Social care jobs
A list of current social care vacancies, updated weekly, is available here.
What is the difference between social work and social care work?
Social workers have to obtain a three year degree. They will be involved at a high level with users, working with them to assess their care requirements and working alongside other professionals such as doctors to make sure that every user receives the particular type of support that he or she needs.
Social care workers tend to offer more personal care. Often they will be involved in supporting one user or a few users in the tasks of everyday living. They often do not need any qualifications when they begin the work, but they will usually be expected to work towards a qualification as they work, and will receive training through their employers to this end.
Social Care
Social care work is about helping people live their lives independently. People who have physical or psychological problems often require practical help coping with the everyday business of living. Social care workers provide this practical support.
It doesn't matter who you are, how old you are, or your academic qualifications, somewhere in your community there's a job that you can do helping others. If you like working with people, social care work offers a worthwhile job that could turn into a rewarding career.
You'll be given training in the skills you need to do the job well and there'll be plenty of opportunities to acquire more skills and qualifications such as NVQs. Some social care workers train to become social workers, with responsibility for assessing and planning the levels of support that people need.
If you're interested in exploring a career, there's a huge range of jobs in social care work, with many offering flexible hours that might suit you better than the conventional nine-to-five. You could also work part-time to balance your job with the rest of your life. But however you choose to work, you'll be doing a job that's varied and worthwhile.
Social Work
Social work is all about people.
Social workers form relationships with people. As adviser, advocate, counsellor or listener, a social worker helps people to live more successfully within their local communities by helping them find solutions to their problems. Social work also involves engaging not only with clients themselves but their families and friends as well as working closely with other organisations including the police, NHS, schools and probation service.
Social workers tend to specialise in either adult or children's services i.e.
Adult Services
Roles include working with people with mental health problems or learning difficulties in residential care; working with offenders, by supervising them in the community and supporting them to find work; assisting people with HIV/AIDs and working with older people at home helping to sort out problems with their health, housing or benefits.
Children / Young People Services
Roles include providing assistance and advice to keep families together; working in children's homes; managing adoption and foster care processes; providing support to younger people leaving care or who are at risk or in trouble with the law; or helping children who have problems at school or are facing difficulties brought on by illness in the family.
Social work requires a professional qualification to practise. Since September 2003 this has been a three year full-time degree course although part-time and faster post-graduate routes may be available. Click on the course finder tab for links to universities offering social work courses.
Degree in Social Work
Social Work requires a professional qualification currently an honours degree in social work that involves a combination of course work and a minimum of 200 days spent in practice settings providing the opportunity for lots of practical experience before you actually qualify. Once qualified you will need to register with the General Social Care Council (GSCC) which is responsible for regulating the workforce.
Previous qualifications in social work including the diploma will continue to be recognised as valid social work qualification.