Working with ...
Working With Adults in Their Own Homes
Social work assistants, home care workers, domiciliary care workers or care assistants are employed to organise and provide professional care and support for people in their own homes. This team ensures that practical assistance is available for older people and adults with specialist needs due to physical, mental or learning disabilities. This support helps people to live as independently and safely as possible.
Duties can include helping people to get up in the morning, preparing meals, and providing personal care (washing and dressing for example). Staff can be trained in the use of hoists, manual handling, food hygiene and first aid, where these are part of the care required. The care provided is tailored to meet the person’s needs, and may involve many calls over the course of the day by a team of staff.
Working With Adults in Day Centres
Day care workers or support staff are employed in day care facilities throughout Northern Ireland, to provide services for adults with mental health problems, physical or learning disabilities. Day care is also provided for older people with specific difficulties, such as dementia. Social care workers help provide a range of activities and opportunities for people using the centres to promote their independence, develop new skills and interests, alleviate social isolation, build self esteem, and help them develop and maintain social contacts and skills.
Day care workers also provide personal care for people who need assistance with everyday tasks such as toileting, feeding and mobility. Day care services are crucial to the support of carers and assist people in maintaining their quality of life within their own community.
Working With Adults in Residential and Supported Living Accommodation
Supported living accommodation allows people to live in independent units, but supported by staff. The care provided varies from around the clock to just for a short period each day. It is often a long term arrangement.
Within residential and nursing care, a care assistant’s job is to assist with meeting the personal, social and emotional needs of the resident as part of a staff team. The care provided can include helping people with washing, dressing, feeding and toileting. The majority of individuals using these services are older people who can no longer cope at home. People of any age who are very disabled can benefit from such care and sometimes people can require this type of assistance following a spell of severe illness or hospital admission.
Care workers can also assist people to access a range of activities that are important to their lives such as attending outings, shopping or maintaining links with family and friends.
Working With Families
Family support workers and family aid workers are employed as part of a professional team to provide emotional and practical support for families, children and young people. They can be based in family centres or may visit families regularly in their own homes.
Families needs are assessed by social workers and the service provided will depend on the particular issues of each family. Staff work to ensure that the best interests of the children are secured and that families are kept together where possible. They support parents to acquire and maintain parenting and home management skills to improve the physical and emotional care of their children, to play with their children, to deal with conflict and behaviour difficulties or manage their household budgeting better.
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