Healthcare is one of the United Kingdom’s most prominent and fastest growing industries and offers a wide variety of jobs, each of which requires a unique set of qualifications and skills.
One important branch of the healthcare industry is social care. At the basic level, social care jobs generally onlyrequire applicants to have elementary literacy and numeracy skills. This normally means passes in English and Mathematics at grade C or above in GCSE. More advancedsocial care jobs, however, require a tertiary qualification. Jobs such as paramedics, physiotherapists and social work jobs also require that practitioners register with the Health and Care Professions Council. These jobs are considered “Protected”.
In order to be a prime candidate for a job in social care, you must not only meet the necessary academic requirements but you will also need to have experience and practical training. This can be obtained formally through government-introduced schemes throughout the country. These have been set up to offer people the training required to become a social care workers and, in some cases, also offer individuals the opportunity to continue their studies at a higher level. This formal training is also helpful in that allows you to more easily establish a network of contacts that may become useful in helping you to find work once you are properly qualified.
There are, however, less formal ways to gain training and experience. The easiest is to check through local newspapers and community notices and to offer your services to local voluntary or charity work organisations that advertise there. You may also be able to find opportunities through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. However, if you use this approach it is essential that you ensure your profile looks professional and that there is nothing that might prejudice your chances of being offered a position. Another option is to approach your local social care providers and see if they are able to give you any advice or direction.
Once you have acquired the necessary qualifications and experience, the prospects of being hired in social care are good. There are many areas available to consider. For example:
- Caring for the needs of new immigrants and helping them to adjust.
- Helping the elderly.
- Working with troubled adolescents.
- Giving aid to the homeless and destitute.
Before applying, ensure that you fulfil all the job requirements. This includes having the necessary education, experience and skills. Currently, the United Kingdom is suffering from a shortage of applicants for socialwork positions, so if you are properly qualified, it is quitelikely that you will be hired. Pay is dependent on job specifics, but is comparable with other healthcare roles.
Financial remuneration and fringe benefits aside, working is social care is guaranteed to be rewarding and will give you a great sense of self-satisfaction as you see the results of your efforts having a positive impact on the lives of your clients. With experience and study, you will also have the opportunity to advance your career and reach leading management levels.
