JobsAndCareersWithSarahWillingham2016 - 89

FOCUS :

CARE

Sarah says... ❛ The care industry

is one of the most rewarding sectors to
work in. For feel-good factor, little can
beat it and it has job satisfaction in
spades. If you genuinely enjoy helping
people and are willing to go the extra mile
to make a difference to someone in that
moment, it's a great area to consider.

❜

workers, with higher levels meant for
senior practitioners or managers.

Checked out
All care workers need to complete a
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) test,
formerly known as a Criminal Records
Bureau (CRB) test. However, only
employers and licensing bodies can
request a DBS check. Job applicants can't
do a criminal records check on themselves.

Care is open to all

Intermediate or Advanced level
apprenticeship and want to build and
develop your skills and knowledge,
think about a Higher apprenticeship.

Volunteering
One way of discovering whether caring as
a career will work for you is volunteering.
It will also give you valuable work
experience which will help when you
apply for a paid job. If you've cared for a
disabled or seriously ill family member at
home, this will also show your experience
and commitment to helping people.

Whether you're a school leaver, graduate
looking for long-term opportunities, or
someone searching for a change, a career
in care doesn't discriminate on your age,
qualifications or background.
Although it's probably useful if you
have experience in a caring role, relevant
experience isn't vital. Generally speaking,
companies look for the right people with
a caring nature and hands on approach.
Care work can also be a great option if
you want to change career. It's flexible,
meaning it can suit a range of lifestyles.

WANTED:
YOUNG PEOPLE
There are some misconceptions about
young people working in the care sector,
particularly looking after older people: a
young person can't empathise with an old
person, or have the patience - or an
employer may be reluctant to invest in
training in case the young person decides
it's not the career for them after all.
But young people often demonstrate
a huge capacity for care, and clients
often enjoy the fresh ideas and different
perspectives that come from younger
staff - particularly if they may usually
not get to see different age groups
on a day to day basis.
Care can be a great career choice,
particularly for school and college
leavers, as it provides stability and a
chance for career development as well
as personal development.

Get qualified
You don't need qualifications to work
in the care sector, but they will help
you to progress your career. You can
often do more training while you're
working - perhaps taking Qualifications
and Credit Framework (QCF) exams in
health and social care. Lower level
qualifications are designed for care

For more information visit
www.skillsforcare.org.uk
www.careuk.com/careers
You can also watch young people talking
about why they decided to work in care:
www.youtube.com/CareersCareUK

J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 0 8 9
http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk http://www.careuk.com/careers http://www.youtube.com/CareersCareUK
JobsAndCareersWithSarahWillingham2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JobsAndCareersWithSarahWillingham2016
