Are you on the search for a new career path and want to make a difference to someone’s life? Do you feel happiest and most fulfilled when caring for someone and putting their needs above your own? Then care work could be the ideal choice for you. Over the years, the ageing population is continuing to grow, there is a huge demand which is constantly growing. To become a carer, particularly if you are new to the care industry, the most beneficial way to kick-start your career is by gaining some qualifications and attending some courses that are available to become a qualified care worker.
Before applying for any qualifications, it is important to completely understand the role of a care worker, and to know what the job entails. A care worker is there to provide support and assistance for a person who is need of care. Care workers may find themselves working with a vulnerable adult, elderly individual or someone with a disability, and is able to provide support within their daily lives. The level of assistance may vary depending on the person you are caring for, therefore you will have the responsibility of providing the best possible care you can offer.
As a care worker, your main duties may include:
When becoming a care worker, you will be supporting in all aspects of their daily lives, including physical and social activities, feeding, personal care and mobility.
There are key skills you will need to have in order to fulfil the requirements of a carer:
By becoming a care worker, you are stepping into a highly demanding and competitive industry. Qualifications are not always essential, however gaining specific qualifications is the best way to move forward and indicate a level of practical training and skills. This can result in clients being more likely to select you as their preferred carer, which would be particularly special if you are new to the industry. A great way to get started is to study for a Care Certificate.
The Care Certificate is an identified set of standards that health and care professionals define the specific knowledge, skills and behaviours expected in their daily working lives, specified for jobs in health and social care. The purpose of the Care Certificate gives confidence that health and social care workers have the same knowledge, skills and behaviour needed to provide high quality and safe care and support.
The Care Certificate consists of 15 minimum standards that should be covered, specifically if you are new to the care industry:
At Guardian Carers, we have extensive experience in the care industry and know what it takes to be an exceptional private carer, which is why we always take on the very best of the best. Therefore, having Care Certificate is one of the core qualifications we look for in a carer.
To work as a carer, it is not necessary for you to have any specific qualifications, therefore a diploma is not entirely essential. However, if you are completely new to the industry and have very little or no previous experience, then studying for diploma could be the perfect idea for you in order to gain more professional knowledge and skills as a care worker. The Level 2 and 3 Diplomas in Health and Social Care are the core qualifications for care workers. The Level 2 and 3 Diplomas in Health and Social (adults) enables you to develop specialist knowledge and demonstrates a level of competence. The Diplomas are designed to ensure that carers can offer quality care and support, and are fit to practice.
When you take the course, they will provide you with practical training and a work based qualification. The Level 2 and 3 Diplomas are not just for new carers, they are also particularly helpful for people who are currently working as an adult care worker, but have the desire to expand their skills and knowledge of the care industry. This qualification is usually preferred to work as an adult care worker standard, and covers the knowledge and skills required to work in an adult care worker role. It will also enable you to work in a range of settings and supporting a variety of individuals with different needs.
Learning and developing care skills does not have to restrict to the Level 2 and 3 Diplomas. As care work is a job that does not necessarily need specific qualifications, there are also other courses, qualifications and opportunities for you to learn and get more experience in the care industry. For adult care, there are courses that can also help you to develop other skills in care work, this can include learning about safe lifting and movement, dealing with dementia, or caring for someone with diabetes. There is also additional training available for other required activities, such as food safety and nutrition, and dealing with the challenges and sensitive situations with care.
If you are currently looking after someone in need of care and they have a particular health condition, it would always be helpful to do specific training in order to support them to the fullest. An individual may have complex care needs or suffer from degenerative neurological conditions, so it can sometimes be beneficial to have a nursing qualification. These carers will have the experience and expertise to manage more challenging issues.
At Guardian Carers, we will always search for the very best in the care industry, that’s why many of our carers would have an extensive list of experience and qualifications. We pride ourselves in providing a premium level of service, therefore it would be beneficial for the carer to have a Care Certificate to ensure they can be one of the most trusted and qualified carers we can offer. We maintain the highest standards and expect the best from our carers.
When using a private care agency such as Guardian Carers, it is important for us to give a thorough background check, this would include checking if they have a First Aid qualification. It is mandatory for our carers to have a First Aid qualification as we believe care should start from the very moment we are contacted by a carer or the person in need of care. A First Aid qualification is beneficial for both the care worker and the person being cared for. It allows the care worker to be skilled and knowledgeable, and also have more confidence to help the specific person they are responsible for. The person you are caring is more likely to put a great deal of trust and confidence into their carer, and they will be able to rely on them for any situation that requires first aid. All of our carers are also required to go through an enhanced DBS check to ensure they have a suitable background fit to work in the care industry.
As a private care agency, Guardian Carers will always search for the very best carers. Once we are in contact with them, we bring them into the office to conduct a face to face interview. This will give the potential carers the chance to show their experience and qualifications, which are discussed in great detail. We also ask for verbal references which we would always personally check ourselves. No matter what stage our care workers are in, our expert consultants will go above and beyond to ensure they match the perfect carer to one of our clients and suit their requirements. We find the best solutions for families in need of a carer for a loved one, so Guardian carers will always provide support, whatever the case.
Give us a call. We are ready to help. We believe we can find your perfect carer.