Skills, Interests etc.

The community/residential care worker has a lot of independence in their work. They must be organized and able to manage a daily schedule. They must make decisions about the best use of a person’s time and support the person to make choices. They make decisions about a person’s well-being and take actions which are in the person’s best interests.

The community/residential care worker must demonstrate respect and treat persons with dignity. This means believing that everybody has equal worth and is entitled to respectful treatment.We show our attitude toward people’s dignity by the way we treat them; by being fair, truthful and by showing care and compassion. We must respect other people’s views, choices and decisions and not assume what they want or would like or how they want to be treated. Every individual, regardless of age, ability to consent, gender or disability, should be valued and treated as if they were able to think, feel and act in a way that would uphold their self-respect.The universal principles to support dignity include a value for the uniqueness of every individual, a recognition that care and support services need to be tailored to meet the person’s needs, and a value for communicating with individuals in ways that are meaningful to them. The community care worker must recognize how an individual’s dignity may be affected when personal care is required as part of their support and know that an individual’s surroundings and environments are important to their sense of pride and dignity.Care workers must value workplace cultures that actively promote the dignity of everybody and recognize the need to challenge care that may reduce the dignity of the individual.

Community/residential care workers require a strong work ethic. Some workers say that shift work contributes to a more flexible lifestyle than a 9-5, five day a week schedule. However, working 8 and 12-hour shifts, sometimes split shifts, and on weekends and holidays is draining, even more so if working the overnight shift. Standing or walking most of a shift and dealing with emotionally challenging situations can be draining. Being asked to work extra shifts to meet staffing needs is common. Make sure you are physically and mentally fit and have the supports i.e. transportation, flexible child care and other supports needed to enable shift work.

A community/residential care worker must be able to make individual program and behavior change plans for their clients that consider the needs and abilities of the client as well as their organization. They must make judgments that support the client and that are in line with the organization’s values and overall mission and philosophy. They must share the organization’s mission and beliefs. They should learn from their experiences and use best judgement considering the situation at hand.

Motivation is important. The community/residential care worker must be prepared to work at building their relationship with a client. The care worker must be mature, level-headed, and have a realistic perception of what client progress and achievements will look like. Continuous learning is part of the personal and professional growth required to be successful in this career.

There is more to communication than speaking, reading, writing, and texting. Good communication skills and the ability to relate well to others including community members is essential. An ability ‘to read’ people and situations is necessary.  The community/residential care worker needs to communicate with a variety of people: clients, other team members and staff, client families, supervisors, program managers and administrators, and more. With a client, you may need to speak slowly and use basic language to help them understand your plan. With a supervisor, you may need to give a quick summary while they are between activities or you are speaking to them on the telephone. Understanding various situations and being an active listener are the foundations of clear, effective communication. Delivering important and sometimes emotional messages in a sympathetic and gentle way is also a necessary skill.Additional necessary information about the aspects of excellent communication and other work-life skills that will lead to your success in your career are available. These essential skills can also be applied and used beyond the workplace in a range of daily activities”.  Check out the Conference Board of Canadas’ Essential Skills.

You have often heard that “Patience is a virtue.” Many community/residential care workers find that patience is the top skill they need to succeed.  Why is that? Well, the people you support may sometimes be scared, sometimes ill, and sometimes even suspicious of their surroundings or you.  You may also become the focus of their aggression from time to time. Controlling your reactions to the behaviors and maintaining a patient and professional demeanor is critical to be a successful community/residential care worker. It helps to remind yourself that it’s “not about you”. They’re frustrated with their current circumstances, and you are the nearest one, at whom they can direct that frustration.

As the role involves supporting people in the community throughout the day, the community/ residential care worker must have the physical stamina, fitness, and willingness to be ‘out and about’ and ‘on the go’ over a 6 to 7-hour day.  You may also need to assist or move clients in and out of beds and chairs, manage mechanical lifts, push a cart or wheelchair, and complete other physically demanding tasks during your day. The ability to lift up to 30 pounds is required. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are things you’ll help your clients with, so you might as well practice what you preach. Your body will appreciate your diligence at the end of a long day, and you’ll set an example for your client. Practicing full body stretches is a good habit to develop at the beginning of your day. It helps warm up your muscles and helps prevent injury. Think of it like going to the gym for a workout or starting out for a run. You wouldn’t or shouldn’t do either without first warming up, would you?

Emotional health is another requirement for the community/residential care worker. You need to consider if you are emotionally and mentally prepared to face the challenge.  Without a doubt, community/residential care workers are present for some of the most joyful moments of peoples’ lives. But care works also work with people who may make slow progress, who struggle to complete repetitive tasks, who are unable to communicate easily, and who might be easily frustrated.  It takes an emotionally stable person to deal with some of these situations.Wondering if you have the emotional strength? Here are seven ways to assess yourself and others: Emotionally healthy people are:

• Less discouraged by setbacks and disappointments.
• More adaptable to change.
• Able to recognize and express their needs.
• Focused on getting around a hurdle rather than on the barrier itself.
• Able to learn from mistakes and accept feedback.
• Able to see the broader perspective in a challenging situation.
• Apt to recover more quickly from emotional wounds such as failure or rejection.

For more on emotional strength click on the link for this reference. The 7 Characteristics of Emotionally Strong People … and why criers can be just as tough as anyone else, Psychology Today, Guy Winch Ph.D., June 4, 2015. Accessed from Psychology Today web page 3/3/2018.

Day to day tasks may vary. As a community/residential care worker, your clients could include children, or adults with physical, cognitive, developmental or learning disabilities, mental health problems, addiction issues or other emotional or social needs.Your day-to-day tasks would vary according to the client group you worked with, but might include:

• Assessing each resident’s needs and progress.
• Providing physical care.
• Creating a safe and positive living environment.
• Setting boundaries for young people’s behaviour.
• Offering one-to-one counselling or leading group therapy sessions.
• Providing leisure and creative opportunities.
• Teaching daily living skills –  such as budgeting, shopping and claiming benefits.
• Helping residents deal with problems and become independent.
• Keeping records and writing reports.
• Liaising with residents’ families.
• Working with other health and care professionals.

With experience, you could have extra responsibilities including supervising and leading a team and managing a budget. In a full-time job you would typically work 37-40 hours a week, often on a shift rotation including weekends, evenings and ‘sleep in’ duties. You may also be on-call at times. Part-time work is commonly available.

You could be assigned to work in children’s homes, or adult residential care centres, which may be purpose-built or adapted houses. You may also spend time out in the community doing activities with persons receiving support. As you can see, the job needs flexibility and seldom involves boredom!

Providing personal care may be part of some situations. People receiving care may require help with eating, drinking, washing, dressing, or toileting. This is care that most people complete independently, but which they may be unable to because of disability or other need. Explaining the care to be provided in a matter of fact way and maintaining a professional approach can help alleviate any client embarrassment or concern.