Non-clinical pathway

Activities Assistant

Activities assistants work with the head of activities to organise activities and trips out and support residents during the sessions. He or she will get to know residents’ likes, dislikes and hobbies so that planned activities can be as person centred as possible. The activities assistant also takes photos of activities and events to send to the residents’ families and the marketing team for posting on the home’s website and Facebook page.

Administration Assistant

The activities assistant supports the administrator and home manager to ensure the smooth running of the home and carries out various administrative duties. Reporting to the administrator, he or she liaises regularly with the different teams within the home as well as external suppliers and professional visitors. The role offers plenty of opportunity to build up positive relationships with residents and their family in the role.

Care Assistant

Working under the supervision of senior care assistants and nurses, care assistants provide high-quality person-centred care. They care help residents with personal care, such as washing, dressing or eating, contribute to care plans and support residents to participate in wellbeing activities. There are lots of opportunities to develop positive, helpful and caring relationships with residents and their families in the role.

Domestic Assistant

As part of the housekeeping team the domestic assistant plays a vital role in keeping the home clean and sanitised to a high standard. Domestic assistants work in the residents’ rooms so will need to be careful about respecting their privacy, but will also have the  opportunity to build up close relationships with residents.

Facilities Technician

The facilities technician takes responsibility for health and safety, general decoration, maintenance and repair throughout the home, including the garden and grounds. This role is vital to the safety and wellbeing of residents, staff and visitors.

The senior care assistant (SCA) provides the highest possible standard of person-centred care and service to residents, in addition to performing a supervisory role. As a team leader, he or she takes charge of a shift of carers and is responsible for the smooth running of the service while on duty. They also respond to emergencies, providing guidance and support to care assistants under the supervision of qualified nursing staff.

The caring side of the role involves helping residents with personal care such as washing, dressing and eating, while encouraging their independence and maintaining their dignity and self-esteem. SCAs contribute to care plans, involving residents and/or their representatives in this process, support residents to participate in wellbeing activities. The role offers plenty of opportunities to develop positive and meaningful relationships with residents and their families. As part of their managerial duties, the SCA acts as a role model to care assistants, organises the keyworker system for the unit and supports the training and supervision of new and junior staff members.

The SCA/med tech’s role is the same but they are trained to administer prescribed drugs and treatments.

There are three heads of department in the home, all reporting directly to the home manager:

Head of Activities

The head of activities and his/her team organise a varied programme of activities and trips. This frequently involves arranging visits by outside singers, musicians, art and craft specialists and friendly animals. The job holder role updates the management team on planned activities and requirements for equipment and arranges regular meetings with residents and their families to plan events and gain feedback.

Administrator

The administrator works with the home manager to ensure that the home runs smoothly and efficiently. In conjunction with one or more administration assistants, the administrator deals with the home’s administration and is usually the first point of contact for visitors and telephone enquiries. He or she conducts show arounds to prospective resident and deals with GPs, hospitals, councils and social services teams during the admissions process.

Head of Housekeeping

The head of housekeeping has overall responsibility for keeping the home clean and sanitised and for providing a first-class laundry service to the home and residents. He or she ensures that work done by the housekeeping team meets hygiene and infection control standards and that residents’ clothing is clean and well turned out. The role holder also monitors the condition of the equipment, linen and bedding used in the domestic and laundry functions and manages stocks of cleaning and other materials.

Each of these department heads provides regular supervision and appraisals for their respective teams, facilitating their training and development.

As a member of the home’s management team, the deputy manager plays a full part in providing the highest possible standard of person-centred care to residents and ensuring the smooth running of the home. He or she also manages the home in the absence of the home manager.

The deputy manager’s duties are many and varied, and include taking responsibility for ensuring that staff know and understand their roles and have the relevant skills and training, conducting appraisals, dealing with staff rotas, documenting key clinical areas such as wound management, ensuring that nurses conduct regular audits, being responsible for the safe administration and storing of drugs and treatments, assisting with recruitment, evaluating the effectiveness of care plans, handling complaints and assisting the home with pre-admission assessments.

The deputy manager is also required to stay connected with the residents and staff, spending at least half of the working day on the floor and providing hands-on leadership.

The home manager is responsible for the smooth running of the home. Registered with the Care Quality Commission, he or she is ultimately responsible for the health, safety and wellbeing of residents, in accordance with the organisation’s policies, procedures and core values.

The home manager leads the staff team, working with the deputy/clinical manager and the heads of department to ensure that residents receive the best possible person-centred care. He or she conducts staff supervision and appraisals, oversees training, ensures that the home is fully staffed, helps recruit new employees, upholds budgetary control and occupancy levels, attends management meetings, carries out pre-admission assessments and maintains good working relationships with staff, residents, families, social workers, professionals and other external agencies. The home manager also builds up strong relationships with residents, ensuring that their care plans cover all their needs. The home manager also involves residents in the running of the home, regularly seeking their opinions and those of their families/representatives.