Team Leader – Independent Living Services (This position has been filled)

Location: Lavender Court Dunstable Street, Bedford MK45 2BX

Additional Locations: As part of this role you will be expected to support our other independent living schemes, as well as attend other schemes/locations for training and meeting purposes. These are located in Ampthill, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard, Sandy and Biggleswade.

Hours: 40 hours per week to be worked flexibly according to the needs of the service. Occasional early shifts, evening shifts, late shifts and weekend work are required.

Reports to: Independent Living Services Manager  /  Head of Independent Living Services

Direct reports: Senior Care Assistant / Care Assistants

Remuneration: £13.50 per hour

CQC Registration Required: No

1. Overview of the Role:
1.1 You will be responsible for the day to day management and oversight of our Independent Living Scheme, Lavender Court. You will ensure the scheme runs smoothly and delivers person-centred, compassionate and effective care and support for older people with a range of needs.
1.2 You will lead a team of dedicated Care Assistants to deliver high quality services to ensure organisational and regulatory compliance at all times, ensuring CQC care standards are met.
1.3 You will ensure care and support is delivered in a flexible, respectful and empowering way which promotes a positive atmosphere within the scheme.
1.4 You will foster and maintain positive, proactive and professional working relationships with our internal and external stakeholders including adult social work teams, housing partners, multi-disciplinary professionals, families, clients and staff teams.
1.5 You will lead on quality and compliance matters within the scheme, ensuring a robust schedule of audits is maintained in key areas of service delivery and that any actions arising from the audits are logged and followed up in a timely manner. You will lead the team on a journey of continuous review and improvement.

