Working in adult social care is a rewarding job where no two days are the same – although every day is filled with opportunities to support others to enjoy a better, vibrant life.
The government recently announced a package of measures that will reaffirm care work as a career as well as providing new, accredited qualifications, digital training and funded apprenticeships.
Being a care worker can also fit around your life with flexible hours. And with no qualifications necessary, it’s usually a simple and quick process to start work.
Jason went from being a make-up artist to supporting people with low vision or hearing to live independent lives. It was a move that has given him a rewarding and fulfilling job in adult social care – something he would recommend to anyone.
After completing work experience in a residential home in his final year at school, he became a care assistant. But following a personal tragedy he reflected on his career and with an interest in make-up, enrolled on a course at the London College of Fashion.
He then worked as a make-up artist but found there was a lot of travel and little spare time – it was then he realised he wanted to become a care worker.
Jason says: “The idea of working in care had never really left me and I think I have a natural affinity for the work.”
Now he works in sensory enablement, primarily supporting patients who are being discharged from hospital to continue to live at home.
He adds: “From my initial role as a care worker, I was promoted to Trusted Assessor, so when we have someone we’re going to be supporting I’ll assess their needs, create a care plan, look at their medication and what steps we need to bring them back to live independently. We can then involve occupational health or physiotherapists to help support that journey.
“My work supports people who have low vision or hearing in living an independent life.
“Some of them can be in a very fraught, anxious, upset state of mind and to be able to go in and unpick that and start to provide support that gives them that light at the end of the tunnel is incredibly rewarding. You see that pressure being lifted off their shoulders.
“I remember one person who’d become so timid and withdrawn because of their low vision. Two years later, she was saying to me: ‘I’d like to see if there’s any possibility that myself and my communication worker could start knife-throwing classes.’ It’s hard to put into words that feeling you get when someone’s blossomed and regained themselves again. If you could put it into tablet form and dish it out we’d be billionaires.”
Jason says attitude is really important to being a care worker: “You need to be able to relate to the customer you’re working with and that’s a skill I transferred from my career as a make-up artist.”
He adds that the organisation you work for will give support and training, and that flexibility is also an attraction: “One of my colleagues was looking after her children in the day, but when her husband came home in the afternoon she was free to do the evening shift and also worked weekends.
“If you’re even being drawn slightly towards adult social care, I’d say go for it ... there are so many different aspects you can go into. Start exploring, be confident and apply. You can’t put a value on that difference you can make to someone’s life.”
Is this the job for you?
· To work in adult social care you need the right natural qualities, rather than qualifications.
· The most important thing when considering a career in adult social care is knowing whether you’re the right type of person, as that is the one thing that cannot be taught.
· You can, however, complete practical training, gain certificates on-the-job and take advantage of the government’s recently announced new, accredited qualifications, digital training and funded apprenticeships.
· While there are a huge range of roles available in adult social care, they all have one thing in common – you will enable others to live a more fulfilling life.
· Depending on the role, you may be required to provide support with all elements of daily living, such as cooking, shopping, eating, washing and dressing, administering medication, taking individuals to appointments or even organising fun activities and days out.
· Search for a job today at adultsocialcare.co.uk