job roles booklet

8/9/2019 Job Roles Booklet

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Job roles in

a d ults oc ia lc a re


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There are lots of job roles availablein adult social care,including directcare roles andsupportive roles.

This booklet talks about a few of them,

which should provide you with an overviewof the type of work you could do in thesector – and what skills and experienceyou need to get the job!


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Different roles in adult social care require different qualications andexperience, but the same values and personality traits are needed inevery role in adult social care.

To work in care is to make a positive difference to someone’s life. Youwill need to have good communication and listening skills, and feelpassionate about supporting other people to live a more independentand fullling life.

For further information about working in adult social care,including job roles and qualications, please visit:

www.skillsforcare.org.uk

Some phrases which may be new to you:

Service user/people who use services/people who need careand support: This is someone who uses a service and needs careand support. They may be elderly, or have a physical or mentalhealth disability.

Domiciliary care: This is care which is provided in a service usersown home.

Ancillary roles: These roles are not specic to working in care – butthey play an important part in the running of a successful care service.

Individual employers: These are service users who directly employstaff themselves, for care and support from their own home.


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Before you start work in adult social care

Most of the current qualications for working in social careare taken when learners are already working in their role,

as frequently they have to demonstrate their knowledgeand competence on the job.

However there are a number of qualications which areuseful to do before you start work in the sector.

Qualications


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The main entry qualications you could do before you start work are:

Level 1 Award in Preparing to workin the care sector

Level 2Certicate in Preparing to work

in the care sector

Level 3Certicate in Preparing to work

in the care sector


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Qualications whilst you’re working in adult social care:

The current qualications in health and social care are diplomas, whichhave replaced NVQs, although many workers will still hold NVQs thatare still valid for these roles. The most common qualications for the

job roles in this booklet are the level 2 Diploma in Health and Socialcare and the Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social care. If this is yourrst job in adult social care, then you could gain these diplomas whilstyou work.

As well as the diplomas there are a range of smaller Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment (CPD) qualications which can support workers in morespecialist areas of social care or with particular interests or requirements.

These CPD qualications will be either Awards or Certicates.

The range of topics include: dementia

learning disability

stroke

end of life care

mental capacity

activity provision

diabetes.

For direct care roles, you will have to complete the Common InductionStandards (CIS) when you start work, which are a great introduction intothe care sector, non-direct care roles can also benet from this training.


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Job roles:

Care worker/Care assistant/ Senior care worker/Supportworker Personal assistant Social worker Community,support and outreach work Management Occupational

therapist Activities workeror co-ordinator Employmentsupport Advice, guidance

and advocacy Technician Administration/Ofce staff Ancillary staff


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Care workerCare assistant/Senior care worker /Support worker

These are ‘front line’ staff who work withpeople who have direct care needs. Theyhave a varied range of duties, dependingon who they are working with.

No two days are the same as a care worker, but some duties can include:

assisting with eating/mobility/washing/dressing

providing interesting activities for the service user to do

monitoring service users health e.g. taking temperatures andpulse rate

helping service users to live as independently as possible.

Care workers are supervised by a manager or senior care worker.They can work in a residential care home, domiciliary care, or out inthe community. Senior care workers will often be in charge of a shiftof workers, and offer guidance and support to other care workers.


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Training/qualications:

There are no specic minimum entry qualications for this jobalthough workers must go through a criminal records check andindustry standard induction training. When a new worker beginsthis role they will be expected to work through the CommonInduction Standards, which are mandatory. Alongside this, trainingis also given in food hygiene, health and safety, and manualhandling. Care workers at this level should be encouraged to take aLevel 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care once they are working.

1 Th er e ar e lots of

di f fe r e n t jobs wh ic h fa l l u n de r t h e m a n a gem e n t c a t e gor y

My job is

challenging butrewarding


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Personalassistant


Many individual employers select personal assistants on the basisof their personality and exibility; for many, experience of socialcare is not always important, however the core qualicationsalready mentioned can still be applied to these roles. In additionthe smaller CPD qualications and Common Induction Standardscan be very helpful. You may also be expected to do some onlinetraining once you are working as a PA.

