Carer jobs

Carer jobs: frequently asked questions

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

What is a carer?

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

Carers are often also referred to as care workers or care assistants.

Technically, all terms can be used interchangeably.

As a carer you may be required to work within a person’s home or elsewhere in the community – but typically, 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.

Being a carer is all about supporting people with a variety of everyday tasks, getting to know their needs, and treating them with respect and compassion.

What are the daily responsibilities of a carer?

As a carer your day-to-day tasks can vary greatly, but will often include:

• Assistance with dressing, washing and cleaning

• Preparing food and assisting with eating and drinking

• Getting to know the people you work with and how to personalise your approach

• Monitoring health and conditions

• Checking prescribed medications are being taken

• Helping with activities

• Co-ordinating events and outings

Your shift pattern can vary, as care work is a 24/7 operation.

But this provides a lot of flexibility too.

What skills and qualifications do you need to become a carer?

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

Some providers may ask for GCSE A-Cs in English and/or Maths, but not all do.

Many carers enter the workforce with a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care, but again this isn’t strictly compulsory.

It’s often possible to develop this qualification and more once you start a job.

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

You’ll also need to be patient and resilient – working as a carer isn’t easy, but it is rewarding.

Experience of supporting vulnerable people can be very useful – even if it’s just caring for a family member.

There are lots of opportunities for career progression, and carers often choose to develop qualifications and skills that allow them to become support workers, social workers and care managers further down the line.

How much do carers get paid?

Carer pay is difficult to define.

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

And unfortunately, carer pay has remained fairly stagnant for many years.

According to industry statistics, the national average hourly rate for carers is around £8.30 per hour, and average annual salaries are somewhere between £15,000 and £17,000.

There are significant regional differences too, with carers in Greater London earning more.

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

The government is currently attempting to recruit huge numbers of carers, and there are ongoing discussions about carer pay.

It’s hoped it will increase considerably in the coming years.

Find your next carer 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.