Care assistant
Supporting people with daily living in a care home, in their own homes, or in supported living. Hard, needed everywhere, and the entry point to a whole profession.
Also called: Support worker, healthcare assistant, carer
What it pays
£22,000 to £27,000 a year, or £11.44 to £13.50 an hour. Nights, weekends and senior carer roles pay more.
The hours
12 hour shifts are common in homes; domiciliary care is often split shifts. Full time, part time and bank work all exist.
How you get in
- No qualifications needed to start: values matter more
- Enhanced DBS check, arranged and usually paid for by the employer
- The Care Certificate in the first 12 weeks
- A driving licence for community roles
The tickets and qualifications employers ask for
Care Certificate Moving and handling Medication administration Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Adult Care
What you should not be paying for
The employer pays for the DBS, the Care Certificate and the diplomas. Anybody asking you to pay for mandatory care training up front is doing something wrong.
What people like about it
- Work available in every town, always
- A genuine career ladder that ends in nursing if you want it
- The work matters, and people tell you so
What is genuinely hard
- Emotionally heavy days
- Short staffing, and travel time in community roles
- Pay is still below what the job is worth
Where it leads
- Senior care assistant
- Team leader or deputy manager
- Registered manager
- Nursing associate, then registered nurse
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