They work for an individual employer. They support thisindividual in every aspect of their daily life. This could includehelping to prepare and cook meals, assisting with mobility,personal care, doing hobbies, attending clubs or groupactivities and going on day trips or holidays.

Personal assistants, or PA’s as they’re oftenreferred to, do the same job as a care workerbut they only work directly with one individualwho needs support and/or care services,usually within their own home.

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SocialworkerSocial workers provide advice and emotionalsupport to help people adjust to changesin their lives, caused by illness, age relatedproblems, disability or bereavement. They

may also work with people who suffer frommental illnesses like depression, anxiety,schizophrenia and personality disorders.

Their job is to work out what type of care is needed,and revisit people who use care services to reassesstheir needs over a set period of time.

They usually work as part of a team, responsible fora number of cases which all might need a differentapproach. They also need to work closely withorganisations such as the police, health services,schools and probation services.


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A degree in social work

OR

Previous professional qualicationsincluding the Diploma in SocialWork, CSS (Certicate in SocialServices) and CQSW (Certicate ofQualication in Social Work).

I’ provide

advice and supportto help people

3


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Community,

support andoutreachwork

There are lots of job titles that fall under this category such asCommunity support worker, Substance misuse worker, Mentalhealth support worker and Community development worker.

For a full list of job titles see the Skills for Care website.

I help people overcomedi fculties, live

independently and copewith many aspects of

everyday living


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Their work is more support based rather than directpersonal care. They can provide support and guidancein various ways, including counselling, teaching peoplewho use care and support services every day skills(such as how to cook a meal safely or make a cup oftea), organising activities with people who need careand support (such as sport or shopping trips) or simply being withindividuals in their home, helping them to cope with day to day living.

These workers usually have a number of individuals that they get toknow very well. Some work in residential homes although this typeof role is usually undertaken within the local community or withinindividuals own homes.


For most roles there is no formal entry level requirement but youneed to be literate and numerate. Previous experience of workingwith people in a social care/support setting can be very useful.

You will have to go through a criminal records check and industrystandard induction training. When you begin working you will have towork through the Common Induction Standards. These standardsprovide underpinning knowledge for all roles in social care. Theycan be completed in a number of different ways according to theorganisation you are working for. Alongside this, training is also

given in food hygiene, health and safety, and manual handling. Careworkers at this level should be encouraged to take a Level 2 or evenLevel 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care once they are working.

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Management There are lots of different jobs which fall underthe management category in adult social care,from being a supervisor or team leader tobeing the CEO of a care home.

Supervisors have someresponsibility for the level of carean organisation provides. Theysupervise the work of other care

and front line workers.

First line managers areresponsible for the day to dayprovision of social care services– this means they support the staffand have a key role in ensuring

that the standard of care deliveredis always high. Types of job titleswhich fall under this category areteam leaders, service managersand residential wardens.

Middle managers areresponsible for overseeing theorganisation and managingwhole departments. Examples of

their duties include determiningstafng requirements andmanaging budgets. Workers in thiscategory could be area managers,managers or department heads.

Senior management workers

have overall responsibility forthe organisation, and their main jobrole includes giving the organisationleadership and direction. They havetotal responsibility for the quality ofcare provided and the health andsafety of staff and service users.

Senior managers could be owners,directors or chief executives.


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Knowledge and experience of the care sector is usually

required for these roles. The core qualication is theLevel 5 Diploma in Leadership in Health and Socialcare. This qualication can only be achieved once youare working in a management role. In addition newmanagers or aspiring managers would be encouragedto work through the Manager Induction Standardswhich provide a number of areas of knowledge which

are helpful and will support a new manager in their role.

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I am responsible forthe wellbeing of staff

who provide care

and support


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A degree or two year postgraduate diploma is needed to work asa practicing occupation therapist. You must also be registeredwith the Health Professionals Council.

