Support Worker

This role is ideal for you if you are able to work on your own initiative and prioritise your workload, good listening and communication skills, display the ability to understand and follow policies and procedures as well as good writing skills to fill in care plans.

Support workers support people across a variety of settings, delivering care and support in people’s own homes, in a residential setting or through supported independent living.
You may work with lots of different people including adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, substance misuse issues mental health conditions and older people.

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:

Support workers provide advice about housing, learning life skills such as cooking, cleaning or budgeting and providing emotional support and befriending.
Support may also involve aspects of personal care, support with everyday life or supporting them to live independently.

Skills and experience:

Your induction will include necessary training such as health and safety, first aid and moving and handling. Additional specific training such as autism awareness, communication skills or working with people with dementia may be offered.
Your employer might ask that you have qualifications showing good English and number skills such as GCSE in English and maths. A social care qualification may be beneficial in Health and Social Care, but you can complete these once you’re hired.
It may also be useful to have experience working in a similar role or with vulnerable adults. You could gain this experience through a work placement, from your personal life, through volunteering or as part of a traineeship or apprenticeship.

Salary Expectation:
The average salary for a support worker is £11.87 per hour in United Kingdom according to Indeed. 193.5k salaries reported, updated on 31 March 2024. Talent reports that entry level positions could start at £21,002 per year while most experienced workers could make up to £29,250 per year. This may vary depending on region and provider.

Progression opportunities:

When in your role you could do a vocational qualification or a continuing professional development qualification such as dementia or autism care.
You could become a 'champion' within a certain topic, such as Dementia, Autism or wellbeing. This will give you the opportunity to support your colleagues within a given topic; this may include delivering some one off training or offering support to colleagues who would like to know more about or receive support within your 'champion' topic.
Your employer might pay for you to do these qualifications via the Workforce Development Fund, or you could apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to pay for them yourself.

Qualifications to support career progression:
If you are already a support worker, to support you to progress within your career consider the below training/qualifications:

Care Certificate Qualification- The Care Certificate is made up of the 15 minimum standards that should be covered if you are 'new to care' and should form part of a robust induction programme. (Awarding organisations are now developing the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification which is due to launch in June 2024).
Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care - This qualification will support learners to develop skills and knowledge needed to provide frontline care for vulnerable adults within their own homes, day care centres, residential and nursing homes and other healthcare settings. This course will help consolidate and develop your skills as a care/support worker.
Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care - This course will continue learners to develop their skill set, this qualification is appropriate if you wish to progress into senior/leadership care roles.
There are also Apprenticeship opportunities than can support you to progress within you career. Find out more about Apprenticeships here.

Once you have gained good experience in this role, there would be opportunities to progress into leadership/supervisory or other relevant roles within health and social care. You could also choose a specialist topic to become an expert in such as Dementia, Autism or Positive Behaviour, which can be developed through professional development or direct training.

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:

Support workers provide advice about housing, learning life skills such as cooking, cleaning or budgeting and providing emotional support and befriending.
Support may also involve aspects of personal care, support with everyday life or supporting them to live independently.

Skills and experience:

Your induction will include necessary training such as health and safety, first aid and moving and handling. Additional specific training such as autism awareness, communication skills or working with people with dementia may be offered.
Your employer might ask that you have qualifications showing good English and number skills such as GCSE in English and maths. A social care qualification may be beneficial in Health and Social Care, but you can complete these once you’re hired.
It may also be useful to have experience working in a similar role or with vulnerable adults. You could gain this experience through a work placement, from your personal life, through volunteering or as part of a traineeship or apprenticeship.

When in your role you could do a vocational qualification or a continuing professional development qualification such as dementia or autism care.
Your employer might pay for you to do these qualifications via the Workforce Development Fund, or you could apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to pay for them yourself.

Qualifications to support career progression:
If you are already a support worker, to support you to progress within your career consider the below training/qualifications:

Care Certificate Qualification- The Care Certificate is made up of the 15 minimum standards that should be covered if you are 'new to care' and should form part of a robust induction programme. (Awarding organisations are now developing the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification which is due to launch in June 2024).
Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care - This qualification will support learners to develop skills and knowledge needed to provide frontline care for vulnerable adults within their own homes, day care centres, residential and nursing homes and other healthcare settings. This course will help consolidate and develop your skills as a care/support worker.
Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care - This course will continue learners to develop their skill set, this qualification is appropriate if you wish to progress into senior/leadership care roles.