Social Care Practitioner, Limecroft Care Home, 498.69 - WEL09835
| Posting date: | 20 November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £27,498.00 to £29,563.00 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 04 December 2025 |
| Location: | UK |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | West Lothian Council current |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | WEL09835 |
Summary
Job Advert
28 hours per week, 52.14 weeks per year, salary pro rata +14% shift allowance, Permanent
We are keen to employ a diverse workforce that reflects the people of Scotland. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and particularly from groups currently under-represented, including people with disabilities, those from minority ethnic communities or from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds
Limecroft Care Home provide care needs for frail older people. We are looking for people interested in working with older people in this environment. A shift rota is in place, which includes weekends. SVQ III or equivalent qualification is essential.
Purpose of the Job
- To provide for the personal care, support and emotional needs of older people requiring residential care.
- To contribute to the care plans of individual residents and have responsibility for meeting the residents assessed needs.
- To provide a service compatible with professional social work practice and within the policies, procedures and standards set by the Service.
Requirements
Essential
Qualifications, Skills, Knowledge
- SVQ III or equivalent qualification is essential, HNC is desirable.
- An understanding of the specific needs of older people.
Desirable
- Experience of group work and activity development for those with Dementia
- Understanding of the ageing process
Responsibilities
Principal Accountabilities / Key Tasks
To undertake responsibility, jointly with other social care staff, to provide care and support to all service users which respects their individual rights and choice.
To act as "key worker" for a number of individuals including:
- Pre-admission visit(s) to the client at home/in hospital.
- Preparation of written plans.
- Monitoring of care plans: ensuring changing personal care needs are met.
- Delivering direct personal care in accordance with care plans (see below).
- To contribute to changeovers and to report significant observations/events etc. relating to service delivery.
- To participate in reviews and to provide written assessments as appropriate.
- Maintaining service users’ personal files by details recorded on a daily basis in accordance with the "Open Access" Guidelines.
- To work in collaboration with families/carers/other agencies to provide a service
- Supporting service users and others at times of loss.
- Assisting service users to purchase Birthday/Christmas presents, etc. and outings.
- Helping service users keep track of their pensions/money, clothes and possessions.
- To ensure at all times that care practice is non-discriminatory and that service users’ personal beliefs and preferences are appropriately acknowledged.
- To be aware of and responsible to the needs of older people with mental health problems, e.g. dementia.
Requirements
To provide direct personal care where required in accordance with the service user’s individual care plan by, for example:
- Assisting/supporting with personal hygiene and appearance, i.e. bathing, shaving, nail cutting, attending to laundry
- Assisting/supporting with dressing/undressing
- Assisting/supporting mobility
- Enabling service users to eat and drink
- Enabling service users to access and use toilet facilities
- Contributing to the management of service users continence
- Enabling service users to achieve physical comfort
- Contributing to the care of the deceased person
- Enabling service users to maintain contacts in potentially isolating situations, e.g. due to poor mobility, communication problems due to a stroke, assistance with letter writing
- Administering medication in accordance with Council Guidelines (delete: to include:
- Accurate recording; assisting with accurate ordering and recording, and recording of delivery; monitoring of side effects; monitoring those service users who are able to self-medicate).
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- To participate in the admission/discharge process and to collate the necessary paperwork required for admissions and discharges, e.g. recording personal effects and valuables, etc.
- To be aware of health and safety issues, in particular the need to wear personal protective equipment, etc.
- To observe the Food Handling Regulations.
- To have awareness for security and to offer assistance to visitors entering the unit.
- To be familiar with the Missing Persons Procedure and to follow it when necessary in accordance with Service guidelines.
- To participate in staff meetings.
- To undertake training and development.
- To undertake such other duties as are appropriate to the job.
RESPONSIBLE FOR
Students and trainee placements as appropriate.
DECISIONS MADE IN COURSE OF JOB
Alerting senior staff/relatives of medical emergencies, health/social concerns affecting residents.
Agree with the service user frequency/times for their personal care, etc.
Plan for interest and assessment visits for potential service users and those being prepared for discharge.
Recommend to senior staff when reviews are required.
The content of day to day record reports.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Regular supervision will be provided by a senior member of staff.
CONTACTS
Relatives/carers/representatives of residents.
Other professional staff involved with residents.
Care Inspectorate staff.
Responsibilities
COMPLEXITY
To acquire, develop and maintain a good understanding of the "core values" associated with social care, e.g. privacy, self-determination, dignity, choice, etc.
To be able to communicate effectively with service users/relatives/representatives, students colleagues and employees from other agencies.
To maintain an understanding of the principles and policies associated with "Community Care".
To observe, assess, plan and record information in the context of service user care.
To maintain a working knowledge of the function of outside agencies; to refer to, to seek advice from, to work with.
To develop an understanding of group dynamics.
To develop an understanding of challenging and abusive behaviour in respect of "special care needs" present in settings providing integrated living.
CREATIVITY
To develop care plans for older people and their carers/relatives/representatives.
To develop social and entertainment activities for service users.
To write reports/maintain records on older people within the sphere of key worker responsibility.
To be flexible in meeting the changing needs of service users, including the ability to change in the working environment.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
Shift rotas are in operation.
This position requires registration with the SSSC. The successful candidate will have six months from the date of commencement of this post to become registered with the SSSC. SSSC stipulate you must submit your application within three months of your start date. If you are already registered with SSSC you will be required to add West Lothian Council to your account
This post is considered Regulated Work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scotland Act 2007. From 28 February 2011 preferred candidates will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check prior to a formal offer of employment being made by West Lothian Council
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme