Hours: 72 hours in total available. Thursday 9pm to Sunday 9pm. Possibly split into shifts. Additional hours available to cover absence. Sleep-overs (10pm to 7am)

About the individual:

I am a fulltime wheelchair user, have a spinal cord injury and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which, along with other conditions, has resulted in my needing continuous care. I am often in pain and struggle with nausea, shortness of breath, excessive daytime sleepiness, and brain fog. I am unable to eat a normal diet due to having an ileostomy and gastroparesis. My condition can fluctuate significantly, requiring careful monitoring and interventions to prevent deterioration, especially during extended periods when I am confined to bed. I live in my own home with my daughter and our six cats. When my health permits, I enjoy spending time with my daughter, editing photos and videos, and selling items online.

Overview of role:

You will be working with me providing support to maximise my health, mental wellbeing, and independence. You'll need to be motivated to learn a wide variety of skills, able to follow instructions carefully, and use your initiative to understand when to offer support. Full training will be provided, so prior experience in all aspects of personal care is not necessary. However, you must be comfortable with bearing significant responsibility, using medical equipment, performing intimate care, managing domestic tasks, and driving an automatic car. As I am immuno-compromised, high levels of personal hygiene are vital. Additionally, my 11-year-old daughter is autistic and attends a special school. She is bright but can be quite challenging. Due to her sensory processing difficulties, no strongly perfumed products or strong-smelling foods such as fish can be used or cooked. Respect for my wishes to manage my health problems at home is crucial, as is sensitivity to family life and privacy. This role offers a dynamic work environment where no two days are the same, and tasks vary depending on my health and personal needs.

PA duties/tasks:

Tasks and duties include but are not limited to the following:

- Personal care - toileting, showering/bathing, brushing hair, dressing/undressing

- Domestic tasks - general housework, including cleaning and laundry

- Nutrition - preparing healthy meals, prompting eating and drinking

- Mobility - driving to places, assisting to transfer, pushing my wheelchair outside

- Health - supervising/administering medication, logging clinical observations, skin

viability check, stoma management, assisting with physio guided exercises.

- Social and leisure activities - providing help and support to access the community

- Family support - helping to keep my daughter safe and assisting during family time.

- General tasks - tidying and maintaining the family home and assisting with emails and paperwork.

Essential:

Female* and eligible to live and work in the UK.

Confident and experienced driver with a full UK driving license.

Have excellent standards of hygiene, be physically fit and a non-smoker.

Like children and be happy to work in a house where there are cats.

Discreet and tactful and treat information confidentially.

Desirable:

Clean driving licence and experience of driving an automatic car.

Empathetic, emotionally robust, and have a good sense of humour.

Conscientious and performs tasks to a high standard with excellent attention to detail.

Calm under pressure and able to adapt quickly to new situations.

Good organisational skills, computer literate and can work independently on own initiative.

Experience providing hands-on care and support, confident with manual handling.

Experience supporting young people with additional needs, especially autistic girls.

Qualifications in food hygiene, health and safety, manual handling, first aid

Able to communicate clearly and enjoy discussing a variety of topics.

Naturally tidy with excellent cleanliness and domestic skills.

Who should apply:

The ideal candidate is energetic, loves a challenge and can cope with last minute changes in plans. Someone who is positive, has a can-do attitude and is willing to go the extra mile. They will be resilient and prepared to work through challenges. They will use their skills to help maximise my health, and improve the quality of my lifeIt would be lovely if the person shared some of my personal interests such as selling stuff online, editing photos and videos, DIY, vegetarian cooking, and working with animals. It would also be helpful if the person was open to working additional hours to cover sickness and holidays.

To apply for this position, please submit a full application, including a CV.

Please note:

Full referencing and a full enhanced check of the Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) for Adult and Child workforce will be required for this position - this can be made if you don't already have a valid certificate.