Activity worker or co-ordinator
JOB DESCRIPTION
You’ll design and oversee social activities for people who need care and support, or assist them to develop their own. You’ll also be responsible for creating individual activity plans for people. Although the role is predominantly based in residential settings, you could also work in an individual’s home or out in the wider community. You could move into a more senior activity role and take on additional responsibilities such as mentoring and supporting other staff
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Talking with people about the types of activities they’d like to do.
■ Developing and providing activities that are tailored to the needs and abilities of individuals, as well as group activities that will bring individuals together.
■ Finding the balance between arranging activities that individuals like doing and activities that will expose them to new experiences.
■ Booking external suppliers to provide entertainment and activities.
■ Organising trips out in the local community, considering transport arrangements and accessibility.
■ Assisting people to take part in activities, ensuring that all necessary materials are available
WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills. There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ the ability to motivate others
■ good organisational skills
■ time management and the ability to schedule and plan ahead
■ digital skills to research and book activities online.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
You’ll usually have experience of working in a residential, community or voluntary setting and experience of organising activities. Qualifications demonstrating strong English and number skills (such as GCSE grades A–C in maths and English) are usually required. A Level 3 Diploma or Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care is also a desirable qualification for this role, as well as awards and certificate in activity provision.
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ADVOCACY WORKER
JOB DESCRIPTION
Advocacy seeks to ensure that people, particularly those who are most vulnerable, have their voice heard on issues that are important to them, and have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives. In this role you will empower individuals to express their views, wishes and choices and remain as involved as possible in all decisions which affect them. For example, you might provide advocacy for someone with dementia. As part of your role you might support them to make decisions about getting carers in their own home or moving into residential care.
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Determining the nature of the issue(s) that the individual is experiencing.
■ Exploring options to help people make decisions about their own lives.
■ Assisting people to secure their rights to the help they need.
■ Supporting an individual to develop a plan that will help them
■ Enabling individuals to represent themselves, where possible, or speaking up on their behalf.
■ Providing practical support to help individuals, such as accompanying them to appointments.
WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED?
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills. There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ the ability to understand complex policies and legislation
■ good listening and observational skills
■ assessment skills
■ research skills, including the ability to do online research.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
There are no formal qualification requirements for this role although you will benefit from having relevant life experience, as well as knowledge of local government and other public services. A degree in social sciences or a legal background is useful and some employers may require a social care qualification. You may have experience in counselling or gained experience in advocacy or welfare rights.
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Complementary therapy support worker
JOB DESCRIPTION
In this role you’ll provide complementary therapies such as reflexology, massage and aromatherapy to individuals who may be experiencing emotional distress, pain or psychological issues. You could work in a hospital, health centre, hospice or in someone’s own home.
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Building trusting and respectful relationships with people with care and support needs.
■ Carrying out assessments to identify the treatments that individuals would most benefit from.
■ Delivering complementary therapies such as massage, hypnotherapy and Reiki.
■ Evaluating the therapies carried out and amending treatment plans where needed.
■ Working with other social care and health professionals to ensure people get the care and support they need.
WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED?
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills. There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ excellent listening skills
■ the ability to put people at ease
■ the ability to cope with emotional situations.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Each therapy will have its own entry requirements and employers may expect therapists to be registered with either the General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies or the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). You may also need some previous experience of working in social care or health.
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Enhanced care worker/ enhanced personal assistant
JOB DESCRIPTION
You’ll be working in a care worker role but given additional clinical training to enable you to undertake basic healthcare tasks, working alongside registered nurses. You may want to consider this position if you’re interested in a medical career
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Supporting people who need care and support with all aspects of their day to day living, so they can enjoy the best possible quality of life.
■ Carrying out healthcare tasks such as taking blood samples, administering medication and simple wound care.
■ Creating and maintaining good relationships with people who need care & support and their family and friends as well as other professionals.
■ Helping people with personal care such as showering and dressing.
■ Supporting people with eating and drinking.
■ Supporting people with social and physical activities or mental stimulation.
WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk. There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ good listening and observational skills
■ the ability to follow company policies and procedures (i.e. health and safety)
■ the ability to work with other professionals
■ good number skills.
Entry requirements
There are no set entry qualifications, although you may benefit from holding a qualification, such as a BTEC or GCSE, in a related topic. It’s possible to get into this role through a Level 2 Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care. Although no formal experience is required, related voluntary or informal experience (such as caring for relatives) will support your application. You’ll need to have strong literacy and numeracy skills and will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring check.
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HOUSING SUPPORT OFFICER
Job description
You’ll provide housing related support and advice to individuals to enable them to live independently and maintain their tenancy. You may be working in sheltered accommodation, supported living services, a hostel for the homeless or supported housing. You could be working as a residential warden, ensuring a safe and secure environment for all residents and acting as the first point of contact for care staff and contractors
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Supporting individuals with many aspects of everyday living including personal finance, cooking and shopping.
■ Carrying out health and safety assessments.
■ Supporting individuals to access wider support networks in the community.
■ Helping individuals to identify what care and support they need.
■ Doing administrative tasks to support your workplace, such as tenancy agreements or marketing.
WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED?
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills. There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ good interpersonal skills
■ the ability to work on your own initiative
■ digital skills to research networks in the local community
■ the ability to understand housing legislation.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
For some roles there are no formal entry level qualifications, but you will need to have strong English and number skills (such as GCSE grades A – C in maths and English). For other roles you will need at least one year’s experience of working with individuals with care and support needs. Having a degree or working towards a Level 3 Diploma or Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care is often required or desirable.
