Support Worker Interview Questions And Answers

Support worker provide support to individuals and their families who need help, both emotionally and practically, so they can live a happy, independent life.

Support workers help people dress, take food and medicine, and maintain hygiene. They do basic housekeeping and care for the person's safety while with them.

These are important for support workers. But they differ from the communication skills of a CEO or a desktop support technician. Communication must be adapted to the special ways and needs of the clients. Workers must be able to not only understand and help their clients, but must project empathy and be a warm, humane presence in their lives.

Education requirements may vary from establishment to establishment. But in general, to possess any degree is desirable. Degrees or certifications in care-relevant fields are favored. Recruiters look for intelligent, polite, and patient workers who can provide moral ease as well as physical comfort.

The list of crucial character traits includes patience, tact and poise with personal and cultural sensitivity. One needs the ability to work long hours, with much walking and some physical tasks. But the most important trait of all is to love people and to have the desire to care for them.

This is a very open question and will show the employer whether the candidate understands the expectations of the job, you need to look a job description and see what the role involves. It is a good test of whether they have done any research, especially if candidates are coming from a different country where the roles may differ.

It may not seem directly relevant, but we are looking to find out whether the candidate can identify stress in themselves and if they are good at problem-solving. You can give any example, whether it is a young baby keeping you up at night, a death in the family, moving house or planning a wedding, it does not matter.

The importance is not only to facilitate daily procedures, but to give their clients a meaningful existence which encourages independence and provides natural daily survival skills.

Your answer needs to show an employer you have knowledge, experience and understanding of relevant legislation within areas like mental health or child protection. These are always changing so it is essential you keep up-to-date. You may then delve deeper into your areas of expertise in your answer.

This is intended to show employers you will work well with other social workers and your management team. It will also allow employers to find out if you have the softer skills and values for social care. The best example will show how you have listened to colleagues and supported them. Highlight positions of responsibility you had and how you supervised others. Preparation is key here so have an example that clearly shows why team working was important and how your skills influenced the positive outcome.

Interviewers are not solely looking for case details, they want you to talk about the end result for your service user and your role in delivering the outcome. Give an outline of the case, but place emphasis on how you were sensitive to the best interests of the service user in your actions and the outcome.

An employer will be looking to see you've understood and listened to the twofold question. It is common with such questions that interviewees get distracted answering the first part and forget about the second.

I always advocate an environment of respect, tolerance and civility at my workplace and have not been involved in a conflict with a co-worker during my career however, in my opinion, it is always important to take your co-worker in private, away from the residents and the family.
I would try to calm my co-worker first and listen to why he or she is angry. If unable to do so, I would immediately notify my charge/resource nurse.

A palliative patient in a facility or community should be cared with utmost dignity, respect, warmth and empathy. Client's right to autonomy should also be respected by encouraging independence. During the end stages of life, client's preferences and choices should be respected. A Palliative client should also be provided privacy at all times.

☛ Respect and dignity:
Every resident has the right to be treated with courtesy and respect and in a way that fully recognizes resident's individuality and respects the resident's dignity.
☛ No abuse:
Every resident has the right to be protected from abuse.
☛ No neglect:
Every resident has the right not to be neglected by the licensee or staff.
☛ Proper care:
Every resident has the right to be properly sheltered, fed, clothed, groomed and cared for in a manner consistent with his or her needs.
☛ Safe and clean home:
Every resident has the right to live in a safe and clean environment.

A good answer to this question can have a positive impact on the outcome of your interview. You can say whatever you want, but if you can provide proof of what continuing education you have done, it will put you in good books.
There are many courses that can be completed through your workplace and in private. You can check with your clinical educator for help.

Some of the common things to keep in mind when dealing with an aggressive resident are:
☛ Stay calm
☛ Hold your ground
☛ Wait out their outbursts
☛ Be upfront
☛ Stay clear if not directly involved
☛ If personal safety is at risk, call 911

You should be competent enough to operate the mechanical lift and be aware of safety precautions before, during and after using the mechanical lift.
It is always recommended that two caregivers are present when a mechanical lift is in use. One to steady the patient and the other to operate the handset.

Stay with the patient and call for help immediately. Once help arrives, transfer the patient to the bed or chair safely. Let the resource/charge nurse know immediately and help fill out the incident report by providing all the details related to the fall.

Support workers are required to look after clients in terms of dressing, medication and feeding along with managing their entertainment and psychological needs.

Both are extremely important as both are needed for in order to work effectively with people especially when they are unwell and dependent on you.

People become extremely dependent on support workers. The need to make a significant contribution to someone who looks up to you for physical and psychological support is extremely eminent. By providing them with an opportunity to flourish with a little assistance is a great way to making a significant contribution to anyone's life.

I have an inborn empathetic nature which helps me in managing my clients with dignity and respect at all times.

I was assigned to a particularly irate patient with dementia. One day, he got hold of a kitchen knife and threatened to end his life. During the 20 minute ordeal, I talked him into handing me the knife by employing psychological tactics. This was by far the most harrowing time and tested my ability to handle an adverse situation successfully.

I am compassionate by nature and never lose my temper. I understand that this position requires a lot patience as one is always dealing with difficult situations. I feel well equipped to handle the demands of this position because of my inherent nature to be calm and tactful. By virtue of this, I have handled many adverse situations in this role.