Community Access Facilitators

THE ROLE The Community Access Facilitator will take a lead role in supporting people within the framework of New Directions. The Community Access Facilitator will work autonomously under the general supervision of their manager. The Community Access Facilitator will: 1) Empower people to live full and meaningful lives. To build their confidence and autonomy and explore/progress their career and life goals. 2) Enable adults with a disability to gain and maintain valued social roles (student, employee, volunteer, neighbour, friend) and to be recognised as equal citizens. 3) Work with adults with a disability, key staff, their nominated circles of support, and multidisciplinary team members through a person-centred approach towards the values of New Directions: person centred; community inclusion; active citizenship and quality services. 4) Provide supports within the framework of New Directions, guided by Human Rights Based Approach principles of participation, accountability, non-discrimination, empowerment, legality and an outcomes-based individualised approach to services for adults with disabilities. 5) Promote input and co-production of how their Day Services are planned and delivered so as to ensure that adults with disabilities shape policies and supports that affect them. 6) Support participation in decision-making at both the individual and the service design/ delivery level, addressing barriers to inclusion and advocating for structural change where required. 7) Respect the dignity and autonomy of the person, ensuring rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and equality legislation are central to all actions. 8) Work in both group and individual settings in the community with adults with disabilities and their nominated circle of support, promoting equality of opportunity to access a wide range of community-based services and mainstream opportunities (education, work, leisure, civic participation) on the same basis as the general population to meet their individual needs. 9) Promote positive risk taking, supporting individuals to make their own decisions and learn from new experiences. As a community facilitator in a day service, you will support adults with intellectual disabilities and autism, through a person centred approach, in achieving their full potential by facilitating them to engage in meaningful day activities based on their will and preference. The service will be in a day service environment, you will work as a member of a team under the supervision of senior staff in line with the principles of New Directions, promoting independence, choice, inclusion and meaningful community participation. You will work as part of the team and provide support on a planned basis. Networking and developing strong links within the community is an integral part of this role. Principal Duties and Responsibilities The Community Access Facilitator will: • Work collaboratively with the person supported, their nominated circle of support to co-produce person-centred plans with ambition and possibility. • Support the person to access mainstream opportunities (education, work, civic life) on the same basis as others, and to challenge structural barriers where they arise. • Promote advocacy and self-direction, ensuring the person’s voice is central to all planning and decision-making by supporting adults with a disability to speak up for themselves and make their own choices, making sure their views guide all planning and decisions. • Include people with a disability directly in identifying and managing risk, respecting their right to make informed choices even when those choices involve some level of risk. • Support social and community inclusion, recognising the diverse identities of people with disabilities who are supported (e.g. gender, Traveller identity, ethnicity, sexuality). • Provide respectful and dignified personal support, which may include assistance with eating, showering, dressing and toileting, when required. • Support the person with developing their skills in the areas of o Creating and maintaining valued social roles o Communication o Activities of daily living o Social Integration and the use of community facilities • Support the person to establish a circle of support and wider community connections. • Support the person to focus on outcomes/goals aligned with their person-centred plans. • Support the person to identify their strengths and areas of interest to enable active citizenship and community participation. • Support the person to identify who is best placed to support them to access valued roles in community. • Ensure that all activities and supports are monitored, maintained/reduced at an appropriate pace to ensure adults with a disability can sustain their valued social roles. • Introduce new experiences at a pace that enables the person to achieve success, addressing obstacles and other issues that may compromise achievement of agreed goals. • Seek out opportunities for the person to participate in social, work or training roles of their choice which are in socially inclusive settings and typical for a person of a similar age. • Assist the person to develop a full range of social relationships and valued social roles including developing friendships and social networks. • Empower the person to be a valued citizen in their local community, make choices and have ordinary life experiences. • Seek out opportunities for the person to experience a range of activities as a means of discovering their areas of interest, strength and conditions that will enable inclusion and citizenship. • Promote advocacy and self-direction through listening to the person’s wishes, supporting the person to make decisions and advocating on their behalf where required. • Explore and encourage the use of natural community supports by building interpersonal relationships in community with others. • Provide onsite support and mentoring to people who are accessing work experience in the local community. • Assist the person to identify and develop opportunities to experience volunteering, work experience, supported employment and pathways to full employment. • Promote and provide practical road safety awareness and travel training as required. • Facilitate the person to access mainstream educational programmes. • Identify and support the development of skills for self-directed living, including the delivery of training modules. • Assist with administration of medication, carrying out therapeutic interventions as prescribed by multi-disciplinary team /medical professionals, working collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team. • Support the person to develop and maintain money management skills and ensure that petty cash used and any personal monies of individuals supported are properly accounted for. • Drive service vehicles as part of the role. Administration The Community Access Facilitator will: • Establish and maintain partnerships with organisations, including advocacy groups, to strengthen systemic change for inclusion. • Attend and participate in staff meetings, multi-disciplinary team meetings, planning