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What are the role of a support worker?

A support worker assists an elderly woman in a wheelchair at her home.

An explanation of the various roles of the support worker in the UK

Support work in the UK is a job for individuals who want to have a positive impact on people and their families. Domestic, communal, or clinical support work are examples of such roles. You can determine whether a career as a support worker is the right choice by reviewing the job's expectations, role, and pay rates

Support worker jobs are available throughout the UK, and it will depend on the employer as to the terms and contract offered, but you can probably find a job vacancy close to you that meets your needs. In the UK, the Nurses Group hires people who can help in a variety of healthcare settings. In this article, we define what a support worker is as well as their role and responsibilities. 

What is a support worker? 

A support worker is someone who looks after people's well-being on a daily basis. They assist individuals living with various health issues, such as physical disabilities, age-related issues, and mental health needs, to live more independently and reach their full potential by providing both physical and emotional support. The role of a support worker is so varied, as each person has different needs, making their job unique and challenging. 

What does a support worker do in the UK?

The day-to-day tasks of a support worker depend on the needs of the person they are helping. This includes helping individuals do their daily self-care tasks, teaching them new skills, giving them mental help, and making sure they have a full life. 

The main goal of the job is to help and encourage people to live as independently as possible. As a support worker, you will have to work in different places, like people's homes, healthcare facilities, hospitals, social care settings like supported living services or care homes, and in the community. 

Types of support workers in the UK 

There are three types of support workers: 

1. Domestic support workers

Their role includes providing assistance to their clients in their homes. As a domestic support worker, you can assist individuals who have a variety of health issues and disabilities. They are also referred to as care assistants, personal assistants, domiciliary carers, and so on.

2. Communal support worker 

They are a professional carer who supports children and adults with disabilities and challenging life situations. Children may receive protection or preventative services, such as foster care or adoption. Care workers can assist in the management of mental health issues by assisting as care coordinators and providing counselling tailored to the individual's needs. 

3. Clinical support worker 

They are people who help in a clinical or medical setting, like a doctor's office or hospital. Their role will be primarily determined by the severity of their client's requirements. Some of their role include assisting patients with medical management, personal care, nursing assistants, ward clerks, language and speech therapy assistants, and so on. 

Here are some of the general roles and responsibilities of a support worker: 

1. Teaching life skills such as bill-paying or using public transportation. 
2. Collaborating with another healthcare professional to provide quality care. 
3. Assisting and encouraging people in developing personal skills through the pursuit of their interests and hobbies. 
4. Helping with healthcare needs such as administering medication or performing routine checks. 
5. Supporting the individual and their family emotionally. 
6. Creating unique care plans to meet the needs of clients. 
7. Providing physical assistance, including personal care. 
8. Attending to a client's various health needs. 
9. Helping with domestic chores, shopping, running errands, and so on. 
10. Assisting clients with leisure activities. 
11. Keeping a logbook to record daily interactions with the client and their progress. 
12. Providing companionship. 
13. Assisting clients in finding housing or applying for grants. 

Support worker for individuals with learning disabilities

If you work as a support worker with people with learning disabilities, you may be assigned to one person or a group of people living in a supported environment. 

As a support worker for someone dealing with a learning disability, your main role is to assist a person with a learning disability live their lives while getting to know them and building a relationship with them. The most important thing a support worker does is assist people with learning disabilities to become more independent and healthy. 

As a support worker, you can give your opinion and advice on any activity or problem, but the patient will make the final decision, which must be respected. Some individuals who use services may only need simple help, while others may need more complicated help. 

Support worker providing mental health care

As a mental health support worker, you have to deal with someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, depressed, or has dementia. 
Support workers in this field are also known as "Support, Time, and Recovery Workers." (STR). The emphasis is on supporting the individual, giving them time, and assisting in their recovery. 

The support worker's role will be to encourage the person to live on their own, give them regular and useful help, and help them find resources they might not have known about otherwise. This could be accomplished through a community mental health team, an early intervention service, or a daycare. 

It is important that you are genuinely willing to help someone overcome their problems, as well as have the ability to prioritise your workload. 

Support worker in the community

The role of a community support worker is to visit individuals who need assistance in their own homes. Individuals in the community may have been discharged from the hospital, be elderly and losing their mobility, or simply require general assistance to maintain their independence. In such cases, the role of a support worker is to provide assistance with personal care activities such as bathing, dressing, cooking, and so on. Most of the time, you will be working alongside a community nurse as part of the manual handling guidelines set down. 

You may also have to help children and families. In this case, you will work closely with parents, guardians, and children to give them both emotional and practical advice. So you should be able to handle the role both as a team member and as an individual. 

Nurses Group is the best nursing staffing agency in Yeovil, UK. It gives support workers a wide range of skills, talents, and knowledge to help them deal with any situation that might come up while caring for people. We have branches all over the UK, with our headquarters in Yeovil and other locations in Taunton, Salisbury, and Bournemouth. 

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