JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018 - 193

E L D E R LY CA R E

3

key roles in
elderly care

basic/entry level

Care worker
You'll help with personal care
- getting in and out of bed,
washing, using the toilet and
dressing - as well as preparing
food and general housework
duties. You may also need to
organise and give medication.
Qualifications needed No formal
qualifications, although some
caring experience is useful. You
will need good communication
skills, tact and empathy.
Salary £12,500 - £16,000.

Apprenticeships enable you to work
and learn alongside experienced staff
But if you can demonstrate an aptitude
for caring and are enthusiastic and willing
to learn, many clients appreciate having
a young person around, particularly if
they don't usually get to interact with
different age groups on a day-to-day basis.

Qualify to progress
You don't need any specific qualifications
to work in care, but they will help you
to progress. Often, you can train while
working, taking Regulated Qualifications
Framework exams in health and
social care. Apprenticeships are also
available. These enable you to work
and learn alongside experienced staff,
gaining the skills and knowledge you
need to be a competent and confident
worker while also earning. Some care
providers run apprenticeships that
lead to jobs within the company.
Anyone over 16 years of age and not
in full-time education can apply for

an apprenticeship - there's no upper
age limit. Most last up to two years.
BTEC apprenticeships have two
levels - intermediate and advanced -
and involve a placement in a care home
for one to two years while you study.
You usually need GCSEs in English
and maths to take part. Previous caring
experience or a proven interest in the
sector is also desirable. If you've already
taken an intermediate or advanced
apprenticeship, you may want to consider
a higher or degree apprenticeship.

Other considerations
All care workers are legally required
to have a Disclosure & Barring Service
(DBS) check, formerly known as a
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check.
Only employers and licensing bodies can
request a DBS check - job applicants can't
apply for a check on themselves. Your
employer will give you the details.

Find out more
* Find an Apprenticeship apprenticeships.org.uk * National Careers Service
nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk * Skills for Care skillsforcare.org.uk

more experienced

Senior care worker
You'll supervise a team of care
assistants, write care plans,
develop activities for care
home residents, and train and
mentor new staff. You will also
be responsible for maintaining
patient medication records and
monitoring patients' vital signs.
Qualifications needed A
level 3 college qualification
in health and social care.
Salary £15,500 - £18,000
to start; £18,000 - £22,000
with experience.
senior position

Care home manager
You'll be responsible for all
day-to-day operations of
the residential home you
manage, including recruiting
and managing staff and
managing budgets. You'll
also need to ensure national
care standards are met.
Qualifications needed Should
be relevant to the care service
your home provides, such as
health and social care or nursing.
Salary £20,000 - £25,000
to start, rising to £30,000 -
£40,000 for more experienced
staff and £40,000 - £54,000 for
highly experienced managers.
J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 1 9 3


http://apprenticeships.org.uk http://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk http://skillsforcare.org.uk

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