Personal Assistant to a child (autistic)
Personal Assistant Job Description
Job Title: SEN Personal AssistantLocation: Chorlton M21 currently (within Merseybank area) am relocating to West Didsbury opp Fog Lane Park in 3 months
Hourly rate: £13Hours/shifts: contractually 11.25 hours p/week (term) morning/afternoon on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and flexibly 20 hours p/week (holidays) and overnight stays for oncall if available or ad hoc casual worker
Summary:My daughter is a 12-year old clever, bubbly, active girl who has a range of interests being artistic, creative, sporty and intelligent enjoying music and outdoor activities. Our daughter has medicated ADHD, Autism and Sensory Processing issues.
This would ideally be over three days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) in the term-time and full-weeks in the summer depending on respective holiday timetables.
This is a rewarding and vital role to support my 12-year-old with at home and during outings. My daughter is trying to make sense of the world and has difficulty making choices and communicating her thoughts and feelings. We need the PA to assist our daughter in activities which will help with her life progress, independence, social, emotional & behavioural development & wellbeing, to help build her confidence & self-esteem, develop her social interaction, communication & social skills and support her to enable her to access peers, social interaction and community resources.Full support will be given in familiarising the PA as to how to take care of our daughter to ease into the role to anticipate her needs and recognise anxiety, triggers for reactivity.
Other Essential Requirements:- Experience of working with SEN children or adults is desirable
- Provision of two independent references
- Applicants must be willing to undertake Enhanced CRB check
- Holiday pay will be offered and employment contracts issued
Desired Requirements:
Car owner (adhoc for Wednesday tuition class in Didsbury)
Trips out (public transport fine but access to a car would be helpful) mileage paid at 45pence/mile
Description - Typical dutiesDomestic:Changing bed linen/bed making (daughter's) - on occasion and only if needed
Preparing drinks, snacks, meals, organising weekly meal menu
Working within current reward/behaviour strategies
Medication administering (will be supported)
Supporting life/social skills (cooking, tidying clothes, helping with clothes choices)Tidying - communal areas (child's bedroom, kitchen, lounge, sensory room when used etc.)
Using initiative to promote independence/helping with design visual time tables etc.
Personal Care:Assistance getting into/out of the bath or showerAssistance with washing, drying, hair washing/ brushing as required - daughter can do this but needs prompting
Helping with other aspects of personal care as required, for example assisting to get changed in swimming pool etc.
Mealtimes e.g. , prompting to eat as is very fidgety and can be distracted
OT and SALT exercises (working within EHCP and school behaviour plan)
Social:Accompany and assist when accessing social and leisure activities, including swimming one to one, park and activities e.g. riding her bike, football, playground supervision, cinema, local visits, attending social events
Accompany or assist with classes/activities (currently piano lessons with a teacher on a Monday who comes to house, Explore Learning ie travel to Didsbury for tuition Wednesday at 550pm, swimming and sports classes - climbing, athletics, football are her interests)
Supporting with safety in and away from the home, near roads etc.
The above duties may involve driving our daughter in your car to activities in the future
Whilst on duty at the employer's home watching TV, listening to music, playing in the garden, supporting social and life skills etc.
Other: Be aware of triggers or early warning signs, acting accordingly to reduce/manage behaviour (zones of regulation)
Any other reasonable tasks requested.
Person specification: The successful applicant will beHonest, able to provide a long-term appointment (1 year+ ideally)
Genuinely care for our daughter's wellbeing, be invested in helping to nurture a SEN child
Possesses common sense and is polite
Good communication in all matters especially with absenceReliable with good timekeeping
Has life experience
Respectful of the employer's privacy and confidentiality
Previous experience working with SEN adults or children is desirableAble to both follow instructions and work on own initiative
Hygienic, tidy minded and well organisedFit and healthy to undertake the required duties
Patient and possess excellent interpersonal skills
Honest, creative and cheerful
Calm and reassuring manner
Able to speak and read English to a reasonable standardLegally permitted to work in the United Kingdom
Able to work at all times to high standards of Health & Safety
Awareness of common sense and basic first aid (will be supported).
Our daughter is in a special school and will have access to an Occupational Therapist/Speech Therapist and it is important the strategies from her therapy and those used at school are consistent within the home environment.
She goes to a special Autistic school but is very clever and creative and cuould have stayed in mainstream academically, if it not were for her sensory overload from a large class size. Other activities that interest her are film-making and forest school, the latter being school holiday interests.Our daughter loves nature, is sporty and wants to be an actress.
The PA would be a welcomed part of the family and we hope will build a close rapport with our daughter.
Sept 2024