Support Worker

[Deb]

As promised, have attached a job advert and specification for a support worker in case it should be of any use to anyone.

 

Am grateful to forum members and other colleagues for their help. Have had it approved by various local professionals attached to the case.

 

Spent ages on it. Now been told that our area senco often suggests that settings use staff already employed to cover this role and that settings employ someone a temporary assistant to work with the other children.

 

How do others feel about that?

 

Wouldn't we get into trouble with equal opportunities?

 

Could we advertise for either a temporary support worker or a temporary assistant to cover all possibilities? Time is running away with us for a January start.

 

They are not even able to advise us how many hours as yet they will fund additional help and suggest we put 'to be advised' on the advert. Am about to complete a referall form to put this in motion so that hopefully we will have something concrete should anybody apply?

 

Just feel it's a bit wooly and might put people off!

 

Am really looking forward to the child starting with us, could just do without the paperwork!

 

Hope someone can help me clarify things in my mind.

Advert_for_support_worker_for_fsf.doc

Job_Description_Special_Needs_Support_Worker_for_fsf.doc

[Running Bunny]

When I was in nursery, we had an autistic child start with us, which we received four hours of funding for a day from 10 til 2. I asked the manager and room leader if I could be considered for this role, but they said that as it was a funded post and a designated one-to-one, there could be complications with the other children not understanding why I could no longer play with them, unless the child in question was engaged with them at the same time. Looking back, it would have been hard to totally focus on the one child and 'ignore' other aspects of the nursery day, so I think that an indpedent person is best for the temporary post.

 

We ended up with the daughter of one of the other employees doing a four hour day and it worked really well as the children saw her as 'Tom's friend' and understood that she was there to primarily look after him. I was key worker for the time outside of the funded period so that I could liase with parents and then handover to the one-to-one carer and we all met with senior management when doing play plans, parent feedback etc.

 

I can't think of an immediate problems with equal opps, as you may have a member of staff who is specifically interested in supporting children with special needs, and you would usually look internally for a promotion or change in role before going externally, but if they are a qualified member of staff, the replacement will have to be a qualified member of staff (if you are working at 50% qualified ratio) - does that make sense?

[Inge]

We do as suggested and employ a current member of staff on 1:1, and if needed employ a temporary member of staff to cover hours, we are lucky in that part time staff willingly pick up hours while needed and reduce when needed so this has not yet applied, and as all at level 3 not a problem.

 

The children quickly knew that the staff member was working with the child and it often works in our favour as they join in with the child and worker very easily, making it very inclusive. Our staff doing 1:1 sometimes works with the child and other sessions as a member of staff, children know that when 'j' is in she needs extra help and who does it, although she has been with us for almost a year now and all staff work with her at some time during the session, (autisic spectrum, lots of help needed).

 

Number of hours is dependent on need and other places which may be attended, 'J' also attends a Special needs group 1 day a week and us 4, she gets funded for normal sessions plus funding for 1;1 worker for whole time she is with us, this we apply for each term with normal funding just an addtional form to complete by us, special needs group and parent.

 

Also remember other meetings which may need attending about the child and reports etc, lots of work but well worth it when you see progress being made.

 

Inge

[Andreamay]

I agree with inge and that is what we do

[aliamch]

We also work the same as Inge and Andreamay

 

Karrie

[Deb]

Many thanks everyone for your replies.

 

Those of you who use 1:1 from staff already employed, do you advertise the post first or is it just a variation of staff deployment?

 

For the additional member of staff - do you advertise that position or do you all have staff able to take on extra hours?

 

How do staff cope with their other responsibilities like carrying out observations of their other key children?

[Inge]

hi deb,

 

we do not advertise, just re deploy staff , in our case additional hours are taken up by another member of staff, or sometimes more than one so far we have not had to take on a new member of staff, but if we did we would advertise and create a temporary post for a fixed term.

 

In our case the 1:1 worker also works other sessions with the children and successfully manages to complete all that is necesary in the key worker role, in my case the worker is also managing to do her foundation degree as well.

 

remember we do all have input and help with the child during the session, this also allows for cover during illness of staff, which can be an issue if there is only one staff member doing all the care, in our case another staff member takes over for the session and we follow usual method of cover for staff illness. (In one setting i know the child could not attend if 1:1 was ill or off as no one else could do the role, we ensure this does not happen)

 

with partime staff with partime children doing mixture of sessions mornings or afternoons it is really impossible for staff to be in every session with keychildren - (no one could go home if we did that) so in our case all staff observe and record for all children in the setting we all often ask other staff to help with specific observations if needed, so recording etc is not an issue, team work I think is the keyword here.

 

1:1 worker aslso provides written reports for other agencies whan requested, IEPs in

collaboration with other agencies, Liase with other staff on IEP and how to implement it , can be the one to go to meetings although recently I have done this as Senco, with her written report. report back to parents every session - sure to be lots more , but it becomes easier with time.

 

Inge