Direct Payment Worker - Hornsea, United Kingdom - East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Description
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The job itself
A Hornsea family seek an enthusiastic, caring and conscientious individual to support a friendly, fabulous and fun-loving 13-year-old young man who just happens to have Downs syndrome.
The young man has an infectious laugh and a smile for everyone – he is Mr Showbiz and likes nothing better than singing, dancing, making up shows and watching them in theatre or on YouTube.
He enjoys playing on his iPad, and Nintendo Switch, and likes games that two people can play.
He enjoys spending time at home playing in the garden, bouncing on the trampoline or playing with sand and water. He loves to watch the tv and play in his bedroom but he equally enjoys going out for adventures, whether that is the park, the beach, swimming, the cinema, or visiting a café – he LOVES a cake He is a typical boy and loves telling jokes, playing tricks, watching Gladiators, and rough and tumble. He has siblings that he enjoys playing with, and two dogs who he adores and likes to talk about. He watches Hull City with family and is over the moon when they win
He is very creative and likes painting and crafting, especially using modelling clay and making masks to then use in his 'shows'.
He has some language and communication difficulties and this can make him hard to understand. He uses an electronic Talker to support his speech but it is desirable that you have a good basic knowledge of Makaton or, if not, be committed and show a willingness to learn.
He does need some support with his personal care but this is mostly prompting. He does need someone who can keep him safe, especially out and about.
He can become frustrated and stubborn when he cannot make himself understood and this can lead to some challenging behaviour. This can occur if he has not been given enough notice to finish what he is doing or playing. It is essential therefore that you have patience and empathy and have had experience of supporting a child with Special Educational Needs who can sometimes present with behavioural difficulties. An ability to see past the occasional 'blip' and to see him for how wonderful he is, is absolutely key.
The ideal candidate will be committed to forming a close and meaningful bond with him and be passionate about helping him to absolutely smash life out of the park Someone who can nurture his love for all things drama would be amazing, as part of the role would be to help him access local musical theatre/dance groups that would give him the chance to perform. Don't panic - you are not expected to go on stage with him – so please don't let this put you off
The role would be 5 hours per week in term time and 10 hours per week during the holidays. The rate of pay would be £12.50 per hour. As mentioned above, some of the term time hours would be supporting him at a Drama club on Friday evenings and an SEN dance class on a Monday. This could potentially work on an alternate week basis with additional hours used on a weekend if needs be. We can be flexible about weekends and days during the holidays as it will depend on the activity. It is essential therefore that you have a car, mileage will be paid.
There may also be opportunities to come out with us as a family in order to support him on days out.