Job Description

West Sussex Short Breaks Support Worker

Location:

West Sussex (Worthing and Chichester /Arun)

Hours of Work:

8 hours per week

Shift Pattern (If Provided):

Various, including evenings and weekends

Salary:

12.21(per hour)

Closing date for applications:

30/09/2025

_________________________________________________________

What you can expect from us:

Fantastic paid training and career progression opportunities (including recognised qualifications in health and social care) Paid DBS (we will recover the cost should your employment terminate for any reason, other than redundancy, before passing your probation)*
Flexible work arrangements with opportunities to take on additional bank shifts too 30 Days Annual Leave (including Bank Holidays) / Pro rata dependent on hours. Annual leave entitlement increases with length of service Nest Pension and Death in Service Benefit (Includes unlimited access to a suite of six services: a 24/7 UK-based GP, Best Doctors, mental health support, a health check, access to nutrition consultations and an online fitness programme [Smart Health]) Dedicated Employee Assistance Programme and Access to Mental Health First Aiders

Aspens High Street Stores -

20% discount on all items for Aspens' staff stores Blue Light Card and access to high-street discounts Refer a Friend scheme, so you can earn up to 250 for every person you refer to work for Aspens Recognition schemes, including 'Employee of the Month'

About the Role:

Due to the variety of provisions within our services and the different support needs of the individuals we work with; the role of a Support Worker is one with great diversity and exciting challenges for employees at any stage of their career.

The role enables support workers to work as both part of a team and on a one to one basis, the day-to-day tasks that you will be required to complete can include:

Support with the delivery of short break sessions which will include social activities and accessing community-based services ensuring we promote the health and wellbeing of all young people who access the service.
To safely assist in the delivery of short break activity sessions

Support with completing session evaluations, ensuring a smooth flow of information to facilitate good communication within the staffing team, as well as professionals who require viewing of these.

Supporting individuals we support with Safeguarding requirements, completing incident reports as/when required and ensuring that relevant Safeguarding policies and procedures are understood and followed by yourself Fully implementing policies and procedures of the organisation and ensuring all recording systems are completed accurately on a regular basis. To sign to say that all policies and procedures have been read.

Collaborative Working

To work closely with the wider staff team

Attending training, participating in supervision sessions with nominated manager and attending staff meetings as required by your line manager.

To liaise with the wider staff team as required.

Develop and maintain good working relationships with parents, extended family members, social workers, education and health staff, together with other professionals as appropriate or directed by your Manager

About the Service:

We offer children and young people on the neurodevelopmental pathway the opportunity to develop the skills required to become independent and confident young people. We offer a range of support to young people aged 8-18 years living in West Sussex who may be in or out of education.

About Aspens:

At aspens we have over 100 years of experience supporting individuals of all ages with a range of disabilities, those on the autism spectrum, and those with complex needs. Through the provision of highly personalised support across a variety of services, we aspire to enable people to learn new skills, live life to the full and contribute to society however possible.

Here at Aspens we strive to uphold our

core values

by aspiring to be

honest

leaders in the social care field, setting the highest possible standards for the care of the people we support.

Our dedication to caring for people applies to our valued workforce as well as to the people our organisation exists to support, and we work to treat all of our employees, external partners and those we support with

respect

and kindness at all times.

We

empower

our staff by equipping them with the skills, knowledge and tools they need to do an excellent job, remain up to date with the latest developments and training in the sector and to achieve their own

professional

goals.

For more information about Aspens and our services please visit our website: https://www.aspens.org.uk/

You can also take a look at our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Person Specification

As a charity we are looking for

caring, hardworking and understanding people

to join us to promote the values that Aspens champions; respect, honesty, empowerment and professionalism.

Ideal candidate is those who

are able and willing to work toward their own personal progression, for self-development and to be able to better support the people we work with.

We have an incredible internal training team who support staff from day one to not only benefit your career going forwards but to offer you that first step in a new career if this is what you're looking for.

Below you will find our essential and desirable criteria for candidates applying for a Support Worker role with us.

Essential Training and Qualifications:

NVQ L2 in Health and Social Care or equivalent

Desirable Training and Qualifications:

Safeguarding of Children training NVQ L3 in Child Care and/or Youth work or Equivalent

Paediatric First Aid training

Commitment to continued personal development

Training in alternate forms of communication (Makaton, pictorial, objects of reference etc.)

Essential Experience and Knowledge:

Interest and basic understanding of autism.

Good understanding of safeguarding

Good understanding of GDPR

Desirable Experience and Knowledge:

Experience or knowledge of Report writing (including the completion of incident/accident forms)

Knowledge of alternate forms of communication (Makaton, pictorial, objects of reference)

Previous experience working with vulnerable children/ young people or transferable skills that would enable you to do this

Previous experience working with people with Learning Disabilities, Physical disabilities, Autism and associated medical needs or Demonstratable working knowledge of autism, Learning Disabilities and associated medical needs

Previous experience of working with individuals that display behaviours that challenge

Essential Skills and Attributes:

A caring personality with a drive to help others

A positive 'can-do' attitude with good problem-solving skills

A calm, friendly and patient nature

A team worker with good communication skills

A Trustworthy individual with good listening skills and the ability to show empathy

The ability to work independently or as part of a team.

Clear understanding of empowerment and involving young people in the development of the service.

Good English and Maths Skills

Good verbal and written communication skills

Good working knowledge of IT including working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel

Additional Essential Criteria

:

Driving Licence and access to your own transport

Equal Opportunity Statement

At Aspens Charities, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities and those who are likely to be underrepresented in Aspens' workforce, such as sex/gender, minority ethnic group, religion, belief, sexual orientation, age, as well as abilities. We believe that a diverse team leads to better outcomes and a more enjoyable work environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and has an equal opportunity to thrive.

As a Disability Confident employer, Aspens Charities is dedicated to supporting and promoting the recruitment, retention, and career development of people with disabilities. We recognise the value and contributions that individuals with disabilities bring to our organisation. Applicants who declare they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for the role will be offered an interview, where practicable and appropriate.

Accessibility and Accommodations

We are committed to providing an accessible recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, please let us know by contacting recruitment@aspens.org.uk.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: 12.21 per hour

Work Location: In person