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Care Assistant The majority of people working in the social care sector are care assistants (sometimes known as support workers) who work in residential homes, hostels, and day-care centres. Increasingly they help to look after people in their own homes too. They care for clients of all ages who have difficulty looking after themselves, while helping them to keep or re-establish their independence. Their work is focused on the individual needs of each person. An important part of the job is getting to know individual clients through daily contact and being aware of their special interests and social needs. Providing this physical and emotional support can be very demanding. They liaise with other professionals, such as social workers, nurses, doctors and occupational therapists. Some work will involve helping other staff with domestic tasks around the home or centre. Children and young people: Care assistants look after children whose parents need help because the children have special needs, such as physical or mental disabilities. They also work with children who have behavioural problems or, because of a court order, must live in a home. This involves day-to-day tasks such as helping them to wash and dress. They also play an important role in the child's development, by befriending and entertaining them and encouraging them to learn. They may also accompany children on outings or attend a local college with them. Sometimes there may be opportunities to work with children within the community, in schools or nursery groups. People with disabilities: People who are unable to live in their own homes are often cared for in day centres. Care assistants help people with disabilities to take as much control as possible over their own lives, as well as offering respite to families and other carers. Again they are responsible for many of the practical tasks such as washing and dressing the clients, as well as helping them to walk, and get in and out of wheelchairs. They are encouraged to develop good relationships with their clients and, under the direction of an instructor, may help with training classes that teach key skills such as reading and writing. Older people: Care assistants give practical help to older people in residential and day centres. Sometimes they work in a client's own home, carrying shopping, doing housework and, just as importantly, befriending them. Day centres provide a caring, supportive environment where people who are otherwise isolated or housebound, are able to socialise and make friends. Care assistants help with meals, organise activities, and generally make the centre as friendly as possible, although duties vary according to individuals' needs. Some residential homes cater for elderly people with particular problems such as blindness. Work with other groups: Care assistants also work in halfway houses with single parents, homeless people or ex-drug addicts who need support until they are able to re-adjust to life in the community. In some organisations, experienced care assistants are trained to provide a more specialist service. The job may include some supervisory tasks. Working Hours, Pay and Conditions Care assistants may work in large, modern, purpose-built facilities with the latest specialist equipment or converted houses with only minor alterations. The work involves far less lifting and carrying of people now as hoists and other systems are used, but some of the work is still physically demanding. They need to be able to cope with jobs that are messy and unpleasant. Care assistants working in residential homes may need to occasionally sleep overnight in the home, or even to live in, usually in a self-contained apartment. However, under changes in social policy, more clients are cared for in their own homes and care assistants need to travel a lot and may need a car to make their regular visits. Pay scales differ in different local authority areas, and salaries may be lower in the private sector and with voluntary agencies. Location, type of work and experience also has an effect on salary. Care assistants working a five-day week in day centres, with regular hours and occasional weekend work, will be on a scale of B#9,500 to B#10,500. Senior care workers can earn more than B#18,000. Free accommodation, as well as allowances for working unsociable hours may be provided. Few care assistants live in permanently but they may be expected to sleep over on a rotation basis and some residential care may involve 24-hour cover. Job sharing and part-time work may be available. Entry Requirements Note The Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW) has recently been replaced as the statutory training body for social work. The role is now carried out by the General Social Care Council (GSCC) in England, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the Care Council for Wales (CCW)/Cygnor Gofal Cymru (CGC) and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC). The aim of these bodies is to maintain and monitor the standards in the social care workforce. Although there are currently no set qualifications for care assistants, a registration system run by the GSCC and SSSC is to be introduced, which means that everyone who works in social care will eventually be required to have a recognised qualification. Most employers prefer applicants to be over 18 with previous experience of working in a