and review meetings as deemed appropriate. • Ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the person whilst acknowledging the needs for professional sharing of information within the relevant staff team. • Ensure records and documentation are maintained to a high standard and storage of files is in line with data protection policy at all times. • Develop and maintain good relationships with the nominated circle of support of the person supported, their support circle and uphold and support their role in the person’s life. • Work with other organisations to create networks and share resources. • Contribute to the development of quality assurance systems and procedures. • Identify and collect data to measure outcomes, prepare reports as requested. Record not only outcomes but also barriers experienced by people supported, ensuring these inform service improvement and policy advocacy • Report on rights-related indicators (access to services, discrimination experienced, progress on autonomy and inclusion • Cover for other staff as required. Education & Training The Community Access Facilitator will: • Attend and participate in all staff training as deemed relevant by organisational policy and service manager. • Undertake relevant training and be informed of current developments in services for people with disabilities e.g. Person-Centred Planning, Personal Outcome Measures, Human Rights and Citizenship, “New Directions- Review of day services and implementation Plan 2012-2016”, Supported Self Directed Living. • Participate in committees and agency forums as directed by service manager. • Engage in the HSE performance achievement process in conjunction with Line Manager and staff as appropriate. Health & Safety / Risk Management The Community Access Facilitator will: • Stay informed of current Human Rights Based Approach developments, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities implementation, and national/international disability rights frameworks • Engage in training on anti-discrimination, cultural competence, trauma-informed practice, and intersectionality • Observe, report and take appropriate action on any matter which may be detrimental to the person’s supported care or wellbeing. • Adhere to all HSE policies and procedures and to all relevant Health & Safety legislation. • Enable positive risk taking and ensure this is documented in line with the person’s rights under United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and service policies. • Adequately identifies, assesses, manages and monitors risk within their area of responsibility. • Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc. and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role. • Support, promote and actively participate in sustainable energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon and efficient health service. The above Job Specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to them from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office. Flexibility Employees are expected to have a high level of flexibility and a willingness and ability to develop new approaches to their work. Duties and responsibilities of any post in the Services are likely to change with the ongoing needs and developments of the Services. Employees will therefore be required to carry out such other duties appropriate to their employment as may be assigned to him/her from time to time. Confidentiality In the course of the employment the post holder may have access to, or hear information concerning the medical or personal affairs of individuals supported and/or staff, or other health service business. Such records and information are strictly confidential and unless acting on the instructions of an authorised officer, on no account must information concerning individuals supported, staff, or other health service business be divulged or discussed except in the performance of normal duty. In addition, records must never be left in such a manner that unauthorised persons can obtain access to them and must be kept in safe custody when no longer required. ESSENTIAL Qualifications, Knowledge & Awareness • Possess a qualification in General Health and Social Care or Community and/or Youth Work, as recognised by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), formerly FETAC, at a minimum of QQI Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) (see Appendix 1 for list of qualifications) Or • Possess a relevant healthcare qualification at a minimum of QQI Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Or • Hold an equivalent healthcare qualification from another jurisdiction • A good awareness of the ethos of Corlann South is essential. • An understanding and respect for working with people with an intellectual disability. • A willingness to learn new ideas, develop new skills and attend appropriate training with a view to always striving to improve the quality of service being provided is essential. • Be computer literate including proficiency in Microsoft Office with knowledge and proficiency of using information systems. • A full clean manual Irish Driver’s licence which qualifies you to drive on Irish roads and must drive service vehicles. Experience • 6 month’s experience of working with people with an intellectual disability. • Experience in completing effective reports • Experience of working as part of a team in service provision • Experience of supporting adults with varying degrees of intellectual disability • Knowledge of needs of adults with intellectual disabilities • Understanding of Health & Safety • Knowledge of the Ethos of Corlann • Good understanding of socialisation and recreational needs of people who use the services • Knowledge of working effectively within a multi-disciplinary team • Knowledge of how to support people who use the services to achieve personal outcomes • Knowledge of HIQA Regulations and responsibilities • Knowledge of current trends in intellectual disabilities services e.g. Rights based approach to Service Provision Skills & Abilities • The ability to work as a member of a team. • The ability to follow and take instructions. • The ability to use initiative, be flexible and adapt to change. • Good time-management skills and an organised approach to work are essential. • Good communication and inter-personal skills. • Demonstrate the ability to maintain professional relationships. • The ability to facilitate people to participate in local activities such as music, drama or sport/athletics is essential. Personal Attributes ▪ Personal commitment to the vision and ethos of Corlann South (formerly Brothers of Charity) with particular reference to respecting the dignity of the person, the principles of social inclusion and community integration. A high level of confidence, interest and enthusiasm and a positive attitude to people with an intellectual disability/autism is essential. Respect for the confidential nature of the services being provided. A willingness to learn new ideas, develop new skills and attend appropriate training with a view to always striving to improve the quality of service being provided.