Learning disabilities jobs can be among the most rewarding of careers in support work. Generally speaking, there are no formal qualifications required to undertake them, which makes them a good way to move into the care sector for the first time, but having an NVQ in a related subject like social care is very helpful.

What a learning disabilities support worker does.

Support workers engage with people with learning disabilities in a variety of settings. The most common of these are clinics, day care or drop-in centres, but they may also be asked to help out with people in hospitals or to visit clients in their homes. School visits designed to enable disabled children to access learning can also be involved. Some positions involve shift work so that people in residential care can be provided with round the clock support.

The duties of a learning disability support worker break down into two main areas:

promoting health
promoting well-being

The former involves working with clients to make sure they can eat well and get enough exercise as well as helping them to deal with hygiene issues. The latter involves advocacy, and support workers must be capable of identifying barriers that can be stopping their clients from leading fulfilling lives as well as asserting themselves to make sure that, wherever possible, such barriers are removed.

Personal qualities of support workers.

Support workers undertaking this kind of role will need a lot of patience. Sometimes they will have to teach the same task to the same client every day for months until it is remembered, but experience in the role will make every small success intensely rewarding.

They need to be caring people who enjoy helping others and are able to connect emotionally even with people who think very differently. They also need to be able to calm down clients who get upset and know when to step back from difficult situations, and they need to have sufficient strength of character to stand up for clients who face discrimination.

Types of clients support workers work with.

The people support workers can end up helping vary a great deal. They can include adults with Asperger’s syndrome who lead independent lives and are generally good at coping but just need help with one or two issues.

They can also include working with people who struggle to communicate at all, or who are very withdrawn and don’t want to interact with others. In every case the focus is on responding to the client’s needs and treating them with respect, helping them to live as independently as possible even in a care home setting.

Although a support worker will generally be under the supervision of a senior support worker position or others, they will need to be able to make decisions independently when clients need immediate help, and they will need to make the effort to get to know them as people so a relationship of trust can be built. This can be a very fulfilling job for people who enjoy empowering others.

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