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Rehabilitation worker
JOB DESCRIPTION
The role of these workers is to support individuals to live as independently as possible, often following an illness or accident. You’ll support individuals with many aspects of everyday living, including physical, emotional and social care. This work is predominantly support and enabling, rather than personal care.
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Carrying out specialist assessments within the community to identify what care and support people need.
■ Identifying what care options are available for individuals, dependent on what they need.
■ Working with other professionals such as social workers and housing departments to ensure consistent and co-ordinated support.
■ Supporting people to gain confidence and realise their potential.
■ Teaching people daily life skills such as making a cup of tea, or reading braille.
■ Organising activities such as sports, drama and educational activities.
What skills do I need?
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills. There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ good listening and observational skills
■ flexibility and time management
■ the ability to organise own workload
■ digital skills to do online research
■ good writing skills to complete assessments.
Entry requirements
For some roles there are no formal entry level qualifications, but entrants need to have strong English and number skills (such as GCSE grades A–C in maths and English). For other roles it’s necessary to have at least one year’s experience of working with individuals with care and support needs. Holding or working towards a Level 3 Diploma or Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care is desirable.
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Reablement worker/enabler
JOB DESCRIPTION
Reablement is usually provided to people who have just been discharged from hospital or are entering the care system following an illness or accident. Reablement workers will help people with daily living activities, and sometimes provide personal care - usually for up to six weeks - to encourage individuals to develop the confidence and skills to carry out these activities themselves and continue to live at home.
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Working with individuals to promote their own independence and choice.
■ Developing an individual’s care plan that outlines the support they need.
■ Working closely with other professionals to ensure the individual gets the care they need, such as occupational therapists and social workers.
■ Supporting people with equipment and assistive technology to help them live independently.
■ Providing learning and guidance to individuals (and their carers) to help them do daily living activities themselves.
■ Providing support with health related tasks such as administering medication.
WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED?
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills. There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ the ability to treat people with dignity
■ flexibility and time management
■ patience
■ good problem solving skills
■ digital skills to help people with assistive technology.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
For some roles there are no formal entry level qualifications, but entrants need to have strong English and number skills (such as GCSE grades A–C in Maths and English). For other roles it’s necessary to have at least one year’s experience of working with individuals with care and support needs. Holding or working towards a Level 3 Diploma or Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care is desirable.
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SENIOR CARE
WORKER
JOB DESCRIPTION
You’ll do the same job as a care worker, but often with the additional duties of supervising and supporting a team of care workers. Some senior care workers take on responsibilities for particular areas of work within the service such as end of life care, moving and handling, dementia care or health and safety.
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Supporting people who need care and support with all aspects of their day to day living, so they can enjoy the best possible quality of life.
■ Creating and maintaining good relationships with people who need care & support and their family and friends, as well as other professionals.
■ Developing an individual’s care plan that outlines the support they need.
■ Helping people with personal care such as showering and dressing.
■ Supporting people with eating and drinking.
■ Supporting people with social and physical activities or mental stimulation.
■ Carrying out healthcare tasks such as administering medication and taking temperatures.
■ Supervising and supporting a team of care workers, including managing rotas and doing supervisions and appraisals.
■ Deliver training sessions on specialist topics such as end of life care or moving and handling.
WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED?
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills.
There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ the ability to treat people with dignity
■ supervisory or team leading skills
■ good presentation skills
■ the ability to deal with conflict
■ the ability to follow company policies and procedures (i.e. health and safety).
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
You’ll be required to have a background in social care and it may be desirable to have a Level 2 or 3 Diploma or Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care. It’s a requirement that you are qualified to an appropriate level, and this is usually Level 3. Some senior care workers may have nursing qualifications.
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SOCIAL PRESCRIBER
JOB DESCRIPTION
Social prescribing is a way of connecting people with non-medical support in the community to help them improve their wellbeing, tackle social isolation and prevent illness. People will be referred to you from GPs, social workers and other professionals, and you may be based in a GP surgery, health centre or community organisation.
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Carrying out assessments of what care and support people need, such as physical activities, learning new skills, making new friends, finding employment and housing support.
■ Identifying local care and support services, such as community groups, and helping people to communicate with them.
■ Monitoring and reviewing the progress people make.
■ Building positive and effective relationships with referral partners, such as community and voluntary groups.
■ Acting as an advocate and champion for the social prescribing service across local stakeholders, the public, and professionals.
WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED?
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills. There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ excellent listening skills
■ digital skills to research local groups online
■ the ability to gain people’s trust and put them at ease
■ good assessment skills.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
There are no formal qualification requirements for this role although most employers will require you to have previous experience of working with adults with a care and support need. Knowledge and experience of issues relating to employment, debt, social isolation, mental health, housing, physical activity and diet are also desirable.
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Social work and occupational
therapy support workers
JOB DESCRIPTION
Social workers and occupational therapists often have support workers to help them. These roles can have a range of job titles such as social care assistant, community care officer, case officer or support worker.
DUTIES CAN INCLUDE
■ Assessing what care an individual needs, including their abilities and goals.
■ Writing a care plan that outlines what care an individual needs.
■ Monitoring and evaluating care plans.
■ Visiting people in their home and building positive relationships with them.
■ Working alongside health and community colleagues to support people to remain in their own homes and get the care they need.
WHAT SKILLS DO I NEED?
Everyone working in social care needs English, number, digital and employability skills including team work and problem solving skills. You can find out more about the core skills needed to work in social care at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills. There are also some specific skills needed to work in this role. These include:
■ the ability to form good working relationships
■ the ability to work calmly under pressure
■ good planning and organisational skills
■ problem solving skills.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
There are no formal qualification requirements for these roles although many employers will ask for a minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent qualification) at grades A – C. Previous experience of working in a social care or health setting and a good level of English and maths are desirable.
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