and competence
• report incidents, risks and concerns promptly
• participate in supervision, education and competency review
• maintain professional boundaries with participants and families
• contribute to a respectful, safe and collaborative workplace.

Role flexibility

This position description provides an overview of the role and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties.

Responsibilities may change over time to reflect participant needs, service growth, legislative requirements and organisational priorities, provided duties remain appropriate to the employee’s role, classification, training and competency.