How to become a carer

Care workers play a vital role to many families in the UK, helping to care for vulnerable people from young children to elderly people and those with additional needs. It’s a job that takes a lot of hard work but is incredibly rewarding.

So if you’d like to work as a care worker, here are the details you need to know about how to become a carer, the qualifications that care workers need and what experience you need to become a carer.

What is a Carer?

Care workers are trained professionals who provide support to people in all aspects of their daily life. Care workers work with a wide range of people but some may decide to specialise in care for children, the elderly or disabled people. They may work in care settings or in clients’ own homes, and some live in with their client to provide respite care or around the clock care.

As well as practical support with tasks such as personal hygiene, housework and cooking, care workers may also provide emotional support and advice. The duties of a carer can also include liaising with their clients’ relatives and helping to organise their clients’ care plans.

To be a successful care worker, you need to enjoy working with people and want to make a difference to their lives. Being a carer requires you to be well organised, stay calm under pressure and have good problem solving skills to deal with the wide range of situations you will face. Good communication skills are very important, and you need to be sensitive, kind and respectful at all times. 

What qualifications do you need to be a care worker?

There are several pathways to a career in care which include college courses, apprenticeships, volunteering or applying directly for a job. 

There are no set entry requirements for the role of a care worker but you may be required to have some GCSEs including English and Maths at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C). It can also be helpful to have some relevant care qualifications such as a Certificate in Health and Social Care or T Level in Health.

The Care Certificate course is mandatory training for carers, so it could be beneficial to study this carer course before you start applying for jobs. Caredemy’s online Care Certificate course lets you easily fit your studies around the rest of your life. Our Learner Dashboard makes it easy to check your progress and pick up where you left off in your last study session, and we offer a full 14 day money-back guarantee. You can enrol online or contact our Sales Team for more information 

What experience is necessary to become a care worker?

The role of a carer is an entry level position which makes it ideal if you don’t have any carer training or formal experience in the care sector. It can also be a very useful way to gain experience if you want to progress to more advanced positions in the health and social care sector. 

However job opportunities can be very competitive, so some relevant experience will give you the best chance of a successful application.

Volunteer work can help to enhance your CV and you could volunteer at any organisation that supports vulnerable people such as a care home, hospital or hospice. Any time that you have spent caring for a friend or relative can also be used to support your job application, and you can also list any experience that you have in customer-facing roles such as work in retail or volunteer work for charities.

The job of a care worker is an important and demanding role that many people rely on to help them in their day-to-day life. For those who are hard working, friendly and reliable, becoming a carer can lead to a very rewarding and satisfying career.