2. Key Responsibilities:
2.1 To maintain effective and regular oversight of the Senior Carer and frontline care team to ensure a person-centred, flexible service is delivered which promotes privacy, dignity, independence and choice for those we support.
2.2 To ensure that clients’ wishes and preferences are adhered to at all times including when and how they would like their care and support to be delivered which includes their preferred gender of care staff.
2.3 To maintain oversight of the scheme rota, ensuring adequate staff cover with appropriately skilled and trained carers at all times. To work towards a minimum of 4 weeks’ rotas being prepared in advance at all times and to maintain our zero-agency approach. To ensure staff deployment is efficient, effective and in line with the scheme’s budget.
2.4 To complete detailed, bespoke and person-centred care plans and ensure these accurately reflect individual’s current care needs and preferences at all times, ensuring these are reviewed at regular intervals in line with company policy.
2.5 To ensure all risks to clients are effectively identified and ensure appropriate mitigation measures are implemented to maintain their safety, welfare and wellbeing as far as is reasonably practicable, utilising external agencies and a multi-disciplinary approach where required. To attend and at times lead on professionals meetings regarding risk management where required and to ensure risk management strategies are effectively cascaded down to staff teams and recorded in detail.
2.6 To attend regular panel meetings with Central Bedfordshire Council and the housing management team to discuss referrals to the service with a view to filling voids within the scheme in line with the service aims and specification, ensuring best value for the commissioners and other stakeholders. To ensure referrals accepted to the service are appropriate and the needs of individuals can be fully met by CIC, or in collaboration with external agencies where required.
2.7 To complete thorough needs-based assessments of potential new clients and to ensure new clients have a smooth and positive transition into the service, with a clear package of support in place at the time of service commencement.
2.8 To liaise with our housing partners and other professionals to ensure referrals and transitions into the service are planned and managed safely at all times considering the staffing, training and other needs of the service in relation to new packages of support.
2.9 To effectively report on safety concerns and safeguarding issues in a timely manner, including completing safeguarding notifications within expected specified timescales, and to lead on safeguarding matters as delegated by the service manager or above.
2.10 To ensure all care and support delivered is in line with the standards set by the Care Quality Commission and as outlined in our service specification, ensuring all relevant legislation is adhered to at all times including the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
2.11 To ensure an effective 24-hour response service is maintained in the scheme for all those residing within the scheme in the event of an emergency or urgent request for assistance. To ensure staff fully understand their duties in respect of obtaining help in an emergency from medical and/or other services as needed and how to respond positively and proactively to a range of incidents which may arise.
2.12 To ensure that clients are supported in managing their physical and emotional wellbeing and meeting their health care needs. To ensure that clients receive prompt medical attention for physical or mental health concerns and regularly promote regular health care checks and effective management of long-term health conditions. To support and encourage clients to make healthy lifestyle choices and stay active and engaged with others as part of their social inclusion and wellbeing.
2.13 To ensure that medication is managed safely and effectively within the service including the ordering, storing, reviewing, administering, recording and disposal of medication and that this is always in line with company policy, regulatory requirements and industry best practice. To ensure that any issues arising with medication are responded to quickly and efficiently so that clients needs can be safely met and any medication concerns or errors are appropriately escalated to medical/healthcare professionals, internally in line with company policy, and to other agencies as required. To ensure clients are encouraged to independently manage their medication wherever possible, and that staff undertaking medication administration duties are fully trained and competent to do so.
2.14 To ensure respectful personal care is provided to clients where required in line with their needs and preferences, and to ensure that such care is consistent, reliable, sensitive and promotes privacy and dignity at all times. To ensure regular observations of staff practice are carried out and prompt and constructive feedback is provided to staff to improve their practice where required.
2.15 To maintain oversight of all commissioned support within each scheme, monitoring increases and decreases of care hours against the service delivery model to ensure optimal staff deployment at all times. To ensure our internal databases are kept up to date, and detailed records are maintained and accessible in regard to confirmation of care packages and any changes to these.
2.16 To refer clients to external professionals as required such as occupational therapy teams, speech and language therapy teams, advocacy services, mental health services etc. and to ensure records are maintained as to actions taken in this regard. To promote external services and a multi-disciplinary approach to individual’s care and support, including the use of assistive technology where this can be utilised to increase safety and independence.
2.17 To promote anti-discriminatory practice and ensure that the services respects, celebrates and promotes equality, diversity and inclusion for both staff and clients, and that clients cultural and spiritual needs are met when providing care and support.
2.18 To develop and maintain positive and trusting relations with clients’ families and wider circles of support and to encourage them to express their needs, views and concerns. To ensure families are involved in the planning and reviewing of their loved ones’ care and support, with consent from the individual. To ensure that families are aware of how to raise concerns and complaints should they need to.
2.19 To ensure clients and vulnerable people residing at the service are safeguarding from harm and abuse and to comply with Care is Central, and Central Bedfordshire Council’s safeguarding policies are adhered to at all times. To complete safeguarding notifications and lead on safeguarding matters if required including the implementation of safeguarding protection plans and Section 42 Enquiries working in partnership with the service manager and/or head of independent living services.
2.20 To adhere to all health and safety requirements and promote health and safety awareness at all times. To ensure that policies and regulations pertaining to the management of the building, fire safety, food safety, water temperature safety, infection prevention and control, environmental safety and security are adhered to at all times. To conduct risk assessments of client needs, the physical environment and lone-working risks and implement risk mitigation measures to reduce the risk, likelihood and severity of potential harm.
2.21 To maintain up to date and accurate databases across a range of platforms including the use of online digital systems, spreadsheets and others as required. To review and analyse data to contribute to our monitoring, evaluating and reporting procedures and to collect and collate feedback and statistical data as required. To ensure that all internal reporting mechanisms are adhered to within agreed timescales and to support
2.22 To encourage customer and stakeholder feedback and suggestions as to how we can continually improve and develop the service using a range of platforms including satisfaction surveys and online questionnaires. To review and analyse feedback to make positive changes within the service to improve the experiences of clients, staff and other stakeholders.
2.23 To respond positively to and lead on any complaints raised or feedback received in relation to the quality of the service ensuring our complaints policy and procedures are followed. To ensure complaints are logged, responded to within agreed timescales, escalated to the senior management team and lessons learnt are communicated to and implemented within the wider care team.
2.24 To contribute to the management of the service budget, financial stability of the service and the wider financial success of Care is Central. To ensure staffing hours are monitored, payroll processes are accurate, and information is submitted in a timely manner. To ensure clients paying privately for their care are invoiced accurately and within agreed timescales and to ensure prompt payment of invoices raised. To ensure all company expenditure is in line with relevant policies and procedures.
2.25 To conduct yourself in a positive and professional manner at all times, adhering to our code of conduct and leading the team by example. To ensure you maintain effective and timely communication with all internal and external stakeholders ensuring communications are professional and courteous across all platforms used.

