Support Worker 2011

Job Vacancy: Support Worker

Dear Applicant
Thank you for your interest in the above post. Please find enclosed the
following information:

Contents Page
Information about Diverse Cymru 2
Job Description 3
Person Specification 6
Application Form 10
Further Information 16
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form 19

We are happy to accept your application form by e-mail as a Microsoft

Word attachment, but we will still require a hard copy in the post with
your signature by the closing date.
Please read through all the information carefully. When applying, please
ensure that you answer all questions and provide examples to back up
statements made about your experience.

All applications will be treated in strictest confidence, and in line with

equal opportunities practice the front page will be removed during the
short-listing process.

Please mark the corner of your envelope: SW/APP, and post to:
Diverse Cymru, 3rd Floor Alexandra House, 307-315 Cowbridge Road East, Canton
Cardiff CF5 1JD

Closing Date for applications 12 noon, Thursday 14th April 2011

Shortlisting 15th April 2011
Interviews 21st April 2011

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss the role of the
Support Worker, please contact Suzanne Duval on 029 20368888.

Thank you

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Support Worker 2011
Information about Diverse Cymru

Following the formation of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission

in 2007 it was decided to create an organisation in Wales to reflect the
wider remit of the new organisation and to focus on promoting
opportunities for everyone regardless of race, age, disability, religion or
belief, sexual orientation, gender or transgender status.
Diverse Cymru is a new exciting organisation that has brought together
two organisations; Cardiff and Vale Coalition of Disabled People and
Awetu have been working to promote equality and diversity since the
1990’s. Diverse Cymru brings these two dynamic organisations together
to provide opportunities for enhancing equality work across boundaries
and deliver an equality agenda that will play a central role in ensuring
equalities and diversity is everyone's business, whatever their role

We pursue equality and full rights for all people in every part of
their lives.

We are actively opposed to all forms of discrimination.

We promote the right of disabled people to achieve independence
through being in control of their own lives.

We are actively involved in national and local campaigns

ensuring the rights and entitlements of disabled people.

We advise a range of public and voluntary sector bodies on

equality issues.

We pursue equality and full rights for BME adults experiencing

mental ill health.

We promote the rights of BME adults experiencing mental ill

health.

With the coming together of the two organisations, we are looking for an
experienced and dynamic Support Worker, providing help and support to
people experiencing mental health difficulties, particularly within the
BME Community, enabling them to sustain independent life in the
community.

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Support Worker 2011

Job Description

Post Title: Support Worker

Salary: £18,453 (Scale 4.20) plus 3% contributory

pension scheme
Hours: 37 hours per week, flexitime policy
operates.
28 days annual leave plus public holidays

Reporting to: Diverse Cymru Director of Operations

Place of Work: Cardiff

Job Purpose:
Providing help and coordinating support to people experiencing mental
health difficulties, particularly within the BME Community, enabling them
to sustain independent life in the community.

The post holder will:

 Provide relevant support to enable people to maintain their

independence and to achieve their aspirations for independent
living.
 Increase the motivation of individuals.
 Coordinate and develop the volunteer befriending role
 Support individuals to pursue outside activities/interests.
 Support individuals to have the confidence necessary to
appreciate that they can exercise choices.
 Develop the role of volunteers in delivering services to clients

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Supervision of some volunteers.

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Support Worker 2011
SUPERVISION AND GUIDANCE:

Reports to the Diverse Cymru Director of Operations (DCDO) but

will be expected to work on own initiative with a high degree of
independence, referring only complex issues to the DCDO.
Will work closely with the other Diverse Cymru Team members in
terms of consistent work practices, mutual support, and sharing of
information/good practice on support work.
Will respond to guidance from the Diverse Cymru Governing Body.

RANGE OF DECISION MAKING:

Will be required to exercise a high degree of professional

judgement, consistency and objectivity in relation to providing
support and information to clients.
Will be expected to determine and analyse outcomes of the
support service.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR ASSETS, MATERIALS ETC:

Responsible for data collected in pursuit of the above objectives.

