Spinal Injury Personal Care Assistant - Full

We’re looking for a carer to join our team, providing specialist 1-2-1 live-in care for adults living with a spinal injury in the UK.

Please note, we can only accept applications from adults between the ages of 21 and 55. This post is exempt from the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 as per section8(2).

Here at Origin Spinal Injury Care we have provided specialist live-in care to adults in the UK living with spinal injuries for more than 20 years. For the most part, our clients are young adults, who are busy and active, both in work and socially. With good care, their fear of an unfulfilled life is held back, enabling lives with spontaneity and freedom of choice.

About the job:

Care work with Origin isn’t care work as you know it; it’s your opportunity to transform someone’s life by assisting them to promote their independence, spontaneity and freedom of choice. No two clients are the same; this means there isn’t a ‘typical day’ for an Origin Personal Care Assistant. What each care assignment does have in common though, is that they’re all extremely rewarding, and you get the chance to make a real difference to people's lives.

Duties include:

• Client personal care, including washing/bathing/changing/dressing
• Helping clients get in and out of bed 
• Full toileting, bowel and bladder routine 
• All aspects of personal grooming including hair care and filing nails
• General housekeeping and domestic duties including laundry and shopping 
• Cooking and serving meals 
• Light housework including dusting and vacuuming 
• Basic wheelchair and equipment maintenance 
• Assisting with correspondence including opening letters and aiding with calls and emails 
• Driving clients to commitments and appointments 
• Helping clients get in and out of vehicles 
• Looking after client’s pets 
• Assisting clients on holidays, both in the UK and abroad 

Who are we looking for?

Whether this is your first care job, or you’ve been doing it for years, you’ll be fully supported by our experienced, established care management team, many of whom started their careers at Origin as live-in carers themselves. Many of our clients lead active lives, so we’re looking for someone with a genuine desire to help and support someone with a spinal injury, we’ll provide all the training and knowledge you need. 

• A driving licence allowing you to legally drive manual or automatic cars in the UK (essential)
• Good level of spoken and written English (essential)
• To be aged between 21 and 55  (essential)
• Be willing to cook and serve a variety of meals, snacks and drinks  (essential)
• To live-in at clients homes during assignments (essential)
• Be able to deliver personal care to male and female adults with spinal injuries  (essential)
• Be open to working outside of your locality  (essential)
• To be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be willing to vaccinated  (essential)
• A full, clean, enhanced criminal records check/DBS* (essential)
• 2 referees who can vouch for how amazing you are (essential)
• The legal right to work in the UK** (essential)
• Common sense and ability to problem solve on the spot (desirable)
• A caring, kind and compassionate attitude  (desirable)
• A willingness to learn new skills and keep up with regular training  (desirable)
• Flexible and able to adapt to the changing plans and needs of our clients  (desirable)
• A confident driver, comfortable to drive our client’s vehicles  (desirable)

*Origin Spinal Injury Care will cover the cost of all enhanced DBS/criminal record checks.

**Origin Spinal Injury Care is unable to sponsor visa applications of any kind. 

What’s in it for you? 

• Clear pathway for rate of pay increases the longer you work with us  
• Free certified, specialist training provided
• Ongoing refresher training provided 
• Personal accident insurance: to cover you if you’re unable to work 
• Paid travel between your own home and our client’s homes 
• Food and accommodation fully covered whilst with a client 
• You’ll get the chance to make a difference to and change people’s lives 

Salary

Great starting rate of pay £137 day rate, with a minimum earnings guarantee* of £13,700/100 days. 

With a full-time work pattern annual earnings start at £34,524 gross per annum (based on working 21 days within a 30-day month and includes holiday pay).

Additional pay/bonus:

£500 (pre-tax) bonus for first 100 days worked. Another £500 (pre-tax) for your second 100 days worked. 

Travel expenses within the UK are covered. 

*Please note all figures are before tax 

Place of work 

The nature of a live-in care role means that during an assignment, you will live in a clients home. This may mean that you are working away from your home town or locality. We will cover the costs of getting you to and from our clients on public transport.

Whilst you’re living with a client, you won’t be required to pay any rent/board, nor will you be required to contribute to meals or household supplies. 

Some of our clients live alone, whereas others live with partners, families and pets. Regardless of the circumstances, you will always have a private room in the home, and we will work with you to ensure you’re only ever living in a house where you feel comfortable. 

Assignments can vary in length from client to client, and we’ll work with you to find an arrangement that suits how you would like to work. In between assignments, you are free to travel or return home.