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Care workers help vulnerable people manage their daily activities and live as independently as possible.
You could work: evenings / weekends; on shifts
Your daily tasks will depend on the needs of the person you're caring for.
If you're helping someone who needs support to live at home on their own, you'll:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work at an adult care home, at a client's home or stay overnight at people's homes.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
A college course may help you when you look for work.
You could take a:
You'll usually need:
You could become a care worker by doing an adult care worker intermediate apprenticeship or a lead adult care worker advanced apprenticeship.
There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:
You could volunteer with an organisation that supports vulnerable people, such as a care home, charity, hospital or hospice.
You can find volunteering opportunities from Do It and the National Council of Volunteering Organisations (NCVO)
You could apply directly and train on the job. You'll find it useful to have experience of working with people.
Some employers may expect you to have GCSEs in English and maths at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent.
You'll need to:
Time spent caring for someone you know also counts as having experience in a caring role.
You can find out more about careers in care from:Think Care Careers; Department of Health and Social Care; Social Care TV
While employed as a care worker you can develop your skills by training in specific areas, like autism awareness, communication skills or supporting people with dementia.
With experience, you can become a lead care worker. You can also move into more senior jobs, like managing people or services, if you get further qualifications.