3. Staff Management Responsibilities:
3.1 You will provide direct management support to a team leader and a team of dedicated care assistants within each scheme. You will lead the team to ensure they deliver high quality care and support to our clients and maintain the highest performance standards and conduct at all times.
3.2 To ensure all staff receive formal supervision in line with the company policy and that detailed supervision records are maintained and associated logs are kept up to date.
3.3 To monitor staff attendance, punctuality, reliability, sickness, overall performance and competence of the staff team, taking action in line with relevant policies where required.
3.4 To respond to concerns and feedback raised by the staff team in order to make improvements in the quality of the care provided to clients and to the service overall and respond accordingly to concerns raised in relation to client safety and welfare in line with relevant policies, for example safeguarding.
3.5 To ensure all staff have completed all mandatory and additional training as required and ensure our training matrix is kept up to date at all times. You will discuss with staff any additional training and professional development needs and provide coaching and mentoring to upskill the team as required.
3.6 To lead on the recruitment process for the service ensuring jobs are advertised on agreed platforms such as Indeed, in a timely manner when vacancies arise. You will liaise with candidates and conduct detailed interviews, follow our recruitment and vetting processes and ensure staff recruited are of a high calibre, have the right to work in the UK, are deemed safe to support our client group and have satisfactory references.
3.7 To ensure all new staff have a thorough, robust and planned induction into their role including a tour and orientation of the building, fire safety procedures, lone working procedures, security protocols, shadow shifts and completing the corporate induction modules on our staff engagement platform. To ensure staff feel welcomed and supported on joining the company and to ensure they receive adequate support and coaching in line with their previous experience, confidence and competence during the induction process.
3.8 To ensure staff are effectively managed through the probation process, ensuring they receive regular supervision and observations, implementing performance management plans where needed to ensure staff are meeting required standards and escalated concerns through the HR process if needed in the event of staff underperforming in their new role.
3.9 To lead on HR processes where required including staff performance management processes, HR investigations and disciplinary processes ensuring our disciplinary and grievance policies are adhered to all times. To ensure detailed and accurate records are maintained in relation to HR processes.
3.10 To ensure all staff have a constructive annual performance appraisal, supporting them to develop and improve their practice where required and supporting them to meet their professional development aims and objectives.
3.11 To ensure staff team meetings are held monthly and to promote active participation and feedback from staff.
3.12 To promote and nurture best practice at all times and ensure staff feel supported to perform at their best. To ensure staff feel valued and to promote staff retention within the scheme.

4. General Duties:
4.1 To promote Care is Central and portray the company in a positive light to clients, families, staff, commissioners and other stakeholders at all times.
4.2 To accept supervision, support and guidance from senior colleagues and to maintain transparency and honesty in regards to the same when this may be needed. To ensure your own training is kept up to date and to identify own training and development needs, attending courses and events as required.
4.3 To support other Independent Living Schemes as required and provide management cover and oversight for colleagues during periods of leave or absence.
4.4 To contribute to the wider developmental and growth objectives of Care is Central.
4.5 To contribute to the On-Call service provision for the Independent Living Services, undertaking on-call duties on a rota basis for which an additional payment will be made.
4.6 To provide direct care and support for clients working on shift if required including delivering personal care, continence care, medication administration and moving and handling.
4.7 Any other duties as required commensurate to the role and level of responsibility and accountability.

Person Specification:

Essential Criteria:
1. Significant practitioner and/or management experience working in a CQC Registered service, preferably with older people.
2. Experience working in an independent living (extra care) service, domiciliary care service or similar.
3. Experience in recruitment and managing the recruitment process within a social care setting.
4. Experience carrying out needs-based assessments for clients aged 55 and over.
5. Experience in managing safeguarding processes including raising notifications and leading on safeguarding enquiries.
6. Experience writing and reviewing detailed and person-centred care plans and risk assessments.
7. Experience managing and leading a team and managing service rotas.
8. Strong written and verbal communication skills including the use of MS Software packages such as Word and Excel.
9. Knowledge of relevant legislation and statutory frameworks including the Care Act, MCA and CQC requirements, and the ability to apply these within the setting.
10. Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the scheme, and the wider Independent Living Services with good organisational skills and a positive, can-do attitude, including working evenings and weekends when required.
11. Excellent partnership working skills and ability to work in collaboration with a range of internal and external partners, agencies and stakeholders.
12. Ability and willingness to undertake all tasks required of the care assistant role including moving and handling tasks when required.

Desirable Criteria:
1. Possession of a relevant professional or practice related qualification such as a Level 3 Diploma/NVQ or above
Where candidates do not have a qualification, they must be willing to work towards these.
2. Experience overseeing and contributing to budgets and the financial health of the scheme.
3. Experience with payroll processes.
4. Experience working with a range of digital systems and processes and optimising the functions of these for effective service delivery.
5. A driver with access to a vehicle when required, or the ability to travel between sites as required across the region.

Email: info@careiscentral.org.uk