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Formal qualifications or experience are not essential in becoming a Carer; however, they do help with job prospects and future progression. They also help you to carry out your role more efficiently and provide higher quality care.
Most employers would prefer you to have some First Aid skills and an NVQ in Health and Social Care, Levels 2 and 3. These courses would prepare you to work in Adult Social Care, teaching you to support individuals with learning difficulties and awareness of dementia. Care Workers often need to travel to many locations within the day; therefore you’ll also need an EU driving license.
Volunteer work will pay off in the long run. You’ll also need background checks, such as a medical check and a criminal record check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
As an alternative route into care working, some individuals train through an apprenticeship care scheme, where you’d train as a care assistant for around £6-7 per hour.
Typically found working within hospitals (as well as doctors’ surgeries), the work they do is absolutely vital in ensuring that patients have the most comfortable stay possible, with typical duties for a HCA including washing and dressing, making beds, serving food and taking simple measurements such as temperatures and monitoring pulse rates.
Although previous experience or qualifications may help, it’s possible to become a Healthcare Assistant in a trainee capacity without any formal pre-requisites. There are also a number of apprenticeship schemes out there to get you started.
Not all healthcare roles take place within a hospital. Demand for Care Assistants, for example, is consistently high across the country. Operating much like Healthcare Assistants, but primarily operating within a client’s home, the position involves providing patients with the attention they need to deal with their particular situation.
Although becoming a Care Assistant can be competitive, voluntary or even personal experience in proving care will generally be enough to get your foot on the ladder. You can then choose to move forward in your career by taking a part-time qualification to quantify your credentials.
