Care worker

Care workers support vulnerable people with their daily activities and help them to live as independently as possible.

Also known as: Care assistant, support worker, nursing home assistant

• Starter salary£20,000 a year
• Experienced£25,000 a year
• Typical hours35 to 45 a week

What you'll do

Daily tasks will differ depending on whether you work with a client in their own home or in a care setting.

You could:

• chat with clients and get to know their background, interests and needs
• help with washing, dressing and personal care
• make food, assist with eating and make sure medication is taken if needed
• support clients to take part in physical and social activities
• do routine checks of weight, temperature and blood pressure
• notify senior staff of any concerns over clients' health and wellbeing
• keep client records and care plans up to date

Working environment

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.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• sensitivity and understanding
• a desire to help people
• the ability to work well with others
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to understand people's reactions
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

How to become a care worker

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• volunteering
• applying directly

College

You could take a college course, which may help you when looking for work.

Courses include:

• care
• health and social care
• T Level in Health

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with a care organisation or the NHS.

Apprenticeship options include:

• Health and Social Care Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
• Adult Care Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Healthcare Support Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Lead Adult Care Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

Volunteering

You can volunteer with an organisation that supports vulnerable people, like a care home, charity or hospice. Volunteering in the NHS is also a good way to get work experience in care work. This can be helpful when you apply for jobs or training.

You can find further opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and Do it .

Direct application

You can apply for care worker jobs directly. If you get the role, you'll be given on-the-job training by your employer.

It's important to be kind, caring and have a respectful attitude towards people who need care and support.

Some employers might want you to have GCSEs in English and maths at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent. However, many will offer training to applicants who have the right personal qualities.

Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

• have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• are in care or have been in care
• are in prison or have been in prison

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

You might find it helpful to have a driving licence, for example, if your role involves travelling between clients to provide care at home.

A good level of fitness is useful, because you may need to help lift or move people as part of this job.

Career path and progression

While employed as a care worker you can develop your skills by training in specific areas, such as:

• autism awareness
• supporting people with dementia
• communication skills, like Makaton or Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

With experience, you can become a senior care worker , or palliative care assistant .

You can also move into care team supervision or care services management, if you get further qualifications.

Career tips

Time spent caring for someone you know also counts as having experience in a caring role.

Guides for this industry

• Health & Social Care: pay, interviews and getting started →

Related roles

• Job roleSenior care worker
• Job rolePalliative care assistant
• Job roleHealthcare assistant
• Job roleNursing associate
• Job roleFamily support worker

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0