There is a huge range of work opportunities in social care tailored to individual lifestyles and needs.

Rewards, challenges and flexibility

Many social care roles offer flexible hours which may suit many people better than the conventional nine-to-five. There are opportunities for a full-time career or part-time working to enable people to balance the job with  their other commitments. Care work is varied and challenging, with many rewards and benefits which make it all worthwhile

Career development

Formal qualifications may not necessarily be needed before beginning a career in social care. There will be plenty of opportunities to acquire more skills, training and qualifications in the workplace.

A role and environment to suit the individual

it doesn't matter about age, background or academic qualifications. Social care offers a wide range of jobs including working with older people, people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health or sensory impairment. There is work in the community, in a residential nursing home, a day care centre or hospice, or caring for somebody in their own home. 

Who could work in care?

People who are -

• Willing to train to receive the relevant qualifications
• Prepared to work flexible hours if needed
• Keen to work as part of a team
• Able to relate to people with different backgrounds and abilities
• Caring and compassionate

People who have  -

• Recently left school, college or higher education
• Been a volunteer, or cared for a family member, friend or neighbour
• Returned to work after having a family, or been made redundant
• Been in other types of jobs such as administration or training
• Retired

People who want  -

• Good long term employment prospects
• To work in an environment which suits them
• Training leading to qualifications
• Flexibility to fit around family and other commitments
• The chance to make a difference to people's lives
• To be valued

Where to work?

• A private organisation-most care homes and domiciliary care agencies are privately owned
• A local council-councils also provide care services directly or commission them from private organisations.
• A voluntary organisation-these can range from those well-known charities to self-help groups with only a few employees.
• For an individual who needs personal care-some people employ their carer or carers direct  

What's the difference between Social Care and Social Work?

Social Care

People who work in social care offer care on a personal level.  They will be involved in supporting one service user or a few service users in the tasks of everyday living.  They may not need any qualifications when they begin work, but they will receive training and work-based qualifications through their employers.

Social Work

Social workers have to obtain a three year degree. They will be involved at a higher level with service users, working with them to assess their care requirements and working alongside other professionals such as doctors, occupational therapists, psychologists, the police, to make sure that every service user receives the particular type of support that he or she needs.

Social Worker is a protected title for those who have achieved the degree in Social Work (or equivalent professional qualification), and are registered with the General Social Care Council (GSCC), which is the regulatory body for the social care workforce in England .

For more information www.gscc.org.uk

For other avenues into social work see www.socialworkcareers.co.uk and the website of the British Association of Social Workers www.basw.co.uk

Social Care is about helping people live their lives

Working in social care means helping people. All sorts of people need help in all sorts of ways:

• Older people who are having difficulty with things they once found easy.
• Young people trying to make their own way in the world.
• Anyone, at any point in their lives, who needs support, assistance and encouragement with the day to day business of living.

It doesn't matter who you are or how old you are or whether or not you have any academic qualifications, somewhere in your community there's a job that you can do helping others.

Social care is about building relationships with people, winning their trust and encouraging them to cope and go forward.

The smallest things that you do to help people can make a huge difference to their quality of life and how good they feel.

The skills you need

To become a Social Worker you need the appropriate qualification but for any job within Social Care, the following skills are essential:

• A caring and supportive nature
• Patience and sensitivity
• Good communication skills
• The ability to work as part of a team
• The ability to relate to people with different abilities
• The ability to relate to people from different backgrounds

There are excellent training opportunities which can lead to recognised qualifications such as Key Skills and NVQs.

Areas of work in Social Care

Home Care

Home care workers and day centre assistants give the practical support and regular human contact that can matter so much to older people, or others who rely on help to live at home.

Field work with families

Outreach teams, under the direction of a social worker, visit homes where parents are struggling to cope, and where children are in danger from their own behaviour or that of others. Showing support is an important first step, and the welfare of children is your priority.

Residential care

Residential care can become the best solution for people who are no longer able to cope in their own homes. Residential care staff work to create safe, clean and cheerful and stimulating environments where people can live in comfort and are treated with dignity.

Field work with young people

Working in youth clubs, drop-in centres, residential homes and elsewhere, social care workers help young people at risk through drug and alcohol abuse, offending behaviours, and the whole business of growing up in a world which they find it hard to identify with.

Children's residential care

Sometimes children need to move into residential homes or go to foster homes and social care workers build relationships with younger children to support them as they develop. As they grow older, the scope extends to issues such as self-image, success at school, sexuality and practical skills like cooking and budgeting.

Independent living

A new role in social care is that of the personal assistant who works with one dependent person to provide whatever practical support they need. Helping people to gain control of their own lives is the key to helping them to live independently.

Field work with adults

Within any community there are people who because of poor mental health, learning disabilities, or other problems find it hard to cope with everyday life. Social care workers support these people and help them to lead fuller lives in spite of the special difficulties they face.

Social Care - The Pay

The pay in social care varies according to where you are, who you are working for, your actual job and whether you are working shifts or on weekends and bank holidays. As a guide, local authorities pay staff in residential care homes an average of £6.75 per hour and nearly nine pounds in children homes. Pay increases with promotion and more responsibility; salaries for managers of residential care homes can reach £35000 per annum!

(Information from www.socialcarecareers.co.uk)

Social Work - An Introduction

Social workers work with a huge range of people, children, young people, adults and older people, and carers who need support for any reason.

These could include:

• Parents and children who are struggling in the face of deprivation, disability or abusive behaviour.
• Young adults who are finding it hard to handle the pressures of living independently;
• People with a disability, mental illness or those with a learning difficulty.

Social workers tend to specialise in either adult or children's services

Adult Services

Roles include working with people with mental health problems or learning difficulties in residential care, by supervising them in the community and supporting them to find work; assisting people with HIV/AIDs and working with older people at home helping to sort out problems with their health, housing or benefits.

Children / Young People Services

Roles include providing assistance and advice to keep families care processes; providing support to younger people leaving care or who are at risk or in trouble with the law; or helping children who have problems at school or are facing difficulties brought on by illness in the family.

Social Work - The Role

Social work puts you in a responsible position, which requires training and professionalism. Being interested in people is important, but it's not enough.

Social workers also have certain skills and qualities. To be a social worker you need to be:

• Quick thinking
• Empathetic
• Persuasive
• Absolutely committed to seeing that what needs to be done gets done
• A strong sense of justice with a commitment to the social work values of equality and diversity

As a social worker you never give up on people, when the solutions fall into place, the results can be very rewarding.

Social Work - The Pay

The starting salary for a qualified social worker is typically in the region of £20000, rising to £40000 or more as you acquire experience and specialist skills.

(Information from www.socialworkcareers.co.uk)