Becoming a Carer

There are many vulnerable people in society that require partial or round-the-clock care. Working in the social care profession is unquestionably hard work, with many carers dealing with concerns that most people wouldn’t like to contemplate. But social care can also be extremely rewarding. This is because a good carer can make all the difference to someone’s quality of life.

Social care includes working with both young and old people, as well as those with physical or mental disability. Your personal and professional skills and strengths will undoubtedly decide which demographic you would like to work with, as carers can provide both physical and emotional support for many people. So the likelihood is that if you’re considering a career as a carer, you’ll be an excellent communicator, patient, a great problem solver and physically fit. But just how does one go about making a career change to become a carer?

Am I Right for the Job?

There are many different job opportunities within social care, from working in a residential home to providing assistance within a person’s own home. If time allows, and if you have no former experience of working as a carer in any capacity, you might find that voluntary work in your local community is a great way to find out whether you’re right for the job.

It’s best to contact a specific voluntary group, many of which can be found in the Yellow Pages. Your local library will also most likely have information about your local branches of community social care voluntary groups. You should also be aware that each prospective carer is screened through the Criminal Records Bureau before they begin their employment.

Training

To be a carer you must have a good knowledge of the social welfare system, as well as an understanding of the law. However, this knowledge can be acquired on the job as in most cases you won’t actually need any formal qualifications to start working as a carer.

This means that a career as a carer is open to many people who have previously not had the appropriate qualifications for a job, or have been out of employment for long periods of time. Experience counts for a lot, and there are many examples of experience being used in place of formal qualifications to gain access to college or degree courses.

You can also train and develop your skills on the job, as many schemes will allow for day release training courses, as well as part-time college courses. Part-time courses usually come in the form of foundation and induction training and are undertaken within at least the first 12 weeks of your employment. Induction training also opens up opportunities to start studying for further qualifications.

Full-time courses result in qualifications such as a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Care and Management or Health and Social Care, or a relevant degree. NVQs are not exam-based qualifications – you will be assessed on different aspects of your day-to-day work.

Funding

It’s also worth noting that in some circumstances, there is also the chance to support any full time training courses with a payable allowance. Those that consider a career change into the caring profession tend to be more mature, and this usually means that they also have added responsibilities, such as dependent family and many outgoing expenses like mortgage payments. For this reason, to enable more mature students to study towards a degree qualification, there are now annual bursaries available for those who may otherwise struggle to fund their education.

Another route into a career as a carer is through a government initiative known as the New Deal scheme. With the support and guidance of a personal adviser, unemployed people are given the opportunity to realise their potential and match themselves with a prospective career and training. Your local JobCentre will have more information on how you can get started in your career as a carer through New Deal.

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