An Occupational Therapy Assistant does not need these qualications– but would be expected to work towards earning them.

I help peoplegain back theirindependence


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They work with people to overcome the effects of theirdisability, and assess what treatment or equipmentis needed to increase their independence. This couldbe physical treatment to improve their mobility oradvising on equipment they need or the design ofpeople’s houses. For example, they would give adviceto housing departments for a person who uses a

wheelchair.

6OccupationaltherapistSometimes referred to as an OT practitioner or therapist

for short, this role can work with people who need careand support in the following areas:

physical rehabilitation

mental health

learning disabilities

care management equipment for daily living

housing.


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Activitiesworker orco-ordinator

I help people

discover newskills and talents


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Activities co-ordinators will usually have experience ofworking with vulnerable adults in a residential, community orvoluntary setting. Grades A – C in GCSE Maths and Englishare usually required. A Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social

Care and experience in areas such as drama, music or craftswould also be desirable. In addition there are smaller CPDqualications which are relevant for this role.

The role of these workers is to create, andoversee activities for people who need careand support services. This could be in aresidential care home, a community caresetting or in an individual’s home.

The activities stimulate new interests and skills, and aredesigned specically to meet individual’s needs. Theseworkers promote social activities within, and outsidetheir care setting.

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Employmentsupport

This role specialises in supportingpeople who need care and support inobtaining and continuing employment.

They would help to identify employmentopportunities for people who need careand support, and help with preparingCV’s and with interview skills. Theseworkers would also have involvementwith employers to help individualssettle into their new job.

Example of job titles within employmentsupport are: Supported employment worker,

Employment advisor, Inclusion worker.


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Employment advisors need to have good people skills.Qualications may be less important than life and career

experience, but workers could be expected to work towardsgaining a Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social care.

8I help people who

need care and supportfnd employment


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Advice,guidance andadvocacy


There are no minimum requirements for this career. A Level 3 Diplomain advice and guidance work, along with volunteer work in thecommunity, youth work or counselling can be very helpful. There are

specic qualications in advocacy but many of these qualicationscan only be taken whilst working in the role. Life experience andknowledge of local government work may be valuable assets.

This is a specialist role focussing on mattersrelated to legislation. They work with peoplewho need care and support services to helpprocess, and offer advice on, any funding orsupport they need to apply for. This couldinclude housing benet, sick pay, disabledliving allowances etc. Job titles that fall underthis category include: welfare rights ofcer,advocacy worker, advocate court liaison offer.


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I can adviseon potentially

complex issues


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Technician Technicians advise on and maintain equipmentwhich is designed to enable people whoneed care and support services to live moreindependent lives. This includes electronicand electro-mechanical equipment.

Their job can include:

involvement in individual’s assessment

explaining how to use equipment

maintaining and servicing equipment

monitoring and recording users progress

manufacturing custom equipment forindividuals.


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There are no specic entry requirements but

employers usually expect 4 GCSE’s (A – C),science A-levels, or BTEC in electronics oran engineering degree.

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The equipment Imaintain helpspeople live moreindependent lives


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Administration/Ofce staff

I provide vital supportfor the wholeorganisation


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These roles include all levels,such as assistants and managers.Experience and qualications forthese roles vary.

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Administration roles are not specic to care,but large care homes have many rolesavailable within an ofce environment.

Some of these roles include:

personnel and human resources (HR)

receptionist

nance

IT

marketing.


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Ancillarystaff


These roles include all levels, such as assistants and managers.Experience and training for these roles vary.

Ancillary job roles, which are not specic toworking in care, but are vital to providing agood service, can include any of the following:

domestic/cleaning staff

catering/chef

driver

maintenance

handy person.


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It’s great workingin care


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Skills for CareWest Gate6 Grace StreetLeedsLS1 2RP

Telephone 0113 245 1716Email [email protected] www.skillsforcare.org.uk

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