Adult Support Workers

Index Care supports adults with Learning Disabilities across South London and South East areas. It can be a hugely rewarding job that provides the opportunity to make noticeable differences in the day to day lives of people who require support to live more independently.

Of course, working in social care is unlike most other jobs and supporting vulnerable adults comes with a few considerations, so if you’re thinking of becoming a Support Worker, this is what you’ll need to know…

Can I apply?

In most cases, if you’re aged 16 or over, you can apply to work as a Support Worker. As you will be supporting vulnerable people, you will need to go through an enhanced disclosure check against the Disclosure and Barring service, though having a criminal conviction would not necessarily exclude you from a career in social care.

Behaviour

People with Learning Disabilities can sometimes display unpredictable behaviour, or behaviour that can be challenging to support. Often this is down to a communication breakdown. Sometimes it’s way of expressing control. Either way, the job of an Adult Support Worker is to work to understand the underlying causes of the behaviour, so that they can better support the person exhibiting it. For this reason, having the ability to listen and communicate well are both valuable skills for an Adult Support Worker to master and patience is considered a virtue.

Shift work

Supporting people with Learning Disabilities is a 24-hour job, so Adult Support Workers often work to a shift pattern that will include evenings, weekends and sleep-ins.

Responsibility

Being an Adult Support Worker is a role that comes with a high level of responsibility. You will receive comprehensive induction training and will need to follow our Operational Standards, which are designed to inform staff what they must consider and do, to provide support that is person-centered, protects each person’s rights and meets the legal and regulatory requirements that all staff must work within.