Access to paper/computerised records containing client’s personal
and financial information, in accordance with relevant Data
Protection requirements.
General responsibility for all equipment and furniture in the post-
holder’s area.

CONTACTS:

Operational contact with:

Service providers and service users
Agencies involved in related information and support services

RANGE OF DUTIES:

Receiving initial requests for advice and information, assess users’

issues and needs and ensure appropriate responses to their
needs.
Undertaking casework on behalf of users on issues directly or
indirectly related or connected with their circumstances (e.g.
housing, welfare rights).

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Support Worker 2011
Coordinating and developing a befriending service to help meet
the needs of service users
To work closely with Diverse Cymru’s Advocacy Officer to provide
advice, information, and support to clients.
Negotiating with relevant agencies on behalf of service users to
further the progress of their case/claims.
Maintaining up-to-date information and be aware of relevant
legislation (e.g. Equality Act 2010).
Liaising with Diverse Cymru’s Volunteer Coordinator and Service
User Involvement Officer in order to provide a distinct and
specialised service for clients.
Keeping clear and precise records for all clients and be aware of
confidentiality policies/vulnerable adult alerting procedures.
To actively contribute to Diverse Cymru’s campaigning and
awareness raising work by feeding casework experiences to
inform these activities and others, such as consultation exercises.
Preparing reports as required for the Director of Operations
including monitoring and statistics.
To undertake any other duties as required which are appropriate to
the work of Diverse Cymru which are commensurate with the
responsibility levels of the post and bearing in mind the developing
nature of the service.

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 Support Worker 2011

DIVERSE CYMRU

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

POST TITLE: Support Worker POST REF: SW/APP

SUMMARY OF JOB: Providing help and coordinating support to people experiencing mental health difficulties, particularly
within the BME Community, enabling them to sustain independent life in the community.
Diverse Cymru is an Equal Opportunities Employer and requires its employees to believe in equality and the rights of all
people, both in terms of equal opportunity for employment and access to services. We are committed to making reasonable
adjustments to the job role and working environment so that disabled people have access to job opportunities or current
employees can continue working where they develop a disabling condition.

HOW IDENTIFIED
ATTRIBUTE ESSENTIAL CRITERIA DESIRABLE
CRITERIA
Educated to degree Application form and
QUALIFICATIONS Educated to degree or equivalent level Selection Process.
experience Certificates
EDUCATION / Willing to undertake training as Evidence of personal Application form & Selection
TRAINING required. development in the last Process.
two years.

KNOWLEDGE / At least two years experience of Application form & Selection

EXPERIENCE working in the BME voluntary process
sector
 Support Worker 2011

A good understanding of Experience of enabling

advocacy support practices and individuals to become
principles more confident
Previous experience of providing
support to vulnerable clients
either in a group or on an
individual basis
Commitment to involving
volunteers in service
development and initiating
change
Knowledge and understanding of
current legislation which
underpins Health and Social
Care.
CIRCUMSTANCES/ Must be legally entitled to work in Selection process.
PERSONAL the UK.
If driving is a feature of this post Access to transport
Sight of appropriate
– must have access to licensed
documentation as specified
vehicle and appropriately insured
in interview letter
(e.g. business use)
Able to work flexible hours i.e.
outside of 9-5

Good written and verbal Application form & Selection

PRACTICAL AND communication and presentation process
INTELLECTUAL skills.
 Support Worker 2011

SKILLS Ability to work to deadlines and

under pressure
Must be able to perform all duties
and tasks with reasonable Selection process.
adjustment, where appropriate, in
accordance with the Equality Act
2010
Computer literate
Knowledge of social care and
SPECIALIST mental health related support Application form & Selection
KNOWLEDGE Knowledge of the BME process
community
Ability and commitment to
maintaining confidentiality of
information relating to the
organisation
Knowledge of support needs and
their impact upon individuals,
family and community
DISPOSITION/ Ability to work with a range of Selection process
ADJUSTMENT/ individuals and agencies.
ATTITUDE Ability to motivate and inspire
volunteers
Ability to work across disciplines
and organisations
Excellent inter-personal skills,
able to work with possible conflict
Support Worker 2011

