Discover your career potential with a career in Health and Social Care
Sarah Arnesen|3 November, 2019
What can a Career in Health and Social Care offer you?
How the Health and Social Care sector is growing
The health sector is forever expanding and presently consists of over 2 million people who are working in the NHS (public sector) as well as for voluntary and private healthcare providers and employers. The range of roles within the sector is very varied and the NHS careers site lists in the region of 300 different jobs. The population in the UK is getting older with 18% aged 65 and over, and 2.4% aged 85 and over according to the Office for National Statistics 2017 report, which means that demand for trained care workers is on the increase.
Why take a career in Health and Social Care?
A career in Health and Social Care is extremely rewarding, probably more so than any other sector. It’s also extremely sociable! In any of the job roles, you would be working with/caring for people on a daily basis which is great fun and always brings its fair share of surprises. There is also an endless stream of job possibilities and places to work. More people are always required and there are always new job roles to try within the sector! Here is some more in-depth information as to why you should take a career in Health and Social Care:
It’s a Diverse Career
When training for a Health and Social Care role, you are trained in all facets of the business, from child protection to mental health. While most people choose to specialise their skills into one area, there’s always the opportunity to switch between different job roles all thanks to the broad initial training that gives you the range of skills you need to progress.
Change People’s Lives
The whole purpose of this sector is in the name, it’s all about caring. The appreciation you’ll get back from ones you’ve helped is overwhelming and you will not be able to stop smiling. The satisfaction of knowing you helped someone in some way, no matter small or large, is one of the greatest rewards you can have.
It will challenge you in ways other sectors don’t
Work in this sector is practically challenging and uses far more than just your typical professional skills. It’s also incredibly emotionally challenging, some of the things you’ll see and stories you will hear are breath-taking. The success and failures of the ones you look after feels like your own successes and failures. It’s easy to grow attached to the ones you care for and learning to manage these emotions is a crucial aspect of the job and a useful life skill that can only be developed in a few particular sectors.
It Isn’t a Desk Job
Unlike most sectors, a career in Health and Social Care means that in certain roles you will have to be very reactive. This means that you may be working your usual role but then you get an important phone call causing you to have to drop everything you’re working on to pursue a new objective that could be one of the people you care for in a crisis. You’ll also attend people’s homes, schools, hospitals and community centres. To be effective in your role means engaging with the community and this is impossible to do from behind a desk.
You Will Never be Bored
In this sector, every day is never the same. You can almost guarantee that there will be several unexpected challenges to deal with on an almost daily basis. It constantly keeps you on your toes and never allows you to be bored! So if you were looking for a repetitive job with a fixed role, Health and Social Care may not be for you.
How to start your career in Health and Social Care
How to start your career in Health and Social CareHealth and social care Apprenticeships provide great scope for career progression and enable you to choose the learning pathway that is right for you. You will learn skills and techniques that will provide you with a lifelong vocation and enjoy a career where you provide valuable care for others.
At Paragon Skills we offer intermediate and advanced level Apprenticeships in the health and social care sector including the following:
Adult Care Worker Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard
The Adult Care Worker level 2 Apprenticeship standard is ideally suited to individuals taking their first steps towards a career in the Health and Social Care Sector. Adult Care Workers are the frontline staff who help adults with care and support needs to achieve their personal goals and live as independently and safely as possible, enabling them to have control and choice in their lives.
Lead Adult Care Worker Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard
The Lead Adult Care Worker Standard has been developed as a natural progression from the Adult Care Worker, designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and the behaviours needed to supervise others in the Health and Social Care Sector. As a Lead Adult Care Worker, you will make a positive difference to someone’s life when they are faced with physical, practical, social, emotional or intellectual challenges. You will be expected to exercise judgement and take appropriate action to support individuals to maintain their independence, dignity and control.
