Location: Northampton Road, Croydon Hours/shifts: 16.5 to 18 hours per week. Mon-Fri/Sat. Start time 12 noon earliest, 3-3.5 hours per day. Some flexibility for the right applicant. Closing date: End of 17/09/23. Interviews: To take place in the afternoon of Wednesday 20/09/23 via Microsoft Teams I’m a chatty, social, independent, and generally positive person, whose glass is almost always considered to be at least half-full! I'm a creative problem solver & at times a deep thinker! I like to keep up with current affairs and have a passion for a fairer society, supporting diversity and inclusivity. I’m an animal lover, sharing my home with cats, dogs & garden pond of fish! They are my finned & furry family. My hobbies include gardening (when well enough and with assistance), listening to music and dancing (if well enough), watching television such as reality TV, documentaries and factual programs including true crime, forensics, cooking, art, social history and political debate. Away from home, soon with support, once more, I plan to visit local pubs, restaurants, concerts, friends and family & with PA/carer assistance resume walking my 3 dogs in my local park. At present it's enormously difficult for me to attend medical & other appointments in person. This PA role is to assist and support me with daily life activities, domestic tasks, cooking/prepping, etc which I can't complete independently. Currently as I’m unable to get out independently, I need support for transitional access to help me participate & become present in a wider community It is also to help me reduce oral pain medication with alternative and non-invasive therapies to support/enable effective alternative pain management via approved devices, enhance my emotional health and promote personal well-being. I have a modern & well-equipped home Prior to using any unfamiliar equipment or devices, training and support will be given. An ideal Personal Assistant/Carer will have an open mind with willingness to help, a positive can-do attitude to learning, be kind & caring and most definitely possess a sense of humour. Free parking on the road outside my property or on my drive is available. Please note: - This role is to provide support as an extension of the employer in all tasks of daily living in and around the home, including the garden & outside the home in working hours. This role is to fill the gaps in the things the employer can no longer do which will be dynamic not static and an evolving pattern over time. - Expenses for journeys within the working hours to fulfil duties can be claimed but cost of travel to and from your place of work are not covered within this role. Other Requirements • Must be comfortable with pets! All applicants must be willing to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check if required. Successful applicants will be entitled to Holiday pay and will be issued employment contract. Domestic: • Helping with laundry • Changing bed linen • Bed making • Taking out rubbish recycling and garden waste • General housework • Washing/drying up, un/loading dishwashing & putting away • Regular cleaning/clearing of kitchen appliances • Occasional shopping, prescription collection, taking parcels to local post office • Regular charging of devices including bath seat, pain management devices etc. • Less frequently – some minor household maintenance • Making phone calls on my behalf when I am too unwell to do this • Putting away shopping/online deliveries • Assisting to organise food stocks • Assisting with batch food preparation and appropriate storage Occasional light garden maintenance (if employer not able to manage this) • Sweeping leaves & placing in garden waste bin • Planting/watering garden plants Personal Care: • Washing and blow-drying hair • To be on call when employer takes bath/shower and SOS supervision • Assistance with applying oils/cream/lotions if necessary • Dressing and undressing/helping into & out of lymphoedema compression garments • SOS Getting into/out of bed • Help with dispensing prescribed medication • Application/use of medically approved devices such as TENS, IR/Red/Blue/Green/Yellow light/ therapy, EMS, Heat/Cold therapy, Vibration Plate usage, Therapeutic Ultrasound (TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED AS NECESSARY) Social: •shopping trips when required •accessing social and leisure activities • doctors/hospital appointments when required •clothes-buying, including help with un/dressing and lifting clothes on/off the rails. •Occasionally on longer journeys • trips out such as to the vet, garden centre or attending therapies. • Assisting employer with pet care (if unable to manage this). • Task lists are illustrative not exhaustive depending on need. Person specification: An animal lover committed to your own learning & personal development committed to equal opportunities without any conscious bias against any section of a diverse community open minded & respectful of all persons, privacy, dignity & confidentiality Female* (or anyone who identifies as she/her) due to personal care needs reliable with good timekeeping in possession of a sense of humour willing & able to follow instructions self-motivated, willing & able to work on own initiative/ be resourceful hygienic, tidy and well organised fit & healthy to undertake the required duties good communication & interpersonal skills honest, direct & flexible speak, read & write English to a reasonable standard sufficiently numerate to undertake the role Legally permitted to work in the United Kingdom willing & able to work at all times to high standards of Health & Safety Previous experience preferred but this is not as essential as a kind and common sense approach to these roles. Please note, if you are successful in your application for this position you will be employed directly by the individual employer