and challenges using tact and

diplomacy.
Ability to work as part of a team
Ability to work on own initiative,
prioritise and organise own
workload.
Candidates should indicate an
acceptance of and commitment
to the principles underlying Equal
Rights and Diversity policies and
practices.
They should be able to display a
positive approach to achieving
practical solutions to equality and
diversity.
They should demonstrate an
awareness of fairness, equality &
diversity issues in relation to their
chosen area of work.
Support Worker 2011

CON F ID ENT IA L
APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
This form is available in other formats on request
Position applied for: Support Worker
Personal Details
Name
Address

Post Code
Telephone
Email
How did you
find out
about this
job

References
Please nominate two people who can comment on your suitability for this
position. They will not be contacted unless a job offer has been made.
Referee 1 Referee 2

Name Name

Address Address

Post code Post code

Telephone Telephone

e-mail e-mail

Relationship to you Relationship to you

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Support Worker 2011

Education, Training and Qualifications

Please give details of any school/college education, training or qualifications
that are relevant to this post. Please include dates.

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Support Worker 2011

WORK HISTORY
Please tell us about your present and previous PAID or UNPAID work
experience. We recognise that valuable skills and experience can be gained
through voluntary work and/or managing family and home. Include the
organisation’s name, the position you held and the dates you worked there.

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Support Worker 2011

ABILITIES, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Please tell us about the abilities, skills and experience that you would bring
to the role. We need to know how you meet the Essential Requirements
set out in the Person Specification.

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Support Worker 2011

1. Please provide 2 main examples of how discrimination may

affect people?

2. Please outline something you have done to help achieve equality

in your own or other people’s lives

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Support Worker 2011
If you wish to attach further A4 sheets with other information or
comments, please ensure that your name and the job you are applying
for are marked clearly on the sheet.

Do not submit a CV as this will not be considered (see attached

information).

PLEASE NOTE – All successful job applicants will be subject to the

legally required Criminal Records Bureau checks for the post of which
they are applying, prior to confirmation of post. Due to the length of time
this takes, successful applicants can start working their probationary
period with the organisation whilst this is being carried out. However,
restrictions on unsupervised working with some people involved with the
organisation may occur during this period.

STATEMENT

I hereby certify that the information given on this form is correct to the
best of my knowledge.

Signed: Date:

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Support Worker 2011

FURTHER INFORMATION
Information about Diverse Cymru and the way it works
We pursue equality and full rights for all people in every part of
their lives.
We are actively opposed to all forms of discrimination.
We promote the right of people to achieve independence through
being in control of their own lives.
What we do
We are actively involved in national and local campaigns
ensuring the rights and entitlements of all people.
We advise a range of public and voluntary sector bodies on
equality issues and provide a training and consultancy
service, and awareness raising sessions.
We run an Independent Living Scheme. It works with people
who receive direct payments from their social services
department. The scheme provides information, support and
training to disabled people who wish to use this money to
employ their own personal assistants.
We run an issue and crisis based Advocacy Service.

Organisational Culture
Briefly, we are committed to valuing all participants in the work of the
organisation. It is assumed that all staff (and indeed all other
participants) identify with the aims of the organisation and commit
themselves to the creative pursuit of our aims. The culture is, as far as
is practical, based on consensual decision making, professionalism,
individual responsibility within a team framework, implicit control within
agreed boundaries (and resources) and holistic support for employees
and colleagues.

Our organisational culture is not simply ideology. Practical concerns

demand an entrepreneurial approach and Diverse Cymru have a well-
deserved reputation for driving the equality agenda in Wales. To
maintain this credibility, staff, need to feel that they have the authority
and support to carry out their responsibilities; staff must be able to take
decisions ‘in the field’. Many of the initiatives taken by both
organisations have been opportunistic, with staff identifying opportunities
to achieve organisational goals through sometimes unforeseen routes.

