Telephone 1300 66 00 22
Calvary Silver Circle
LCMHC HomeSupport Workers Frequently Asked Questions
What is Calvary Silver Circle
Calvary Home Care Services Ltd, a subsidiary of LCM Health Care Ltd, trades as Calvary Silver Circle . Calvary Silver Circle provides care and support services for people who need help at home. Our clients include older people, people who have been ill or in hospital, family carers, people with disabilities and others. Some clients have relatively short term needs while others have chronic illnesses or conditions.
What do our Support Workers do?
A copy of the duty statement for a Support Worker can be downloaded here - Duty Statement (PDF). Our Support Workers work directly with clients and their carers providing care in many ways that assist them to remain as independent as possible, be involved in community activities and to maintain their lifestyle choices and preferences and provide relief to family carers. The duties can involve :
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Home care and domestic assistance |
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Support Workers clean clients’ homes, do laundry and change bed linen. They may prepare meals, go shopping, pay accounts and run errands. |
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Personal care |
Support Workers help clients shower, dress and groom. They may assist with simple prescribed exercises or supervise medication routines. Workers may need to use special equipment such as hydraulic lifts or assist with braces and artificial limbs. |
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Respite care |
Support Workers provide relief for carers who need a break for a short period or perhaps an extended period. Respite care may be on a regular or occasional basis. |
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Social support and companionship |
Support Workers might provide company for clients who feel lonely, accompanying them outside the home, and serving as guide, companion and assistant. |
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Overnight care |
Support Workers stay in the client’s home overnight to provide assistance, reassurance and relief to carers. |
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24 hour live-in care |
Support Workers stay with the client on a 24-hour basis to provide care and assistance. The workers are provided with sleeping accommodation and in most cases meals |
Who supervises Support Workers?
Our Support Workers are supervised by and are responsible to a Service Coordinator. The Support Workers generally work alone but are in regular contact with their local Service Centre. Good communication with the Client Services team is essential. Support Workers liaise closely with Client Services Officers who schedule their jobs and monitor work. Support Workers report any changes they notice in the client or client’s environment to the Client Services Officers and may be required to work closely with health and care staff from other organisations also assisting the client.
What is the Support Worker’s daily routine like?
Daily routines can vary considerably. Workers receive detailed instructions from their Client Services Officer so they know when to visit their clients and what assistance to provide. Usually, Support Workers have several clients. They may visit several clients in one day with each job lasting just an hour or two. Sometimes a Support Worker may have an all-day job with a client. Workers may have clients for months or years or for just a very short period.
What are the Support Worker’s work environments like?
Support Workers’ working environments can differ markedly. Some clients’ homes are tidy and comfortable while others are cluttered and messy. Some clients are easy to work with while others may have problems that make it be difficult for them to cope and they can become angry, irritable or depressed.
What are Support Workers working hours?
Working hours vary according to the requirement of our clients. Many Support Workers work part-time, some only on weekdays, a small number work full-time and some just work on weekends. There are Support Workers who prefer only live-in or overnight care work.
Our company provides services when clients need them so help is offered to clients 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Clients generally require personal care in the mornings and in the evenings, while housekeeping and home care jobs are provided Monday to Friday during the day. Support Workers’ working hours and the availability of work depends on client demand and how available and flexible workers can be.
What are the requirements to be a Support Worker?
Our Support Workers come from many backgrounds. Our staff must enjoy working with people and preferably have previous caring experience, which may be formal or informal and have a willingness to undertake ongoing training to upgrade their skills. Some Support Workers join our Company having participated in formal training programs while others have skills that come from life experience. Support Workers must hold a current drivers licence, have a registered, insured, reliable means of transport and a telephone, have Certificate 3 in HACC or Aged Care or equivalent or be prepared to undertake training and/ recognition of competencies on commencement.
What sort of checks are made on an applicant’s past?
We require 3 references (2 work related and 1 personal). Mandatory Police checks with satisfactory outcomes are required for all employees prior to commencing employment.
Do workers receive any orientation?
All new Support Workers must attend an Orientation and OH&S (occupational health & safety) program. This provides an understanding of our Company’s objectives, what the company expects of its staff and an awareness of health and safety issues. It is also an opportunity to meet other Workers and talk through any issues of concern Support Workers might have.
Do we offer other training?
The Silver Circle Training Institute (RTO 4827) provides Support Workers with nationally accredited training programs and short skill development courses. All new staff are required to attend paid 6 hour orientation and Occupational Health and Safety training on commencement. They are also required to commence their Advanced First Aid training in the first 3 months of employment. Calvary Silver Circle provides this, free of charge. Employees attend in their own time.
All Support Workers are expected to work towards their Certificate III in Home and Community Care/ Aged Care if not already qualified. The mandatory training described above forms part of the Certificate 3. Support Workers wanting to provide personal care will be required to complete the personal care competency of the Certificate III as soon as possible. Support Workers must also attend a staff development/performance review session after three months of employment and an annual review. We arrange specific training, which might be required by a support worker to meet a client’s needs.
How do Support Workers’ get paid?
Successful applicants must forward a completed employment declaration form and provide their bank account and taxation details to the office before commencing work. They must also provide two passport size photos. One photo is placed on file while the other is used for an identity badge.
Support Workers keep time sheets for every working week which they send to the relevant office at the end of the week.
Support Workers are paid each fortnight. Deposits are made into the Support Workers’ nominated bank accounts. Some contracts can incorporate higher rates of pay.
How do I apply to become a Support Worker?
If you are interested in becoming a Calvary Silver Circle Support Worker, you can:
- Download and complete an employment application form below and email to
recruitment@silvercircle.com.au
