Skip to main content
National Careers Service

beta How could we improve this service? Your feedback will help.

  1. Home
  2. Explore careers
  3. Senior care worker

Senior care worker

Alternative titles for this job include Senior care assistant, senior adult social care support worker

Senior care workers provide physical and emotional support to individuals and supervise teams of care assistants.

Average salary (a year)

£24,000 Starter

to

£29,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

40 to 45 a week

You could work

on call on a rota

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directy

College

You could do a college course, which may help you when applying for more senior care jobs.

Courses include:

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

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, such as:

  • Lead Adult Care Worker
  • Senior Healthcare Support Worker

You might also train by doing a Lead Practitioner in Adult Care Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

These apprenticeships can take up to 2 years to complete and are a mix of workplace training and classroom study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You could start as a care support worker or healthcare assistant and move into a senior role through further training and promotion.

Volunteering

You can get some of the skills and knowledge you need for this career by volunteering with an organisation that supports vulnerable people.

You can find volunteering opportunities through:

Direct Application

You can apply directly for senior care jobs if you have skills, experience and a qualification in social care or healthcare.

A caring personality is very important, as is a respectful attitude towards people who need care and support.

More Information

Career tips

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

Further information

You can find out more about careers in care from:

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • sensitivity and understanding
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to understand people’s reactions
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • the ability to motivate and manage staff
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a senior care worker, you could:

  • develop and review client care plans
  • monitor patients' vital signs, like blood pressure and heart rate
  • complete patient medication records
  • create and lead activities for care service users
  • speak with families about their relative's progress
  • supervise care workers and train and mentor new starters
  • provide emergency cover
  • attend team meetings with healthcare professionals and service managers

Working environment

You could work at an adult care home, at a client's home or in an NHS or private hospital.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience and training you could specialise in particular areas like:

  • dementia care
  • stroke rehabilitation
  • support for people with learning disabilities

You might progress to become:

  • an assistant healthcare practitioner
  • a deputy service manager
  • a care home manager

You may also wish to go on to train as a nurse or move into social care training in a further education college.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

The Royal Navy - Medical Assistant Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship

  • Wage: £20,400 a year Annually
  • Location: The Admiral Sir Henry Leach Building, Portsmouth, Hampshire

Apprentice Assistant Care Manager

  • Wage: £13,741 to £22,222.20 a year Annually
  • Location: Croydon
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care

  • Provider: HALESOWEN COLLEGE
  • Start date: 08 September 2025
  • Location: Halesowen

Health and Social Care

  • Provider: SUFFOLK NEW COLLEGE
  • Start date: 09 September 2025
  • Location: Ipswich
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.

Search further careers

Related careers

Skills assessment

Take an assessment to learn more about your skills and the careers that might suit you.

Speak to an adviser

You can call 0800 100 900 or use webchat to speak to an adviser.

We're open:

  • 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday
  • 10am to 5pm Saturdays and bank holidays

We're closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Is this page useful?

Yes No

Thank you for your feedback.

Thank you for your feedback. Click here if you'd like to let us know how we can improve the service.