Team Leader - Support Work - Preston

Pay: £16.58 per hour
Hours: Full-time - 40 hours a week, plus sleep-in shifts, 12 hour shifts + supernumerary admin time for Team Leader duties. 

Are you someone who believes that great support starts with respect, trust, genuine relationships and a commitment to helping others thrive?

We're looking for a dedicated, compassionate and proactive Team Leader – Support Worker to lead and support a small team providing care and support to two autistic individuals in their own home.

This is an opportunity to combine hands-on, person-centred support with the responsibility of helping a team work consistently, confidently and collaboratively. You'll play an important role in ensuring that support remains neuroaffirmative, respectful and responsive to each person's individual needs, preferences, communication and aspirations.

This role is about working with people, listening, learning, adapting and supporting choice at every opportunity. As Team Leader, you'll also help create an environment where staff feel supported, communication is effective, and the quality of support continues to develop.

You'll lead by example, modelling best practice, encouraging reflective thinking and ensuring that each person is supported to live life on their own terms.

The Role and Responsibilities

• Provide direct, hands-on support that promotes autonomy, dignity, independence and meaningful participation.
• Ensure that support is guided by each person's wishes, preferences, communication style, strengths and aspirations.
• Promote a neuroaffirmative approach that recognises and respects neurodivergent ways of communicating, thinking, processing and experiencing the world.
• Support each person to make choices, exercise control over their own life and participate in decisions that affect them.
• Respect body autonomy, personal boundaries, privacy and the right to say no.
• Recognise and respond appropriately to sensory differences, communication needs, emotional wellbeing and signs of stress or distress.
• Support the development of meaningful relationships, community participation, hobbies and opportunities to pursue individual interests.
• Advocate for each person's rights, wishes and preferences, ensuring their voice remains central to all aspects of their support.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, guidance and support to the staff team.
• Lead by example, demonstrating compassionate, respectful and consistent practice.
• Help new team members settle into the role, understand individual support needs and develop confidence in their responsibilities.
• Support staff to understand and follow individual support plans, communication strategies, risk assessments and agreed ways of working.
• Promote a positive team culture based on mutual respect, trust, accountability, collaboration and open communication.
• Encourage staff to reflect on their practice, share ideas and learn from experiences.
• Identify training needs and support ongoing staff development.
• Provide constructive feedback, recognise good practice and address concerns appropriately.
• Help manage day-to-day staffing arrangements, handovers and changes in support requirements.
• Escalate staffing, performance, conduct or practice concerns to the appropriate manager when necessary.
• Help coordinate the day-to-day running of the support service to ensure that both individuals receive consistent, reliable and person-centred support.
• Support effective handovers, ensuring that important information is communicated clearly and accurately between team members.
• Maintain awareness of appointments, activities, commitments and individual routines while remaining flexible to changing preferences and circumstances.
• Help ensure that support arrangements are organised around the individuals' needs rather than staff convenience.
• Monitor whether agreed support strategies are working well and identify when adjustments may be needed.
• Work collaboratively with the individuals, their families or representatives where appropriate, and relevant professionals, while respecting confidentiality and the individual's wishes.
• Communicate changes, concerns and significant developments promptly to the appropriate people.
• Help maintain a calm, predictable and supportive home environment without unnecessarily restricting choice or independence.
• Help ensure that support is delivered in accordance with individual support plans, organisational policies, agreed procedures and relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain accurate, timely and appropriate records, including daily notes, handovers, incident reports and other required documentation.
• Promote safe working practices while supporting positive risk-taking and opportunities for independence.
• Ensure that concerns about health, wellbeing, safeguarding or changes in presentation are recognised, recorded and escalated appropriately.
• Support the team to understand safeguarding responsibilities, professional boundaries, confidentiality and information-sharing requirements.
• Contribute to reviews of support plans, risk assessments and working practices when requested.
• Help identify opportunities to improve the quality, consistency and responsiveness of support.
• Promote an open culture in which concerns can be raised, mistakes can be learned from and individuals are treated with dignity and respect.
• Follow agreed procedures during emergencies and ensure that relevant managers or professionals are informed when necessary.
• Communicate clearly, respectfully and effectively with the individuals being supported and the wider team.
• Recognise that communication takes many forms and ensure that each person's preferred communication methods are respected.
• Be AAC literate or willing to learn and use augmentative and alternative communication systems consistently.
• Help ensure that staff understand and use agreed communication approaches.
• Listen to different perspectives, approach challenges thoughtfully and encourage collaborative problem-solving.
• Maintain appropriate professional relationships with families, representatives and professionals involved in the individuals' support.
• Handle sensitive information discreetly and maintain appropriate confidentiality.
• Model calm, constructive communication, particularly during challenging or emotionally demanding situations.

We're looking for someone who is naturally caring, patient and empathetic, with a calm, confident and positive approach. You'll be emotionally aware, non-judgemental and able to build trusting relationships through kindness, consistency and respect.

Having shared interests can help build meaningful relationships and create opportunities for enjoyable, fulfilling experiences. It would be great if you enjoy some of the same things, including:

• Hiking
• Gardening
• Horse riding
• Swimming
• Climbing
• Cycling
• Baking
• Crafting
• Watching animation
• Going to the movies

Essential Requirements

• Full UK driving licence.
• Flexible availability, including sleep-in shifts.
• Good general fitness and the ability to participate in the activities and practical aspects of the role.
• A compassionate, respectful and person-centred approach to supporting autistic individuals.
• Strong communication, organisational and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to work independently, use initiative and recognise when to seek guidance.
• The ability to support colleagues, model good practice and contribute to a positive team culture.
• A commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, dignity, equality and individual rights.
• A willingness to undertake relevant training and follow agreed policies, procedures and support plans.

Desirable Experience and Skills

• Experience supporting autistic people and/or individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
• Previous experience in a senior support worker, shift leader, team leader or similar role.
• Experience supporting, mentoring or training colleagues.
• Experience contributing to support planning, risk assessments, record keeping and reviews.
• Knowledge of neuroaffirmative practice, sensory processing differences, AAC and co-regulation.
• Understanding of safeguarding, positive risk-taking and promoting independence.
• Experience working collaboratively with families, representatives and multidisciplinary professionals.
• Non-smoker.

This is an opportunity to become part of a small, dedicated team where your compassion, reliability and leadership can make a genuine difference every day.

You'll be supporting two unique individuals, each with their own personality, strengths, communication style, interests and aspirations. Your role will be to help ensure that their support remains consistent, respectful, empowering and led by their choices, while enabling the team around them to grow in confidence and capability.

As Team Leader, you'll have the opportunity to shape a positive working culture, encourage good practice and help create an environment where both the people being supported and the staff supporting them can thrive.

We're looking for someone who understands that leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about listening, learning, taking responsibility, supporting others and remaining focused on what matters most to the individuals we support.

If you're passionate about neuroaffirmative, person-centred support and are ready to take on a leadership role where relationships, dignity, independence and quality of life come first, we'd love to hear from you. Please apply online or contact recruitment@believecare.org