Carers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is Seniors Community Care?

Seniors Community Care Pty Ltd, is a propriety company that trades as Seniors Community Care and Manor Meals. Seniors Community Care provides care and support services for people who need assistance at home. Our clients include older people, people who have been ill or in hospital, family carers, people with disabilities and others. Some clients have relatively short term needs while others have chronic illnesses or conditions.

What do our Carers do?

Our Care Workers work directly with clients and their carers providing care in many ways that assist them to remain as independent as possible, be involved in community activities and to maintain their lifestyle choices and preferences and provide relief to family carers. The duties can involve:

Home Care

Carers clean clients’ homes, do laundry and change bed linen. They may prepare meals, go shopping, pay accounts and run errands.

Personal Care

Carers help clients shower, dress and groom. They may assist with simple prescribed exercises or the supervision of medication routines. Carers may need to use special equipment such as hydraulic lifts or assist with braces and artificial limbs.

Respite Care

Carers provide relief for carers who need a break for a short period or perhaps an extended period. This care can be provided within the home or accompanying them outside the home, and serving as guide, companion and assistant. Respite care may be on a regular or occasional basis.

Transportation

Carers utilise their own vehicle to transport client’s during authorised services to medical appointments, go shopping, run errands or attend social activities. 

Overnight Care

Carers stay in the client’s home overnight to provide assistance, reassurance and relief to carers. Duties can be inclusive of personal care tasks.

 

Who supervises Carers?

Our Carers are supervised by a Client Services Manager and are responsible to a Client Services Group Manager.  Carers generally work alone but are in regular contact with the office. Good communication with the Client Services team is essential. Carers liaise closely with Client Services Managers who schedule their client services and monitor work. Carers report any changes they notice in the client or client’s environment to the Client Services Managers. 

What is the Carer’s daily routine like?

Daily routines can vary considerably. Carers receive detailed instructions from their Client Services Managers so they know when to visit their clients and what assistance to provide. Usually, Carers have several clients. They may visit several clients in one day with each service lasting 30 mins or an hour through to several hours or more. Sometimes a carer may have an all-day service with a client. Workers may have clients for months or years or for just a very short period.

What are our Carer’s work environments like?

Carers’ working environments can differ markedly. Some clients’ homes are tidy and comfortable while others are cluttered and messy. Some clients are easy to work with while others may have problems that make it difficult for them to cope and they can become angry, irritable or depressed.

What are Carers working hours?

Working hours vary according to the requirement of our clients. Carers are employed on a casual basis, some only on weekdays, some just work on weekends or a combination of both. There are Carers who prefer only overnight care work.

Seniors Community Care provides services when clients need them so help is offered to clients 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Clients generally require personal care in the mornings and in the evenings, while home care services are provided Monday to Friday during the day.

Carers working hours and the availability of work depends on client demand and how available and flexible workers can be.

What are the requirements to be a Carer?

Our Carers must enjoy working with people and preferably have previous caring experience, which may be formal or informal and have a willingness to undertake ongoing learning to upgrade their skills.

Carers must hold a current drivers licence, have a registered, insured, reliable means of transport and a mobile telephone, have Certificate 3 in Home & Community Care (HACC) or Aged Care or Disability Care or equivalent.

What sorts of checks are made on an applicant’s past?

We require a minimum of 2 work related references.

All employees must have a current Police Record Check (issued less than 3 years ago) or Working with Children Check, with satisfactory outcomes.

Do Carers receive any orientation?

All new Carers must attend an Orientation and OH&S (occupational health & safety) session. This provides an understanding of our Organisations’s objectives, what the organisation expects of its staff and an awareness of health and safety issues. It is also an opportunity to talk through any issues of concern Carers might have.

How do Carers get paid?

Successful applicants must forward a completed employment declaration form and provide their bank account and taxation details to the office before commencing work.

Carers keep time sheets for every working week which they send to the relevant office at the end of the week.

Carers are paid each fortnight. Deposits are made into the Carers’ nominated bank accounts.

How do I apply to become a Carer?

If you are interested in becoming a Seniors Community Care Carer, you can:

  1. Complete the Submit your CV form and attach your resume, or
  2. Post your resume to Seniors Community Care, Office 2, Level 1, Centro Somerville, 49 Eramosa Road West, Somerville Victoria 3912