Career Opportunities

A woman with a care award from actor Warwick Davis

Career progression

There are also plenty of opportunities to progress such as:

Specialist areas including dementia, learning difficulties, physical or sensory impairment, end of life care
Team leader and management roles
Regulated roles like social work, nursing or counselling
Other supporting roles (such as Trainers, Office roles including administration, finance, human resources, property maintenance, cooks and housekeepers)

Most of the training you do will be ‘on the job’ and at no cost to you.

The skills and experience you gain throughout your career will always be in demand so you’ll always have job security.

You will make a difference to someone else’s life.

More about career progression

Why social care?

Social care provides services to the most vulnerable people in society. As a result, the work can often be demanding but also makes it a very rewarding career choice. Your role may involve supporting people in challenging situations and with varying needs.

However, unlike working in hospitals and other health settings, you get to know and build relationships with the people you look after. With the range of services being provided and the opportunities for learning and development, no two days are the same.

What qualifications or experience do I need?

You don’t need previous experience to get started in social care – what matters most is that you have the values, beliefs and attitudes. You do need a few core skills, for example English and basic number skills, and you need to be able to do everyday tasks like communicating, counting medication, making notes and using a computer.

There’s full training and support for everything else. There is also a lot of support available if you’ve been out of work for a while or are looking to move into social care from another sector.

Training

For people new to the care sector, aspects of the job can be daunting – particularly helping with personal care. In reality, this is one very small part of delivering care and you will be given all the training required. Employers will usually put you with an experienced member of staff until you feel comfortable and able to complete tasks on your own.

There are a range of qualifications, including certificates, diplomas and apprenticeships, offered by the two main colleges in Cornwall that you may wish to consider before looking for your first job. However, this is not essential as all social care employers will provide training when you start work.