Health & Social Care Higher Level 5 Apprenticeship
This higher level Apprenticeship allows you develop your skill sets in either an adult residential manager, adult’s non-residential manager or adults advanced practitioner role. As a higher level Apprentice, you will be working as a manager of staff and/or services, in general, residential and non-residential settings; as advanced practitioners with a high level of knowledge of care provision activities or a specific specialism; as managers of specialist services with a specialist knowledge of particular adult social care provision and requirements.
Progression within the Sector
Below is a list of all the job roles that would be available for you to progress into after your Apprenticeship! Health and Social Care is one of the most varied sectors and there are many, many job roles to choose from. Which one appeals to you?
Direct Care Roles
Activities Workers
Organising social activities for people who need care and support, including day trips out, general entertainment and making sure everyone gets stuck in!
Care Worker
Providing support for people in every aspect of their day. Including personal care, social and physical activities, mobility and eating/drinking when it comes to meal times.
Personal Assistant
Similar to a care worker, although you’ll support an individual to live as independently as possible, usually in their own home instead of a care home.
Rehabilitation Worker
Like a personal assistant, you’ll support people to live independently. Although in this role it would be after an illness or accident. You’ll help them access support with housing, finance, social activities or just day-to-day life when cooking etc…
Shared Lives Carer
This role means opening up your own home and family to accommodate and include someone who needs support and care. This may even involve living with you, or being a daytime visitor for a few hours each week.
Advocacy Worker
You’ll be supporting vulnerable people and help get their voice heard. But most importantly you’ll make sure their best interests are taken into consideration when decisions are being made about their lives.
Other Social Support Roles
Housing Support Officer
Providing housing related support and advice to ensure people can live independently.
Volunteer Coordinator
Responsible for finding volunteers and managing and organising them across an organisation/location.
Social Care Prescriber
You’ll be helping tackle social isolation by connecting people with non-medical support in the community to help improve their wellbeing.
Welfare Rights Officer
This role is all about giving out advice about matters such as housing, benefits, disability living allowances, employment benefits and rent support.
Employment Advisor
You’ll be supporting people who need support when finding and maintaining employment.
Trainer of Assessor
This role includes designing and delivering learning and development sessions to improve the skills and knowledge of staff.
Regulated Professional Roles
Social Worker
You’ll be offering to counsel to individuals and families, and will intervene when someone is vulnerable and needs safeguarding.
Occupational Therapist
This role includes working with people with some kind of illness, whether it be physical or mental, and helping them with everyday activities and rehabilitation.
Nurse
This role is all about performing clinical tasks for people in a nursing home or in the community.
Complementary Therapist
You’ll be providing services such as massages, aromatherapy and reflexology to those who are experiencing emotional, physical, or psychological issues.
Counsellor
This role is all about providing emotional support and helping people overcome challenges (eg: Long-term alcohol or drug addiction).
Health and Social Care Apprenticeship success stories
We have helped many people on the Health and Social Care career ladder over the years. Here are just a couple of our success stories.
Dawn Kemble
Support Worker Dawn Kemble from Rugeley in Staffordshire was 45 before she chose her career in Social Care. After twenty years bringing up a family and working part-time in a fish and chip shop, she started work at Mencap where they supported her in applying to study an NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care with Paragon Skills.
Kelly Sabourn
39-year-old Kelly from Shaftsbury is a mother of six children and works at the St Dennis Lodge Care Home. She completed her Level 3 in Health and Social Care in 2016 majoring in dementia care. Kelly felt like she hadn’t done very well at school and wanted to prove to herself that she could build on her education and skills.
Sources:
https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Careers-in-care/Job-roles/Job-roles-in-social-care.aspx
If you are interested in learning whilst you are earning a salary, gaining valuable work experience and nationally recognised qualifications, then have a look at our Apprenticeship Vacancies and see what opportunities are available in your area. Also, find out more about the type of Apprenticeship training available.
For any questions you might have please contact us on 0800 783 2545, talk to our customer service using the live chat service, or send us an email at [email protected].