Social Care Career Guide

 

Potential Roles in Social Care

---

There are many different roles within the social care sector. This guide will focus on three job roles of varying levels of responsibility and pay: care support workers, personal assistants and social workers.

Care support workers typically care for multiple people, in a residential care home or in a client’s own home. Care support worker jobs involve supporting clients with their basic social needs. For example, you might be helping someone shower and dress, prepare meals or carry out light cleaning. Care support workers are usually employed by a care home or home care agency.

Personal assistants work with individuals to meet their social care needs and support them in living as independently as possible. Personal assistant jobs often involve working with just one client or a small number of clients who need less intensive support.

A personal assistant tends to be employed directly by the individual receiving care, and the job role depends on what the client needs. Tasks can be as diverse as assisting your client with personal care, like bathing and dressing, or accompanying them to an appointment or leisure activity.

Social workers are trained and registered professionals, usually holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Rather than providing hands-on care, a social worker job involves acting as a coordinator and advocate, overseeing the wellbeing and safety of vulnerable children and adults and liaising with other professional bodies to ensure adequate care delivery.

 

Salary and Career Progression

---

A career in social care can offer roles from entry-level up to senior management positions. Many social care jobs start at a modest hourly wage, while at the other end of the scale, annual salaries for senior management social workers can exceed £45,000 in the UK and in the US can range between $76,000 and $175,000 per year.

Care support workers are typically paid hourly, with starting rates often slightly above the National Minimum Wage in the UK and the Federal or State Minimum Wage in the US. These rates tend to increase with experience and training. Additional pay is usually provided for unsociable hours, such as weekends, evenings, and nights, which can significantly supplement the basic wage. With a supportive employer, care support workers have opportunities for training and development. This can lead to acquiring new skills and career advancement, potentially progressing to roles like team leader or senior carer.

A personal assistant’s salary varies depending upon how much the individual employing them is prepared to pay. This type of one-to-one care relies heavily on the personal assistant and the client getting along, so often, a client is willing to pay more for the right person. As the personal assistant is employed directly by an individual, there is less scope for progression and development. However, if personal assistants attend further training to learn more advanced skills, such as administering PEG feeds or managing challenging behaviours, they can demand a higher salary for specialist care.

In the UK, Social workers are paid within the NHS Agenda for Change salary bandings, starting on Band 5 as a newly qualified social worker, earning over £25,000. There is plenty of scope for career progression within social work, and an ambitious social worker can move through the pay bands as they get promoted to more senior positions.

Qualifications, Education and Experience

---

There are no specific educational or career history requirements to become a care support worker or personal assistant, and in fact, many carers come into the role from other industries.

Care support workers have various opportunities for career growth and skill development. In the UK, they can enhance their qualifications by pursuing NVQ or BTEC in Health and Social Care. In the US, options like Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) certifications are available, tailored to their specific roles and professional goals.

In both the UK and the US, social workers are required to complete formal training to qualify for the profession. In the UK, qualified social workers must register with a regulatory body, such as Social Work England or the Scottish Social Services Council. They are required to engage in continuous professional development and adhere to set standards. In the US, social workers typically need a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Work and must obtain licensure in the state where they practice, which involves passing a licensure exam and fulfilling state-specific requirements. Ongoing training and professional development are crucial in both countries to maintain licensure or registration and stay updated with current practices and standards in the field.

 

Skills

---

To work in social care, you must be able to demonstrate well-developed soft skills. Soft skills describe how we communicate and interact with others and are perhaps even more important than qualifications and educational attainment for a career in social care.

Personality traits and qualities such as honesty, integrity and kindness are also vital, and you must be able to build rapport quickly and foster a good relationship with your clients.

Some hard skills are also required for roles in social care, particularly in managerial and regulated positions, such as care home manager or social worker. A solid grasp of maths and English, good organisational skills, and IT and computer skills are all vital for these more senior roles.

 

Working Hours

---

The general flexibility and hours of work for a career in social care vary from job to job.

Care support workers working in residential homes are often expected to be available for 24/7 shiftwork to help provide the round-the-clock care that many vulnerable people need. Domiciliary care or work in a day centre typically involves normal working hours of 9-5.

Personal assistants work the hours set by the individual for whom they provide care. Daytime hours are standard, but more dependent charges may need overnight supervision too.

Social workers generally work office hours of 9-5 (or longer) but may also be required to provide on-call and out of hours cover for emergencies. Social work is a busy and often stressful profession, and many social workers find themselves working into the evening and weekends to keep up with demands.

 

Notable Locations

---

Social care jobs are available wherever vulnerable individuals require support, so every location can provide potential career opportunities.

Densely populated areas have a greater need for social care, so jobs are plentiful around cities and large towns and less so in rural areas. Sparsely populated areas may require social care workers to have a car to carry out home visits across a wide geographical area.

 

Notable Companies

---

Social care employers include:

  The NHS (UK)

  Local government authorities

  Home care agencies, including:

• • • Helping Hands Home Care (UK)
    • The Good Care Group (UK)
    • MiHomecare Limited (UK)
    • Nurse Next Door (US)
    • Comfort Keepers (US)
    • Home Instead (US)

  Charities, including:

• • • Leonard Cheshire (UK)
    • Age UK (UK)
    • Alzheimer’s Society (UK)
    • Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (US)
    • Second Wind Dreams (US)

  Residential care homes, including:

• • • Bupa (UK)
    • Barchester Healthcare (UK)
    • National Care Group (UK)
    • Brookdale Senior Living (US)
    • Erickson Living (US)
    • Life Care Services (US)

Many support care worker roles are with privately owned care homes and agencies that receive funding from the government and private clients. Other employers include local authorities and charities that provide residential or daytime services.

Social care agencies can vary in size, from fewer than ten employees to large national organisations with multiple office locations.

Personal assistants are typically employed directly by their clients, and these roles are usually advertised locally.

Social workers tend to be employed by local government authorities, but can also work with charities, the NHS (UK) and some businesses.

 

Next Steps

---

If you’re interested in a career in social care, sign up to be the first to hear about relevant job vacancies. To help you prepare for success, we’ve also created the Ultimate Jobseeker Guide.