Care Supervisor/Senior Carer

September 28, 2024
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Job Description

Working in social care can be highly rewarding and challenging at times. Home Care Field Care Supervisor jobs play an important role in assessing care needs and implementing support services to help clients remain independent and enable them to live fulfilling lives at home.

The responsibility involved in supporting vulnerable people daily requires certain skills, qualities and experience.

If you’re interested in becoming a Field Care Supervisor, this guide explores the role of a Field Care Supervisor, the skills and qualities required, interview tips and more. If you’ve already decided to apply, skip ahead and get started now!

Care Supervisor?

Care Supervisor is a trained professional who oversees the delivery of care and support services. They act as a support function for clients, their support network and other healthcare professionals involved in a client’s care.

The duties of a Care Supervisor job can vary daily. They play a vital role in assessing clients’ needs in their own homes, monitoring and supervising the care provided, as well as directly supporting clients when needed.

Every day is different at Supportcare24 care at home! Our  Care Supervisors find their jobs incredibly rewarding. Most of the work is field based, working in the community supporting people with their care needs, but does involve some administrative office tasks. Primary duties include monitoring care and support, review of individual services and client satisfaction, and arranging home visits to conduct assessments of care needs.

What does a Care Supervisor do?

The duties and responsibilities of a Care Supervisor are varied. The role of a Care Supervisor is to lead a group of Care Assistants to ensure they’re delivering high-quality care.

Some of the key responsibilities of a  Care Supervisor include:

  • Administration – ensuring each new client receives & understands their care plan

  • Communication – building good relationships with both clients & care staff

  • Compliance – ensuring the business is compliant & managing data sensitively

  • Customer Service – always providing great customer service

  • Delivering Care – providing care & being available for out of hours on-call services

  • Organisation – reorganising staff rotas when necessary & communicating changes to staff

  • Quality Assurance – conducting regular spot checks & audits of care services

  • Reviewing – regularly reviewing & updating care plans to reflect changing care needs

  • Scheduling – arranging initial home visits to understand care needs of prospective clients

  • Supervising – reviewing performances & identifying staff training needs

  • Supporting – assisting the Management Team with the daily running of the branch

  • Training – supporting care staff with training needs & organising mandatory training

Why become a Field Care Supervisor?

Being a Field Care Supervisor is so rewarding! Although the role can be challenging at times, it’s also incredibly meaningful making a real difference to people’s lives. For someone who enjoys variety in their role and interacting with many different people, it’s ideal!

Enabling people to remain independent at home and seeing them achieve personal goals is uplifting. Here are five key reasons why you might want to become a Field Care Supervisor:

  1. Development – opportunities for personal and professional development to progress your career and expand your industry knowledge
  2. Perks – our Teams enjoy many great perks, including competitive pay rates, exclusive staff discounts and, in some locations, paid mileage
  3. Responsibility – being a Field Care Supervisor means more responsibility, leading a team of Carers or Support Workers and supporting their development
  4. Rewarding – care work can be challenging but incredibly rewarding! Vulnerable people rely on your support to enable them to remain independent and continue living at home
  5. Variety – every day is different! You’ll meet a variety of people with different personalities and care needs which means no two days are the same

Care supervisors  requires attention to detail to ensure all aspects of a client’s care plan are properly implemented. A Field Care Supervisor must be thorough when monitoring care, documenting observations and ensuring regulatory standards are met. Attention to detail helps in identifying and addressing alterations from a care plan, ensuring consistency and quality.

 Care Supervisors play a key role in communicating with care staff, clients, their support network and other healthcare professionals. They need to communicate clearly and empathetically, listen to concerns, provide clear instructions and accurately document important information.
A background and understanding of healthcare and social care practices is essential for a Care Supervisor role. This includes practical experience in providing personal care, as well as an understanding of regulatory requirements. Knowledge in health and safety, medication management and person centred care enables Field Care Supervisors to deliver high quality services. Additionally, previous experience in caregiving sets the foundation for effective supervision and guidance of care staff.
Care Supervisors are at the centre of a person’s care and support, which can often be unpredictable. As a result, they must be able to work well under pressure and adapt to unexpected changes such as staff availability and other unforeseen circumstances. A flexible approach to work includes supporting out of hours, covering shifts at short notice, being prepared to act swiftly in emergencies, and adjusting care plans to accommodate changes in a client’s needs. Having a flexible approach to the role ensures care services can continue to run efficiently and reliably, despite any challenges.
With the increasing use of technology in health and social care, a Care Supervisor must be proficient in using digital software for managing care plans, scheduling and communicating. This includes recording notes from care visits, as well as communicating with care staff electronically to ensure messages are delivered quickly. Using care management and data entry systems means records must be kept accurate and up to date.