Social Care careers in Shetland

Working in the Supported Living and Outreach (SLO) service gives you the chance to support adults with physical and learning disabilites, helping them enjoy as full and independent a life as possible.

The fundamental goal is to promote independent living, making sure that everyone is able to make choices, and take part in opportunities that come with living in Shetland. At the core of the service is a belief in inclusion and relationships that enable meaningful connections to family, friends and the wider community.

This is very rewarding work.

Activities may include:

• Moving and assisting with personal care,
• Social skills education, based around inclusion
• Outdoor and indoor activities that promote a healthy lifestyle
• Risk assessment, support planning and risk enablement that encourage positive behaviour support.

Individuals may also be supported around their emotional and social needs with staff offering compassionate support to help people understand, prepare for and manage independent living.

Newcraigielea is a residential care home operated by Shetland Islands Council providing short breaks for adults with learning disabilities or other complex needs. Breaks are sometimes during the day or for some people by staying overnight.

It is recognised that short breaks like these benefit carers as much as they do individuals who visit Newcraigielea. The service is all about people, and supporting them, including support around personal care and to participate in activities and recreational sports such as walking, cycling and swimming.

The work is sometimes challenging though helping individuals and their carers can be very rewarding.

The team at Newcraigielea provides staff the opportunity to continue their learning in the workplace, so it is a good career choice for anyone wanting to learn new skills and qualifications.

Daytime activities are offered at the excellent Eric Gray @ Seafield Centre, for people with additional support needs and those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Various groups meet to ensure that services meet the needs of people of different ages. The broad range of vocational activities are aimed at promoting independence, enhancing socialisation and developing skills.

There are several teams based in the Eric Gray @ Seafield who work closely together and with partner agencies. This helps widen opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities or ASD to get involved in community life, further education or employment.

The Assertive Community Transition (ACT) service is fundamentally about ensuring that anyone in Shetland living with a learning disability or complex need can be cared for in the islands.

ACT supports people access direct, flexible support where significant difficulty is being experienced, especially where there is risk of breakdown of current arrangements.

People who use the service could include:

• Young people, including those with additional need
• Adults with learning disability and/or complex needs
• People requiring repatriation to Shetland

Support activities include help around successful daily living and citizenship, and working on aspects such as social skills, positive behaviour support and budgeting. There is also a focus on outdoor and indoor activities that promote a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing, which may include; swimming, gym, sailing, climbing, hiking, cycling.