care environment. Some public sector posts may require an NVQ/SVQ in Care. Previous convictions may prevent people from becoming social workers. Social workers are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and must declare any convictions when applying for work with vulnerable people. There is no upper age limit for starting in this profession, and maturity and experience are both valued. Most employers prefer applicants who are over 18. City & Guilds Community Care Practice (3250) is designed for adults in social care (no entry qualifications are required). Care assistants must be sensitive to the needs of vulnerable people and have an interest in supporting and helping them to maximise their independence. Common sense, patience and maturity are key skills. They also need good communication skills and should be able listen and talk to clients, and sometimes organise group activities. They should be calm, friendly and tolerant and be able to cope with difficult situations, such as calming people who are upset. Some of their work may be distressing and they must be able to keep work and their own lives separate. They must be reasonably fit and healthy and must be aware of health and safety regulations. They should also be able to work as part of a team and may have to keep records. There are courses in Northwest Workplace related to this profession: SOCIAL / FAMILY / COMMUNITY WORK (4 courses) Opportunities Care assistants are employed by health authorities, social services, private organisations and voluntary agencies. There are currently over one million care assistants working in the UK and over 250,000 employers in the various sectors. Many people are now supported in smaller residential hostels, day centres or their own homes, rather than large institutions. The demand for care assistants continues to grow as the proportion of elderly people in the population increases. Many homes for young and elderly people are run privately and some may be run by groups with strong religious or social convictions. There is some scope for self-employment, and some local authorities and private homes keep an 'on-call' list. Vacancies may be advertised in Community Care, Public Service, Local Government Appointments, Health Service Journal, Care Weekly, The Guardian (Wednesday), Care Weekly and local newspapers. Gaining qualifications is vital to career progression and can lead to senior or supervisory positions. Some care assistants have progressed to director level posts. In some organisations, experienced care assistants are trained to provide a specialist service and some complete nursing qualifications. To progress into other areas of social work, for example field social worker or residential social worker, candidates need the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW). There are vacancies in Northwest Workplace related to this profession: Social/ Welfare work (1 job) Further Information Affinity (City & Guilds), 1 Giltspur Street, London EC1 9DD 020 7294 8007 British Association of Social Workers, 16 Kent Street, Birmingham B5 6RD 0121 622 3911 Web site: www.basw.co.uk Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work England: CCETSW Information Service, 4th Floor, Caledonian House, 223-231 Pentonville Road, London N1 9NG 020 7278 2455 Web site: www.ccetsw.org.uk Scotland: c/o Scottish Executive, James Craig Walk, Edinburgh EH1 3BA 0131 244 1949 Wales: 2nd Floor, West Wing, South Gate House, Wood Street, Cardiff CF1 1EW 029 2022 6257 Northern Ireland: 6 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5BN 028 9066 5390 Training Organisation for Personal Social Services (TOPSS), c/o CCETSW, Derbyshire House, St Chads Street, London WC1H 8AD 020 7520 3530 Web site: www.topss.org.uk CCETSW/TOPSS Wales/Cymru: 029 2022 6257 CCETSW/TOPSS Northern Ireland: 028 9066 5390 CCETSW/TOPSS Scotland, c/o Scottish Executive, James Craig Walk, Edinburgh EH1 3BA 0131 220 0093 TOPSS England, 26, Park Row, Leeds LS1 5QB 0113 245 1716 London Voluntary Service Council, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA 020 7700 8107 National Association for Voluntary Hostels, Fulham Place, Bishops Avenue, London SW6 6EA 020 7731 4205 National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Regents Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 9RL 020 7713 6161 National Institute for Social Work, Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SN 020 7387 9681 Web site: www.nisw.org.uk Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, 18-19 Claremont Crescent, Edinburgh EH7 4QD 0131 556 3882 Web site: www.scvo.org.uk Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), Hanover House, 24 Douglas Street, Glasgow G2 7NQ 0141 248 7900 Web site: www.sqa.org.uk Social Care Association (SCA), Thornton House, Hook Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 5AN 0208 397 1411 Web site: www.socialcareassoc.com Social Work Admissions System (SWAS), Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham GL52 3LZ 01242 544600 For a handbook or application pack: 01242 223707 or web site: www.ucas.com/packs Wales Council for Voluntary Action, Llys Ifor, Crescent Road, Caerphilly, Mid-Glamorgan CF8 1XL 029 20869224 Relevant Labour Market Information NMW and age discrimination ? Caution urged on NMW increase ! Fat cat salaries and the baverage wageb Tough time for SMEs Flexibility Plants at Work Improve Health

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