Lead Adult Care Workers are the frontline staff who help adults
with care and support needs to achieve their personal goals and live as
independently and safely as possible, enabling them to have control and choice
in their lives. In addition, Lead Adult Care Workers have responsibility for
providing supervision, frontline leadership, guidance and direction for others,
or working autonomously, exercising judgement and
accountability.
As
a Lead Adult Care Worker you will make a positive difference to someone’s life
when they are faced with physical, practical, social, emotional or intellectual
challenges. You will be expected
to exercise judgement and take appropriate action to support individuals to
maintain their independence, dignity and control.
By
providing leadership, guidance and direction at the frontline of care delivery
you will be instrumental in improving the health and wellbeing of those
receiving care and support. Lead Adult Care Workers will in some circumstances
have delegated responsibility for the standard of care provided and may
supervise the work of other care workers. This exercising of autonomy and
accountability means leading and supporting others to comply with expected
standards and behaviours.
Lead
Adult Care Workers may work in residential or nursing homes, domiciliary care,
day centres or some clinical healthcare settings. As well as covering Lead Adult
Care Workers this standard also covers Lead Personal Assistants who can work at
this senior level but they may only work directly for one individual who needs
support and/or care services, usually within their own home.
Typical
job titles include Care Officer, Care Supervisor, Senior Care Worker,
Supervising Care Worker, Senior Support Worker, Relief Team Leader, Social Work
Assistant, Social Services Officer, Outreach Development Worker, Community
Support Worker, Community Outreach Worker, Community Development Worker, Family
Support Worker or Personal Assistant. These could all specialise in a variety of
areas such as learning disability, mental health, drug and alcohol misuse,
homecare, dementia and end-of-life
care.