Care worker jobs

Care worker jobs: frequently asked questions

Welcome to our care worker jobs page, featuring all the latest roles throughout the UK, as well as frequently asked questions below.

What does a care worker do?

Care workers help vulnerable people to manage their daily lives, and to live as independently as they possibly can.

As a care worker you may be required to work within a person’s home or elsewhere in the community – and most commonly, you’ll work within a residential care home.

The people you support could either be adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health conditions or older people.

Activities you engage in can vary widely, but broadly involve supporting people with everything from eating and drinking to learning and going to appointments.

What are the daily responsibilities of a care worker?

As a care worker your daily responsibilities can typically include:

• Assistance with washing and dressing

• Making food and helping people to eat

• Getting to know their individual needs and personalities

• Monitoring their health and conditions

• Checking they’re taking prescribed medications

• Helping them to conduct various activities

• Co-ordinating events and outings

Your shift pattern can vary, and anecdotally, care workers report varied working hours.

It is challenging work in many respects, but it does offer good flexibility.

What skills and qualifications do you need to become a care worker?

You don’t necessarily need any qualifications to become a care worker.

Some providers may ask for GCSE A-Cs in English and/or Maths, but it isn’t always essential.

Many care workers enter the workforce with a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care, although care workers often gain these qualifications on the job.

In terms of skills, the key personality trait you’ll need is compassion.

You need to be caring, patient and resilient to succeed in this job, and fully prepared for how challenging it can be.

Experience of supporting vulnerable people isn’t essential, but it can be very useful – even if it’s just caring for a family member.

For the right person this is a very rewarding career, and it offers good routes for career progress if you’re interested in care home management or studying to become a social worker or occupational therapist.

How much do care workers earn?

Care worker pay is a complex and sometimes controversial subject.

It’s mostly unregulated because the majority of care workers are employed outside of the NHS.

And unfortunately, care worker pay has remained fairly stagnant for many years. According to industry statistics, the national average hourly rate is around £8.30 per hour, and average annual salaries are somewhere between £15,000 and £17,000.

There are of course regional differences.

Care workers are paid more in London, for example.

However, in the NHS, care workers and care assistants would tend to earn a Band 2 salary, which is now just over £19,000 a year.

Care workers are currently in extremely high demand, with the UK’s rapidly ageing population.

This is leading to loud calls for better salaries in this sector – so there is every chance that average pay will increase in the coming years.

Find your next care worker job today

View our latest roles above, or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, create an account, register your CV, and we’ll send you the latest roles as soon as they come up.