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Make a positive difference in people's lives as a live-in carer with Astute.
At Astute, our core focus revolves around people, which is why we directly employ all our carers, valuing them as unique individuals rather than mere numbers. With a commitment to transparency and integrity, we strive to forge long-lasting relationships with both our clients and our team. Our aim is to foster an environment of dignity and respect, where open communication and mutual trust thrive, ensuring a fulfilling and enduring connection. Your journey from interview to placement, backed by our experienced team.
We're excited to discuss your future and collaborate for meaningful impact.
At Astute, our vision centres around cultivating positive and meaningful connections with our clients, consistently surpassing their expectations and enhancing their lives. As a live-in care professional, you will reside in your client's home, offering unwavering support whenever it is required.
We prioritise your well-being by providing extensive professional guidance and comprehensive training to equip you with the skills necessary to assist your client in various ways. This includes delivering personal care, accompanying them to appointments, and preparing quality meals. Alongside fulfilling these essential tasks, you will also have the opportunity to spend valuable time with your client, providing invaluable companionship. We recognise the importance of personal time and ensure that you have regular intervals to unwind and recharge.
As a live-in care professional, your responsibilities will encompass the following tasks:
• Personal care (such as washing, dressing, toileting, and oral care)
• Medication administration and management
• Cleaning and tidying the home
• Meal preparation
• Running errands
• Shopping
• Arranging trips out
• Pet care
• Achieving personal goals
• Performing delegated healthcare tasks such as Catheter care.
The comprehensive Astute induction training program consists of the following modules:
Understanding Your Role - Familiarisation with agreed ways of working.
Medication Management - Proper handling of medication, completion of MAR charts, recognising and reporting changes to individuals, understanding relevant legislation.
Anatomy and Physiology of the Spine - Introduction to the vertebral column and spinal cord, common causes of spinal injury, and explanation of how different injury levels affect paralysis.
Duty of Care and Person-Centered Values - Promoting wellbeing, supporting independence, managing challenging situations.
Privacy and Dignity - Ensuring privacy of information, maintaining confidentiality, supporting active participation.
Understanding the Risks Associated with Immobility - Discussion of medical complications such as breathing difficulties, pneumonia, blood clots, spasms, autonomic dysreflexia, pressure sores, neurogenic pain, and their effects on bladder and bowel functions as well as sexual function.
Bowel Management - Covering techniques such as manual evacuation, digital stimulation, removal of feces, and trans-anal irrigation using a medical mannequin. Also addressing the effects of diet and lifestyle and emphasizing hygiene best practices.
Safeguarding - Understanding the code of conduct, responding to abuse or neglect, information sharing, and confidentiality.
Urinary Management - Discussion of bladder function and associated complications. Exploring various bladder management options, including supra-pubic and urethral catheters, drainage condom, and leg bags. Instruction on drainage condom application using a medical mannequin, along with catheter care.
Infection Prevention and Control - Explaining the chain of infection, emphasizing hand hygiene, and identifying hazards.
Health and Safety - Ensuring safe and secure working practices, conducting risk assessments, and adhering to relevant legislation.
Manual Handling - Demonstrating practical and safe techniques for moving and handling clients with spinal injuries, including risk assessment and the proper use of equipment such as hoists, sliding boards, slings, and standing frames. Complying with manual handling operations regulations and health and safety laws.
Fluids, Nutrition, and Food Safety - Understanding hydration, practicing proper food hygiene, including cleaning, cooking, storage, cross-contamination prevention, and adhering to use-by dates.
First Aid - Responding to burns, bleeds, shock, performing CPR, and placing individuals in the recovery position.
A Day in the Life - Covering activities such as dressing, undressing, washing, teeth brushing, shaving, and providing domestic and social care.
Yes, a live-in carer resides in the client's home and remains available for the majority of the day. Our carers often opt for working in dedicated blocks of 4 to 8 weeks, followed by well-deserved assignment break.
Typically, as a live-in carer, you can expect to work approximately eight to twelve hours per day. Each day, you will be allocated a two-hour break to utilise as you desire. Before commencing a care assignment, you will be required to sign a daily average hours agreement (DAHA). This agreement outlines your commitment to completing the specific care assignment, specifies your rate of pay, and provides an estimate of the average work hours for that particular client.
Astute operates as a private care provider, distinct from an agency, which enables us to directly employ our care professionals. This approach empowers us to handle the recruitment, assessment, and management of our team, ensuring your training remains current and allowing us greater control over your care arrangement to guarantee client satisfaction. While we primarily consider applications from employed carers, we welcome self-employed carers with exceptional skills and experience to apply as well.
While a driving licence is not a mandatory requirement for becoming a live-in carer, possessing one expands the range of assignment opportunities accessible to you and is highly recommended. Having the ability to drive offers flexibility for accompanying clients to social events or appointments. It is important to note that not all live-in care clients necessitate a driver. In instances where the client retains a car, we often suggest the option of being added to the family's insurance policy, provided you possess a full, clean, UK driving licence or a driving licence from overseas that permits you to drive in the UK.
You are paid monthly in arrears. We also take care of your tax and national insurance paperwork. As a care professional at Astute, you are also entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP), paid annual leave, and a pension scheme.
Our care professionals always receive unwavering support, regardless of the time of day or night. Should you require assistance during office hours, you can easily reach out to our head office team. For any matters outside of office hours, we provide a dedicated out-of-hours support helpline to ensure you have access to the help you need whenever you need it.
Before confirming any care arrangements, we prioritise the comfort and well-being of our carers. We require that all clients provide a separate room, bedding, kitchen access, bathroom facilities, and WiFi availability for you. To ensure your needs are met, a dedicated member of the Astute team will personally visit the client's home prior to your placement to assess and verify the presence of adequate facilities.
We welcome individuals with prior professional experience in a care setting to join our team and would be delighted to hear from you. If you haven't worked in care before but have personal experience caring for someone, we are committed to providing the necessary training to support you in embarking on your new career. Regardless of your background, we eagerly anticipate discussing your application and receiving it with enthusiasm.
Call us for a friendly conversation or apply online via our application form.
A member of our team will call you within 24 hours if you haven’t already submitted your online application.
Attend your online interview at a date and time convenient to you. If successful, you will receive an offer of employment with Astute as a care professional.
We will undertake the necessary background checks. This is a vital part of the recruitment process to work as a care professional supporting vulnerable adults. The checks will include the following:
Attend your two-day in-person induction at our head office and complete your mandatory knowledge training.
You will become a fully-fledged team member, and as an Astute care professional, we will plan your first care assignment in partnership.
Make a positive difference in people's lives with a care provider who puts care professionals at the heart of our work.