Caretaker and General Hand

at  Essex County Council

CARETAKER AND GENERAL HAND

Permanent, Full Time
£23,344 per annum
Location: Clacton on Sea
Working Style: Fixed-base worker
ECC Adult Social Care, through effective practice, is moving towards a transformational shift from a focus on long-term care support, to a model with four key principles:- prevention; early intervention; enablement and safeguarding. This will enable people, their families and carers to be able to access information and tools to live healthily and independently. Providing an opportunity to respond pro-actively to growing service demand in a sustainable way, within the financial constraints of the Council.
The Caretaker/General Handyperson will be responsible for the maintenance of equipment and buildings to ensure the safety and security of properties, undertaking minor repairs and decorating as appropriate. In addition, this will incorporate gardening duties.
Utilising existing skills and experience in property maintenance, knowledge of equipment will be an important element in undertaking this role effectively.

SERVICE/FUNCTIONAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Responsibility for ensuring all safety equipment and security systems are effectively maintained regularly and as part of any business continuity.
• Contributes to general property maintenance by ensuring minor repairs and property upkeep are conducted to a high standard.
• Undertakes routine vehicle checks and is able to drive the vehicles.
• Reports issues regarding systems i.e. fire alarms and call systems, liaises with external contractors to ensure speedy resolution of issues and maintains appropriate records.
• Responsible for maintaining grounds to a high standard to ensure safety and effective management of gardens, and accessibility plus benefits for residents.
• Liaises with key workers and the adults living within the residential services to involve and engage them in the day to day activities, in line with individual care plans and risk assessments.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

THE EXPERIENCE YOU WILL BRING

• Educated to RQF level 2 (GCSE) or equivalent by experience which may include specific practical qualifications, such as, apprenticeships, basic electrics, horticulture and/or plumbing.
• Evidence of development with role.
• Experience of Health and Safety and any relevant qualifications and evidence of training.
• Evidence of a First Aid qualification, training and experience.
• Horticultural experience which would include experience in use of appropriate machinery, such as strimmers, mowers, cutters and experience of working in a gardening team.
• Experience of undertaking building repairs, internal and external.
• Understanding of working in a setting that provides residential care to adults.
• Full UK driving license or ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.
  To read more about us please visit: Adult Social Care
  Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.
  Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us.
  Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.
  We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Working for Essex website.
As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service