Client Support Worker (with livestock responsibility)

Job content

Wick Care Farm CIC is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company based at Wick Grange Farm. It is a welcoming, friendly place where adults and children feel safe and valued. People with a range of needs are supported to carry out a variety of purposeful activities in a farm setting aimed to help improve or maintain their mental and physical health.

Our sessions help address key areas of mental health including:

· Increasing self-esteem through feeling valued, achieving success, and learning new skills

· Reducing loneliness and nurturing friendships

· Improved physical health through exercise and healthy eating

· Improved empathy and gratitude through care of animals, growing food and flowers and caring for the environment

We are recruiting a new member of staff to meet the demand for our special services. We need an individual, preferably with a diverse skill set, who is committed to empowering people through outdoor activity. Our dynamic team, many of whom are volunteers, works with young people, adults and older people who have a variety of health and support needs including mental health issues, dementia, autism and learning difficulties. A cheerful, creative, patient and enthusiastic approach is essential.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone wanting to work in an alternative environment, outside a traditional setting, where it is possible to use and develop their skills supporting individuals over a long period of time and make a difference to their lives.

This job would suit a person who is passionate about using an outdoor setting as a therapeutic environment working with people who have a variety of support needs. The candidate will have experience with animals and an interest in working with livestock in this setting.

Summary of role:

This role at Wick Care Farm (WCF) will be responsible, alongside the rest of the staff team, for providing practical and emotional support to clients and empower them to achieve their goals.

This role has particular responsibility for co-ordinating the care of the livestock – a small flock of sheep, weaner pigs, poultry including chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. They will liaise with the rest of the WCF team to enable the care of the animals to be an integral part of the therapeutic activities.

Duties and responsibilities

Along with the rest of the team the candidate will be:

• Assisting with set-up and tidy up at start and end of each session.
• Assisting with planning, organising, and delivering activities for individuals or groups.
• Continuous risk assessment throughout the day; removing or reporting potential hazards; advising clients on safety and pointing out risks; withdrawing from allocated tasks if any concerns regarding emotional or physical wellbeing of clients.
• Alerting WCF management team immediately to any Safeguarding issues/concerns.
• Sharing any new concerns regarding a client’s mental health, or other issues, with WCF management team in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Providing feedback for client daily progress notes and contributing towards individual goal planning.
• Participating in daily in-house, on-the-job ‘training’ and attending mandatory out-of-hours training sessions.
• Ensuring that any agreed additional role/area of responsibility are fulfilled.
• Assisting with animal, horticultural and craft tasks
• Supervision of volunteers

In addition, this role will include:

• Taking responsibility for animal husbandry: the health and welfare of the animals, in particular sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese; leading on livestock feeding routines, hygiene and medication; ordering and keeping feedstocks up to date; animal record keeping.
• Supporting staff to enable the care of the animals to be an integral part of the therapeutic activities.

Person specification

Essential:

• A qualification suitable for this therapeutic role
• Awareness of professional codes of conduct including confidentiality
• Knowledge and experience of working in mental health and / or with people living with dementia
• Enthusiasm for working outdoors
• Experience and enthusiasm for working with animals
• Professional communication skills
• A cheerful team player, responsible and self-motivated.
• Active listening skills
• A flexible and non-judgemental approach to people and work
• Physical fitness
• The post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check

Desirable:

• Professional qualification for working in a therapeutic setting
• Knowledge and experience of working with diverse groups, including individuals with mental health, dementia, autism and / or complex needs
• Experience of working with and delivering activities to adults, young people and/or children in an outdoor setting
• Experience of working with sheep, pigs and chickens
• Confident cooking skills using fresh vegetables
• Social media literacy
• Confidence of working with hand tools and plants
• Driving License

Overview of Terms of Employment & Benefits Salary:

Rate of pay/Salary: Annual salary of £22,880.00 pro rata (£9,152.00) (£11 per hour/£88 per day). This post also attracts an employer pension contribution of 3% and paid annual leave of 12 days pa.

Probationary period: there is a probationary period of 6 months for new employees, with reviews at 3 months and 6 months. Wick Care Farm management may extend this period of probation if necessary.

Notice periods: during the probation period, the notice period will be 4 working weeks. After the probationary period, the notice period will be 8 working weeks.

Holidays: annual holiday entitlement is 25 days pro rata (12 days) for part time posts. In addition to annual holiday entitlement, you are entitled to all statutory holidays and bank holidays.

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent
Part-time hours: 16 per week

Salary: £11.00 per hour

Work Location: In person