Support Worker

I am an individual currently hiring relief personal support workers to help me with day to day tasks.

This role will fill in when other workers are sick or need time off, so won't have guaranteed hours. There is the potential to turn into regular shifts positions (up to 1-3 shifts a week) as other staff leave.

Who am I ?

I am an 37 year old queer, trans, power wheelchair user with a g-tube. I live on my own with my cat, work an office job and do my own contract work, sing in a choir, and volunteer.

I make all the decisions about my support worker hiring, as well as my own healthcare, personal care, daily schedule, food, and every aspect of my life. This job simply requires listening to me and what I would like, and then helping me with it.

Being able to show you can do this is more important than experience or certifications in disability support work. These certifications are not required.

No cover letter is required, but applications without answers to the Indeed Questions will not be considered.

Start as soon as possible.

Typical Shift Times:

AM/Day shifts: 8:30am-2:30pm on weekdays, 9 am - 3 pm on weekends.

Evening shifts: 5:30 pm-10:30/11pm

Start and end times may change earlier or later than this with my personal and work schedule.

Job location: South End Halifax

Submit answers to the following questions along with your resume. Cover letter is not necessary.

Q: How does your experience (work, volunteer, or life experience) makes you a good fit for this position?

Q: What is your experience with disability community or experiences?

Q: What is your experience/ familiarity with queer and trans community or topics?

Q: What email can we reach you at? (Indeed messaging is not always sending. If you do not fill this out, we may not be able to contact you. )

Q: Ensure you indicate your availability for shifts and preferred regular hours.

Q: Due to the nature of this job, long term commitment is prioritized (6 months or longer) and a Minimum of 6 weeks commitment is required. 6 weeks notice is required to end the contract to allow time to recruit a replacement. Can you commit to both of these?

Deadline for applications: as soon as possible

Description

This position is a support role for me (the employer) to go about my daily life as a disabled person. It is important that the person in this role sees themselves as taking my lead and helping with what I ask, rather than "caring for me", treating me like a hospital patient or expecting direction from a healthcare team.

Must be open to doing things differently. On-the-job training will be provided by the employer.

Candidates must mask while inside the home. The work environment is queer and trans friendly, sex and body positive, and scent and smoke free (with the exception of medicinal marijuana vapour and mild natural scents).

This position is great for people who can work somewhat flex hours, enjoy working one-on-one, and want to be a part of building a culture of community that prioritizes the choices and assets of people with disabilities.

Responsibilities:

• Tube feeding preparation and cooking and baking (gluten and dairy free).
• Assisting with medication management. (Crushing tablets and administering through a g tube. Preparing medicinal marijuana.)
• Providing assistance with toileting, including emptying a catheter, preparing for the day and nighttime with bathing, dressing, and personal grooming.
• Accompaniment on trips for appointments, errands (i.e. grocery shopping), recreational and social events using the Carshare, taxi or Access-a-Bus.
• General house cleaning, organization, and laundry.
• Support with positioning, transfers, physio exercises and stretching.
• Administrative support

Requirements:

• Reliable, dependable, punctual.
• Comfortable with providing personal care, food preparation, household tasks, and handling medications.
• Capable of light lifting (ex. laundry and groceries.)
• Able to follow verbal and written communications.
• Comfortable asking questions and can learn tasks and routines easily.
• Organized with strong time-management skills.
• Open to feedback and working collaboratively.
• Able to multitask and work independently as needed.
• Positive and easy-going.
• Prioritizes the person with a disability making decisions and choices.
• Flexible to changes in routines and remains calm in new situations.
• Will take pride in keeping the client's home clean and tidy.
• Able to prioritize the needs of the client before their own.
• Comfortable with respectful queer and trans language and demonstrates a willingness to learn.
• Familiar with person centered, community language around support work. (Ex. Person with a disability is your employer, not a "patient".)

Required upon hiring:

• Valid first aid and CPR.
• Up to date vaccinations.
• Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check upon hiring.

Assets: (helpful, but not necessary)

• Experience with disability community.
• Experience with queer and trans community.
• Comfortable cooking gluten-free and dairy-free.
• Experience or familiarity with feeding tubes, catheters, and/or medications.
• Likes to organize things.
• Open to travel and overnight shifts for trips out of the city or province. These are rare, but they do come up. If they do happen, staff do not need to be vigilantly awake at night.
• Basic knowledge of any household maintenance skills (such as sewing or putting up a shelf).
• Familiar with medicinal marijuana and vaping
• Has a driver's license, clean driving record, and reliable access to transportation.

Pay rate: $ % vacation pay

This position is funded through the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors and Long Term Care and Department of Opportunities and Social Development, which provide funding to people with disabilities to hire their own personal support workers.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $21.00-$24.00 per hour

Application question(s):

• Why are you interested in this job?
• What experience or familiarity do you have with queer and trans communities?
• What experience or familiarity do you have with people with disabilities?
• Due to the nature of the job, a 6 week minimum commitment is needed, preferably 6 months or longer. Due to funding and health risks, 6 weeks notice is required to end the contract. Can you commit to both of these?
• What email can we reach you at?

Work Location: In person