My Career In Care
We are often asked what it is like to work in care, what training is involved, and what career paths are available should you choose to progress within the industry. Below is a list of FAQs to help you determine if a career in care is right for you.
What is adult social care?
Adult social care is about assisting people, so they can live their lives independently and with dignity and control through personal and practical support. Front-line staff work directly with people who have support needs. Some people choose to specialise in areas such as mental health or learning disabilities. Others choose to move into more senior roles include managing services, leading teams and planning support.
The adult care sector currently employs over 1.5 million people and is estimated to need 1 million more by 2025. If you’re looking for a rewarding career with high job security and varied work, a career in care could be for you!
What kind of person suits a career in care?
To work in the sector you’ve got to be passionate about making a positive difference to someone’s life. You should enjoy working with people, have compassion and good listening skills. A lot of the job involves listening to the challenges of the people under your care and coming up with solutions to make things better for them. Care professionals respect other people's value and beliefs and can put people at ease. It is important to note that whilst working in care is highly rewarding, it is not for everyone. It takes a very special kind of person to handle the demanding and emotionally challenging aspects of care work so you need to be thick-skinned too. No two days in adult social care are the same. Social care is not nine-to-five so you will need to be flexible and agree a working pattern which suits your particular circumstances.
Employers look for candidates who are keen to do training and develop their own skills. You must be reliable and able work under pressure. You definitely need to enjoy working with older people to work in this area of social care as your energy and enthusiasm will be great in aiding older people to get the most out of their lives.
What do care professionals do?
No matter what job you do in the sector, whether you work hands on as a care worker, or as a team leader assessing conditions and designing care plans, or as a registered manager in charge of regulated services, you’re working to improve the quality of an older person’s life.
If you get involved with the social care of older people you could be using your communication skills to assess the specific needs of the people that you are working with. You may spend your time meeting with them, speaking to them and learning about their concerns in order to report on care needs. You may be making important observations and drafting reports about what assistance specific service users require, such as special mobility equipment or other help at home.
You may also be getting actively involved in helping service users to enjoy their life and get to grips with their daily activities such as personal care, domestic tasks, taking medication, shopping and meal preparation. Alternatively, you could specialise in helping older people with palliative care or dementia or other conditions they may experience.
How do I get into social care?
You don’t necessarily need any qualifications or previous work experience to get a job in adult social care. What’s really important is your values and attitude towards working with people who need care and support. You must be willing to do shift work, including some weekend work.
Find out what opportunities are available with Libertas.
What kind of training can I expect as a carer with Libertas?
Libertas is committed to training and developing their employees. Each new staff member will undergo a paid 12-week training period in order to obtain their Care Skills Certificate. Training will include an induction training programme, observational assessments and standards training covering the statutory requirements needed for the Care Skills Certificate. In addition, Libertas staff also receive additional training on mental capacity, falls awareness, diabetes, food hygiene, practical moving and handling, lone working, medication safety, pressure area care and managing continence.
For more details on our comprehensive training programme click here.
Upon completion of your Care Skills Certificate you will also receive a completion bonus from Libertas.
Why work for Libertas?
The team at Libertas are determined to deliver high-quality, personalised care to our clients and to provide comprehensive training and support to our employees when starting their career in care.
- Every Libertas employee receives additional training and support beyond the basic statutory requirements of the Care Skills Certificate.
- Upon the successful completion of the Care Skills Certificate Libertas offers employees a completion bonus to acknowledge your commitment and hard work.
- At Libertas, induction, training, travel time and DBS checks are paid for and each staff member is provided with a uniform by the company.
- You will also have opportunity to progress your career should you choose.
"Libertas has offered me support and flexibility during my three year degree and into my graduate position." Corrie Alexander
What career paths can I take from being a carer?
Adult social care is a growing sector that has lots of opportunities for progress. Many entry-level carers enjoy the flexibility and job satisfaction of front-line roles. Others choose to work toward management and leadership roles in time. Your career path is entirely up to you.
Progressing in your career is partly your responsibility and partly your employers. However, there are some things you can do to support your career progression.
- Get qualifications. Qualifications teach you the practical skills and knowledge you need for your role or the role you want to progress into.
- Do training. You’ll have to do some mandatory training but there will also be opportunities to do additional training at work and this could include refresher classroom-based training, online training or on-the-job supervision.
- Have the right attitude. What’s important is that you show a willingness to learn and make the most of any learning opportunities you get. If you want to learn and develop make sure your line manager knows and ask about opportunities to mentor or shadow other staff.