Specialised Roles

The role of an advocacy worker involves accessing services and ensure that people are involved in their own care and support planning.

What’s important is that you support individuals to express their views, wishes and choices regarding the services they receive.

All roles that involve supporting or working with vulnerable individuals will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS ) check. Find out more about information about DBS checks involve here.


Role overview:

Working to support people with decisions around housing, disability living allowance, care planning, medical decisions, financial planning, and hospital admissions. It can be a varied role and might include:

• Exploring options and providing information to help people make decisions about their own lives and the care and support they receive
• Assisting people to secure their rights to the help they need
• Enabling people to self-advocate and represent themselves
• Representing a person and speaking up on their behalf
• Helping people access services
  
  

Salary expectation:

The average salary for Advocacy Worker is £23,491 per year - between £19,000 and £25,000 - in the United Kingdom according to Glassdoor, updated on Jan 2024. Salaries estimates are based on 3622 salaries submitted anonymously. This could vary depending on region and provider.

Skills and experience:

• Developing good working relationships and good communication skills with a range of people
• Researching information and people’s rights
• Having challenging conversations and being able to challenge decisions
• Good English skills to understand complex policies and procedure

If you’re new to advocacy, you might consider the Level 2 Award in Independent Advocacy. However, you do not need this prior to starting work as an advocate – most people complete the qualification when they begin their role with the support of their employer.

Experience working in a similar role or with vulnerable adults can be useful. You can gain this experience through a work placement, from your personal life, through volunteering or as part of a traineeship or apprenticeship. 

Rehabilitation workers usually work in the community to carry out assessments and identify the specific care or support needs of individuals. 

All roles that involve supporting or working with vulnerable individuals will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS ) check. Find out more about information about DBS checks involve here.


Role overview:

• Carrying out individual assessments within the community to identify what care and support people need
• Working with other professionals such as social workers and occupational therapists to make sure people get the right help
• Providing advice about how to use specialist equipment
• Teaching people daily life skills such as making a cup of tea, or reading braille
• Organising activities such as sports, drama and educational activities.

You could work with lots of different people including adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities including sight or hearing loss, mental health conditions and drug or substance abuse issues.


Salary expectation:

The national average salary for a Rehabilitation Worker is £28,699 in the United Kingdom according to Glassdoor, updated Feb 2024. Salary estimates are based on salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Rehabilitation worker employees. This could vary depending on region and provider.

Skills and experience:

Your employer might ask that you have qualifications showing good English and number skills such as GCSE in English and maths. 

It might be useful to have experience working in a similar role or with vulnerable adults. You can gain this experience through a work placement, from your personal life, through volunteering or as part of a traineeship or apprenticeship. Some employers may also require that you have a valid UK drivers licence and a vehicle.

Opportunities:

While in post you could do a vocational qualification such as a Diploma in Health and Social Care or continuing professional development qualification such as an award or certificate in activity provision.

Your employer may pay for you to complete these qualifications (via the Workforce Development Fund), or you could apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to pay for them yourself.

Specialist Coordinators specialise in one area of care such as dementia, end of life care, mental health, substance misuse or moving and handling, and take responsibility for coordinating this aspect of care.

Specialist coordinators could work in care homes, or on a wider scale in a local authority, health or voluntary sector organisation.

All roles that involve supporting or working with vulnerable individuals will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS ) check. Find out more about information about DBS checks involve here.

Role overview:

• Training staff about your aspect of care
• Ensuring everyone can access the care and support they need
• Developing and putting policies and procedures in place
• Working with a range of other statutory and volunteer organisations to coordinate care services
• Implementing specific projects about your area of specialism.
  
  

Salary expectation:
The average salary for a Care Coordinator is £22,466 (between £19,000 and £27,000) according to Glassdoor, updated in April 2024. Salary estimates are based on salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Care coordinator employees. This may vary depending on region and provider.

Skills and experience:
Specific skills needed to work in this role include:

• Good communication skills
• Coordination and organisational skills
• The ability to motivate others
• Negotiating skills.

You’ll also need in depth knowledge about your area of specialism and keep up to date about policies, training and best practice in this aspect of care.

Trainers or assessors could work for a social care employer and deliver training to all staff within the organisation or could work for a training provider who delivers training to different social care employers.

You'll need a good knowledge of social care as well as excellent presentation skills and the ability to motivate others.

All roles that involve supporting or working with vulnerable individuals will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS ) check. Find out more about information about DBS checks involve here.


Role overview:

• Ensuring all staff have the right skills and knowledge for their roles
• Designing and delivering training yourself or commissioning training from external suppliers
• Evaluating how effective training has been
• Keeping training records for staff
• Supporting staff who are completing qualifications and assessing their work

Trainers and assessors can work within a care organisation, or for a provider who offers training to different workplaces.


Salary expectation:

The average salary for Trainer in the care sector is £28,539 per year - between £21,000 and £33,000 -in the United Kingdom according to Glassdoor, updated on Jan 2024. Salary estimates are based on salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Care Trainer employees in United Kingdom. This could vary depending on region and provider.

Skills and experience:

You usually need to have some experience in a training or teaching role or a relevant qualification in a subject such as education or training.
It might also be useful to have some experience working in social care and health and have a social care qualification such as a Diploma in Health and Social Care.

Opportunities:

Whilst working you could do a vocational qualification to develop your skills as a trainer or assessor. Read more from The Education and Training Foundation about specific qualifications and training.

You might want to progress into a training management role in your organisation, or you could choose to specialise in one subject such as end of life or autism care to become a trainer or assessor in that area.