Care workers help vulnerable people to manage their daily activities and to live as independently as possible.
£12,500 Starter
to£25,000 Experienced
35 to 40 a week
evenings / weekends on shifts
You can get into this job through:
You could take a college course, which may help when you look for work. Courses include:
You'll usually need:
You could get into this job through an adult care worker intermediate apprenticeship or a lead adult care worker advanced apprenticeship.
There are no set entry requirements for this route but it may help you to get in if you have:
You could do voluntary work with an organisation that supports vulnerable people.
Do-it has more information on voluntary opportunities in your area.
You could apply directly and do training while in the job. You'll find it useful to have experience of working with people.
Some employers may expect you to have GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, or equivalent qualifications.
Time spent caring for someone you know also counts as having experience in a caring role.
You can find out more about careers in care from Think Care Careers and Social Care TV.
You'll need:
You'll need to:
In this role you could be:
You could also be:
You could work at an adult care home or at a client's home.
Your working environment may be physically demanding.
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could progress to a more senior role, managing people or services.
As your career develops, you can move on to higher level qualifications, such as a foundation degree, social work degree or Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care.