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Social Care
Social care is about helping older people, adults with disabilities, or supporting vulnerable kids and adults through social work. If you're caring and want to make a difference in people's lives, this career’s for you!
💙 What is social care?
Social care is about helping people tackle life’s challenges. You could work with older adults, children or people facing mental health struggles, disabilities or homelessness. It’s a super rewarding, people-focused job.
Need more info? Ask an Apprentice
Considering an apprenticeship in this area of work? Or just unsure about uni? Our Ask an Apprentice community is made for you! Be mentored and chat with real apprentices, get application tips, and ask all your burning questions through our new platform.
What social care jobs can I do?
Care assistant
Care assistants help older or disabled people with day-to-day stuff like eating, dressing and taking meds. Whether it’s in care homes or people’s houses, they make life easier for others.
Nurse
Nurses in social care provide medical care for people with specific health needs. They work in care homes or communities, managing conditions, giving meds and helping with clients' general medical care.
Social worker
Social workers help people through tough times like family issues, addiction, or housing problems. They work in schools, councils or charities, making a big difference in people’s lives.
Support worker
Support workers help people with everyday challenges, like living independently or coping with mental health issues, disabilities or homelessness. They often work for charities or community organisations.
What are the top skills?
💚 Compassion
Compassion means caring for and understanding the people you’re helping. In social care, you need to be there emotionally, offering support and kindness when people need it most.
💬 Communication
Clear communication is key. You need to explain things simply, listen well, and work with others like healthcare providers or housing services to make sure people get the support they need.
😊 People skills
Social care is all about connecting with people. You need to relate to different individuals, understand their needs, and build strong relationships to give them the best support possible.
😬 Resilience
You’ll face tough and emotional situations in social care. Being resilient helps you stay strong, handle stress and keep a positive atmosphere if things get tough.
⏰ Time management
There’s a lot to juggle in social care, so good time management is a must. You’ll often be handling different cases or clients, so staying organised is key to getting things done.
How do I get started?
🛠️ What apprenticeships can I do?
You could go for apprenticeships like adult care worker (level 2), lead adult care worker (level 3), lead practitioner in adult care (level 4) or train as a social worker (level 6).
🎓 Is uni an option?
Yep! You can study social work, nursing, or health and social care at uni to get into the social care field. These degrees give you the skills and knowledge employers look for.
↗️ What postgraduate qualifications can I do?
You can take a Master’s in social work, public health, or even specialise in areas like mental health. Postgrad courses help you level up and get into more advanced roles.
⭐ How can I stand out?
Get hands-on experience through volunteering or internships, work on your people skills, and keep learning. Employers love strong communicators who can handle tough situations with resilience.
What qualifications can I get?
What degree options do I have?
Degrees like social work, nursing, psychology or health and social care are solid options. These courses give you a strong foundation for a career in social care.
What qualifications can I get through a social care apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships can get you qualifications like NVQs, a degree in social work, or adult care certifications. You’ll gain experience on the job while earning your qualifications.
5 facts you didn't know
800k people receive social care
818,000 adults and children received social care in England in 2021/22.
1.5 million people work in the industry...
...or 1.2 million full-time equivalents! That’s about the same size as the NHS workforce.
Demand is going up
The older population is increasing faster than younger age groups, which means lots of job opportunities in social care.
There are over 100k social workers in England!
Half support children and families while about a third work in adult social care. The rest work in other areas.
There are over 300 social work courses, all over the country!
129 are at undergraduate level and 168 are postgraduate. These are a great option for people already working in social care.
Need more info? Ask an Apprentice
Considering an apprenticeship in this area of work? Or just unsure about uni? Our Ask an Apprentice community is made for you! Be mentored and chat with real apprentices, get application tips, and ask all your burning questions through our new platform.
