A Personal Assistant (PA) is required to support my 13-year-old son, who has a moderate learning disability and dyspraxia, to access activities within the community. He requires one-to-one support, and the PA will support him to access social activities outside of the family home. This will give him the opportunity to build his social skills and awareness of his surroundings, while building on his independence skills. He has basic safety awareness, such as road safety. He has limited stranger danger awareness and is a vulnerable young adult therefore he will need to be supervision while out in the community. He is developing social skills and needs guidance and support to develop and maintain relationships.
Nature of the work / typical duties
The PA will support him for 3 hours a week during school term-times, and 4 hours a week during school holidays across the year. Typically, shifts will be during the week, typically after school and in the early evening or on a weekend. I am happy to consider job-share applications. This support will give my son an opportunity to build life skills and become more independent, and for him to do things away from the family home and without parental support.
In terms of activities, he enjoys exercise, would like to join a gym, loves cycling and swimming. He also enjoys music and performance, plays trombone in a community brass band and is a member of the local youth theatre. He enjoys getting the bus and visiting shops and eating out. He enjoys cooking and woodwork too. He is open to a variety of activities and enjoys doing new things. He is a sociable child, who is good company and has an eccentric sense of humour. My son is enjoying his status as a teenager, and he likes to be independent.
The role would be based in East Edinburgh, mainly Portobello or Craigmillar.
The rate of pay is £12.90 per hour.
MAIN DUTIES
The personal assistant will be required to do the following tasks and may be asked to carry out other tasks of a similar nature.
- Provide Harris with complete one-to-one support in the wider community, encouraging independence where appropriate and building on independence and social skills
- Support Harris to develop interests and hobbies.
SUPERVISION
The personal assistant will be directed by and accountable to the child’s parents in all aspects of their work. He/She must always discuss plans of support and activities prior to doing them so we can approve it.
The Personal Assistant should be:
Essential Criteria
- Friendly, with a good sense of humour.
- They must be reliable, trustworthy and punctual.
- It is important that theyenjoy spending time with older children.
- Have a good understanding of learning disability in young people.
- Can maintain an open and honest relationship with the employer.
- They should have the ability to work without close supervision
- Creatively problem solve and enjoy a challenge.
- A PVG check is essential.
Desirable Criteria
- Awareness and training in Person Centred Working desirable.
- Experience of working with and/or caring for a child with a learning disability is very desirable.
- Interest(s) in music/performing arts and/or health/fitness.
How to apply
Please send a CV, with 2 references and a cover letter stating your experience and why you want to do the job to pajobs@lothiancil.org.uk
Please note Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living (LCIL) provides support to individual disabled employers. LCIL is not the employer and only provides the recruitment and administrative support to the individual employer.