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Care assistant
Hours
35-40 per week
Starting salary
£12,000 + per year
If you enjoy helping people and want to make a difference to their lives, this job could be just what you are looking for.
As a care assistant you would help people who have difficulties with their daily activities. You could work with children, people with physical or learning disabilities, older people or families.
It would be useful if you had experience in a caring role. When you apply for a job you will need Criminal Records Bureau clearance.
A good care assistant has a friendly and caring approach and the ability to relate to people from a variety of backgrounds. Patience and a sense of humour are also important.
WorkDesc
The work
You could work with people (known as clients) in their own homes, in sheltered housing, at day centres or in places like nursing homes. Your exact duties may vary depending on where you work, but could include:
- getting to know clients, their interests and their needs
- helping clients with daily personal care such as washing, dressing, using the toilet and feeding themselves
- carrying out general tasks such as housework, laundry and shopping
- helping clients manage their budget, pay bills and write letters
- helping families get used to new caring responsibilities
- working with other health and social care professionals to provide individual care and development plans
- helping to organise leisure activities
- going with clients to and from a residential home (for example, young people who go to a local college).
You could also work as a personal assistant. This involves working closely with one disabled person to support them in their everyday life.
A care assistant is also known as a care worker and a social care worker.
HoursDesc
Hours
Your working hours are likely to include weekends. If you work at a residential location, you may sometimes be expected to stay there overnight. In some jobs you may need to live in. Part-time hours are often available.
If you work in the community you may need to travel between clients’ homes.
IncomeDesc
Income
Starting salaries can be between £12,000 and £16,000 a year.
With experience, qualifications and extra responsibilities or specialist support worker skills this may rise to between £18,000 and £21,000.
In some cases, free or low-cost accommodation is provided. You may be paid a higher hourly rate for night shifts and weekend work.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
It would be useful if you had experience in a caring role, perhaps through volunteering or with your own family. Previous experience is likely to be essential if you plan to work with people who have mental health problems or learning disabilities.
You can find out about volunteering opportunities in your area through the Volunteering England website.
When you apply for a job, you would have a medical check and you would also need Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance to make sure that you are suitable to work with children and vulnerable adults. See the CRB website for details.
To work in the community, some employers will expect you to have a driving licence because you are likely to have clients in a number of different locations.
You may be able to become a care assistant through an Apprenticeship scheme. You will need to check which schemes are available in your area. To find out more, visit the Apprenticeships website.
All care workers working in a children’s residential care setting must meet the National Minimum Standards. Those that are currently employed in this setting must have a level 3 qualification (previously the NVQ in Health & Social Care) as a minimum. Those that are newly employed must either be qualified to a minimum level 3 or be working towards the Level 3 Diploma in Working with Children and Young People (Social Care Pathway) within six months of employment.
Residential childcare workers may also hold a social work qualification.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
Once you start work as a care assistant you will receive on-the-job training from your employer. This will often include working closely with experienced colleagues. You may also attend external courses, such as on hygiene, health and safety, and how to lift people.
If you work in adult social care in England you will be expected to take part in a 12-week induction programme provided by your employer. This will be based on national minimum standards of care, which cover areas such as:
- Role of the health and social care worker
- Personal development
- Communicating effectively
- Equality and inclusion
- Principles for implementing duty of care
- Principles of safeguarding in health and social care
- Person-centred support
- Health and safety in an adult social care setting.
You may also be encouraged to work towards a level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care.
If you work with children or support people with learning disabilities you will also have to meet additional standards. See the Skills for Care website for details.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
As a care assistant you would need to have:
- a friendly and caring approach
- a genuine desire to help people
- the ability to relate to people from a wide variety of backgrounds
- tact and sensitivity
- a respectful approach to clients
- patience and a sense of humour
- reliability and flexibility
- team working skills and the ability to use your own initiative
- the ability to work to health and safety guidelines
- the ability to remain calm under pressure.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) 
www.niscc.info
Skills for Care (England)
Albion Court
5 Albion Place
Leeds
LS1 6JL
Tel: 0113 245 1716
www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Care Council for Wales (CCW)
www.ccwales.org.uk
General Social Care Council
2 Hay's Lane
London
SE1 2HB
Tel: 020 7397 5800
Registration helpline:
0845 070 0630
www.gscc.org.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You could work with local authority social services departments, private agencies providing care services, or voluntary organisations.
You could progress to a senior care assistant or supervisor job. With experience and qualifications in care, you may be able to move into social work or nursing.
Please see the practice nurse and social worker job profiles for more information.
You may find the following useful for vacancies and general reading (links open in new window):
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
Adult social care is part of the sector represented by Skills for Care, which is one of the partners that comprise Skills for Care and Development Sector Skills Council. This includes those working in early years, children and young people’s services, and those working in social work and social care for children and adults in the UK. The social care sector comprises two sub-sectors:
- Adult social care – with a workforce of nearly 1.5 million, accounting for 5% of England’s workforce, and 38,000 employers
- Children and young people – with an estimated workforce of 2.7 million
During 2007/08, approximately 2.3 million adults used publicly funded social work and social care services in the UK. Adult social care includes residential care, domiciliary care and social work with all its specialism's.
There are an estimated 1.5 million workers providing adult social care services and more than 38,000 employers. Skills for Care are responsible for the training standards and development needs of social work and social care staff working with adults in England. This includes staff working in local authority social services and related services, the regulated sector (care homes, domiciliary care services and home nursing services), non-regulated day care and community care services, and employed by individuals for their own or another person’s care and support.
Key facts:
- Of the 1.39 million in adult social care in England: 1.31 million are directly employed; and 78,000 are bank, pool and agency staff, students and others
- The adult social care workforce can also include:
- 25,460 full-time equivalent social workers
- 14,000 learning mentors
- 2,247 educational psychologists
- Of the 14,456 care-only homes registered with CSCI at June 2007:
- 9,870 (68%) are private sector
- 3,251 voluntary sector
- most of the remaining are operated by councils
- Most social care services (58%) are provided by micro organisations (or agencies) employing between 1-10 people or small enterprises (29%) employing between 11-49 people.
- 12% of social care enterprises employ 50-99 people and 1% employ 200 or more.
- In 2007, 54,151 individuals were receiving direct payments to fund their own care.
Jobs in adult social care include: administrative staff, ancillary staff, care workers, community support and outreach workers, counsellors, first-line managers, occupational therapists, registered managers, senior care workers, senior management, social workers, supervisors, technicians.
National and regional data
[N.B. National and regional data are currently unavailable.]
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