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Support Worker 2011
As part of this culture we are currently reviewing our recruitment
processes and have recognised the need to be clear with applicants
about how our recruitment system works. This briefing gives a short
overview of this and tells you what YOU have to do to be successful in
your job application.

When a post becomes vacant or a new job is identified, we consider:

1. What the organisation needs to achieve the targets set out in our
business plan;
2. The duties and tasks involved in the role – we put these in a Job
Description;
3. The experience, skills and/or qualifications a successful candidate will
need - we put these in a Person Specification;
4. How to attract applicants for the post.
When we advertise jobs we try to give a contact name for job-seekers to
call if they need to know anything about how to apply for the job. These
people can tell you things like:
How to get an application pack;
How to get information in different formats;
When the panel will meet to carry out Shortlisting (which people to
interview);
Where and when the interviews will be held; and
What to do if you have a complaint.

On request, an application pack will be sent to you. The pack will

contain:

A. A covering letter;
B. An information pack;
C. An application form;
D. A job description;
E. A person specification;
F. An Equal Opportunities Form.

YOU need to read this information really carefully, as it should inform

you how best to complete your application form. YOU need to pay
particular attention to the Person Specification and Job Description
as during shortlisting and interview we will test the information you give
us against the requirements we have set out in these documents. YOU
need to demonstrate to us that you can meet the requirements before
you can be interviewed or appointed to a job.

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Support Worker 2011
When the panel looks at your form we can only use the information you
have given us. So that the process is fair, the people taking part on the
recruitment panel CANNOT consider any other information they may be
given about any applicant, even if we already know you. So please don’t
assume we are aware of your skills - YOU need to tell us on the
application form which asks for details of the experience and skills you
have to do the job. Please answer all the points in the personnel
specification where required on the form, adding extra pages as needed.
Please note we DO NOT accept CV’s. If you only provide information
using a CV, then your application will be disregarded.

Please also make sure that:

You use black ink or type your form (unless it is produced in

accessible format);
Your name is clearly shown on all information you send us;
You fill in all the other parts of the form as clearly as you can
(information may be missed if the form is difficult to read);
The form reaches us on time (this is your responsibility and we
cannot accept forms after the closing date);
You tell us about any access needs you have as soon as possible.
The longer we have to prepare, the easier it will be to meet these
needs;

Application forms received will not be acknowledged (unless, a stamped

addressed envelope is provided by the candidate). Only successful
applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection Process.
If you have not received a reply from us within two weeks of the closing
date, please assume you have not been successful on this occasion. If
you require feedback please contact the person named in the advert
whom will respond in writing (or other accessible format) to your enquiry.

After interview you will be notified of the outcome by phone and/or letter
unless otherwise stated by the panel during the interview. If you are not
successful and would like feedback please request as above.

If you need any further information please get in touch with the contact
person.

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Support Worker 2011

Equal opportunities monitoring form

Diverse Cymru are working towards a comprehensive equal
opportunities policy. We hope that you will help us by completing
this form so that we can check whether the policy is succeeding.
The information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and
used for monitoring purposes only.

It is not compulsory to return this form and will not

prejudice your job application if you choose not to
fill in the form.

Please fill in as much of the form as possible and then

place it in a sealed envelope within your application and
return to us with your application form.

Thank you for your co-operation.

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Support Worker 2011
Name:
Job applied for: Support Worker

1. Disability
I define myself as a disabled person: Yes No

2. Gender and age: Please tick

I am: Female Male Age:

3. Sexuality: Please tick

I identify as Gay man Lesbian Heterosexual
Other, please specify………………………………….

4. Ethnic origin: Please tick one

This refers to members of an ethnic group who share the same cultural
background and identity. It does not mean country of birth or nationality.
I would describe my ethnic origin as:
White UK Black UK White Welsh Black Welsh

African-Caribbean Indian Bangladeshi Irish

Pakistani Chinese Other Asian Other Black

White European:

If none of the above applies please specify:

5. Language 6. Access Needs Please specify:

My first language is:

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