Healthcare and Social Care - Care Worker
Healthcare and Social Care - Care Worker
Amber
Care workers help vulnerable people manage their daily activities and live as independently as possible.
- Help with washing and dressing
- Make food or help with eating
- Get to know their interests and needs
- Do household jobs, like washing clothes and shopping
- Monitor their weight and record any concerns they have
- Check they're taking their prescribed medications
- Support their physical and mental wellbeing through activities
As a Care Worker, you could work at an adult care home, at a client's home or stay overnight at people's homes.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you may need to wear a uniform and PPE.
Care workers tend to work between 35 to 40 hours a week. You could work evening and weekends, working day or evening shifts.
Starting: £14,000
Experienced: £25,000
You can get into this job through a college course, an apprenticeship, volunteering and applying directly.
A college course may help you when you look for work. You could take a Level 1 Certificate in Health and Social Care, Level 2 Diploma in Care or a T Level in Health. The entry requirements for each course will differ depending on the course level.
You could become a care worker by doing an adult care worker intermediate apprenticeship or a lead adult care worker advanced apprenticeship. There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have some GCSEs, usually including English and Maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and Maths, for an advanced apprenticeship. If you have an EHCP you may be able to apply under the DfE exemption which allows the apprentice to use Entry level 3 English and Maths qualifications. The apprentice would have to successfully achieve all other aspects of the apprenticeship requirements, become occupationally competent and achieve Entry Level 3 in English and Maths before the end of their apprenticeship.
You could apply directly and train on the job. You'll find it useful to have experience of working with people. You could volunteer with an organisation that supports vulnerable people, such as a care home, charity, hospital or hospice. Some employers may expect you to have GCSEs in English and maths at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent.