Support Worker Roles

27 Aug 2019

Magic Life UK offers supported living accommodation for many people all with different types of needs. Let’s take a look at two roles.

Support workers in learning disability

If you are a support worker working with people who have learning disabilities, you may be working with just one individual or a group of individuals living together in a supported environment.

You will work on building a relationship with the individual(s) whilst you support them with living their lives.

Promoting independence and wellbeing in a person with learning disabilities is the biggest part of being a support worker.

Everyone Magic Life Uk support’s is individual and a care plan is tailor-made for that person. The individual care plan will very much depend on the service user and their capabilities, but as a support worker, you will ensure they are safe whilst still getting the most satisfaction from their activities.

Some people undertake volunteer work during the days, others live almost independently by shopping, cooking and cleaning for themselves.

In your capacity as a support worker, you can offer your opinion and advice about any activity or issue, but ultimately the final decision of the person you are supporting must be respected.

For example, you could advise about healthy food choices when assisting an individual with making their shopping list, but it is their choice if they actually buy what’s on the list when they get to the supermarket.

You could be involved in assisting them with any type of physical activity such as helping them exercise, or with recreational activities such as shopping, playing games, or cooking and cleaning in their home.

Some service users may be able to live independently and will only need support when going out.

Others may need assistance in their own homes to undertake daily tasks, but whatever the needs of the individual, you will support them at a level that is appropriate for their needs.

Support workers in mental health

Mental health is a very varied area for a support worker to work in.

You could be working with individuals who have a drug or addiction problem, depression, or dementia.

The emphasis is on providing support to the individual, giving them time and in so doing, aiding their recovery.

Your work could include arranging peer support groups for people with a particular issue or working alongside a psychiatrist, social worker or community mental health team in managing a caseload of individuals with a range of mental health problems.

Your role will be to promote independent living, give regular and practical support and assist the service user to gain access to resources they might otherwise be unaware of.

This could be through a community mental health team, early intervention service or daycare centre.

It’s important that you have a genuinely caring nature, and the willingness to help the individual overcome their problems, as well as the ability to prioritise your workload.

It’s common that an individual will be under the care of a multi-disciplinary team, so your ability to pass information effectively between other team members is essential.

What you need to consider

Being a support worker is a hugely rewarding career.

It can offer a real sense of achievement and reward in the knowledge that you are helping to make someone’s life better.

However, it can also be stressful and you could find yourself working in isolation on some occasions.

You need to have a strong character to recognise the signs of stress and be strong enough to ask for help when you need it.

You will never be asked to work outside of your capabilities and you should always draw employers attention to your skill level if you are asked to do something you haven’t been trained to do.

Magic Life UK will train you in basic first aid, manual handling and sometimes medication handling, but you must never put yourself or others at risk by trying to undertake a task you have not been trained for.

In time your skill level will increase and your confidence in handling different situations will grow.

What Next

If you feel that this type of work is for you, apply today. Simply fill out the form below and we will take it from there.