The careers in this section are almost all linked to working with and supporting people. These include careers that support children, older people, people with disabilities or special needs including emotional support and the elderly.
Find out what skills you need to work in the Health and Social Care industry: Real Help North East
For more information visit:
General Social Care Council: www.gscc.org.uk
Action for Children: www.nch.org.uk
Children’s Workforce Development Council: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
Careers in Social Work and Social Care: www.socialworkandcare.co.uk
Jobs within this section
►Working with People with Special Needs
Jobs working with people with special needs require you to have patience, consideration and the ability to communicate on all levels. Special needs can include learning disabilities, sight or hearing impairment, physical disabilities, etc. Jobs can include: Care workers providing for basic care needs; Social worker who will assess care needs and develop a ‘care plan’ for support; Teacher and educational support staff (see section F); Specialist medical staff such as creative and occupational therapists. (see section J).
For more information visit:
Skills for Care: www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Early Support: www.earlysupport.org.uk/training
Department of Health’s Social Care and Social Work Careers: www.socialworkandcare.co.uk
City Lit: Faculty of Deaf Education: www.citylit.ac.uk
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association: www.guidedogs.org.uk
Henshaws Society for Blind People: www.hsbp.co.uk
Royal National Institute for Blind People: www.rnib.org.uk
Advice work involves finding practical solutions to problems, for example getting debt advice to sort out money worries; getting legal advice; finding out where to get help for a problem. Advice workers may have a in-depth knowledge of a particular subject or may give broad advice.
For more information visit:
Advice UK: www.adviceuk.org.uk
Citizens Advice: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Law Centres Federation: www.lawcentres.org.uk
International Coach Federation: www.coachfederation.org.uk
Coaching & Mentoring Network: www.coachingnetwork.org.uk
The Connexions Service was launched in 2002 as a young peoples support service in England and Wales. PAs provide information, advice, guidance and support to young people aged 13-19, either one-to-one or in a group to help them make good decisions about their future. Many PAs are qualified Careers Advisers who can give specialist guidance to help young people chose their career path. Careers advisers may also work in colleges and universities or with adults.
For more information visit:
Connexions Direct: www.connexionsdirect.co.uk
Institute of Careers Guidance: www.icg-uk.org
Local Authority Vacancies: www.lgjobs.com
Childminder look after children aged 0-8 in their own home where they are responsible for their care and development. No formal childcare qualifications are needed but you have to undertake some basic training. Childminders must be registered with Ofsted and work within the early years framework. Foster carers work for the local authority or private fostering agencies to provide full time or respite care for children who do not live with their parents.
For more information visit:
National Childminding Association in England and Wales: www.ncma.org.uk
The Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education: www.cache.org.uk
The Fostering Network: www.fostering.net
British Association for Adoption and Fostering: www.baaf.org.uk
Ofsted: www.ofsted.gov.uk
►Nanny, Parents Help and Au Pair
Childcare which takes place in the child’s home can be provided by a nanny, au pair or parents help. The difference in these roles is usually the level of responsibility; they may be live-in qualified or unqualified posts.
A Nanny has sole care of the child for at least part of the day, they may work evenings and weekends. Some cooking and housework may be involved. A Parents Help has more responsibility for household work than a nanny, often during the day when the children are at school. An au pair has a similar role to a nanny but are usually from overseas and come to the UK to improve their English.
For more information visit:
The Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education: www.cache.org.uk
Children’s Workforce Development Council: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
Ofsted: www.ofsted.gov.uk
The Chiltern College: www.chilterncollege.com
Norland College: www.norland.co.uk
Mari Montessori Institute: www.mariamontessori.org
►Nursery and Early Years Childcare and Education
Childcare work involves working with babies and children aged 0-8 in roles such as Early Years Worker, Nursery Worker, Nursery Assistant, etc.
The standards for this work are set by Ofsted in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. Childcare qualifications and training are important to ensure that care is of high quality. Jobs may be available in nursery, infants or special schools, hospital paediatric wards, private or local authority nurseries.
For more information visit:
The Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education: www.cache.org.uk
Pre-school Learning Alliance: www.pre-school.org.uk
Children’s Workforce Development Council: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
Early Support: www.earlysupport.org.uk
Mari Montessori Institute: www.mariamontessori.org
Information on Apprenticeships in Childcare and Education can be found HERE!
Play workers work with children aged from 4-14 to encourage them to develop through play. Play workers plan and supervise children’s play, using indoor and outdoor equipment, arts and crafts, music and drama. Jobs may be in early year’s childcare settings, after school clubs, adventure playgrounds, play schemes and hospitals. Play workers are usually qualified in childcare or play.
For more information visit:
Skills Active Play work Unit: www.skillsactive.com/playwork
Children’s Play Information Service: www.ncb.org.uk/CPIS
Play Link: www.playlink.org.uk
The Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education: www.cache.org.uk
Hospital Play Staff Education Trust: www.hpset.org.uk
National Association of Hospital Play Staff: www.nahps.org.uk/
SureStart: www.childcarecareers.gov.uk
SkillsActive Playwork North East: www.skillsactive.com
For more information visit:
General Social Care Council: www.gscc.org.uk
Action for Children: www.actionforchildren.org
Children’s Workforce Development Council: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
Careers in Social Work and Social Care: www.socialworkandcare.co.uk
►Care Assistant with Older People
Care assistants working with older people may visit them in their own homes or work with them in a residential setting. The job of a home carer can involves, helping with getting up, dressing, taking medication, personal care, light domestic work shopping or paying bills. Jobs in a residential care setting may involve similar tasks but people may need more ’care’ particularly for patients in nursing homes or who have disabilities. Most people working in this sector are over 18.
For more information visit:
General Social Care Council: www.gscc.org.uk
Department of Health’s Social Care and Social Work Careers: www.socialworkandcare.co.uk
Skills for Care: www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Age UK: www.helptheaged.org.uk
Community Service Volunteers: www.csv.org.uk/ftvol
Information on Apprenticeships in Health and Social Care can be found HERE!
►Probation Work and Community Justice
Probation work involves the supervision of people who have been convicted of criminal offences. This can either be where the court has sentenced them to a community based punishment or at the end of a time spent in custody. Probations officers have to deal with everyone without prejudice; the job includes working one-to-one, monitoring and preparing reports for the court. There is an assistant level role as a Community Justice worker.
For more information visit:
National Probation Service: www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk
National Probation Service Interactive Website: www.directgov.coionline.tv/judgeforyourself/
National Association of Probation Officers: www.napo.org.uk
Skills for Justice: www.skillsforjustice.com
Youth Justice Board for England and Wales: www.yjb.gov.uk
Information on Apprenticeships in Community Justice can be found HERE!
Social workers work in communities with people of all ages to support them to cope with or solve problem, which can include those caused by family breakdown, poverty, homelessness, illness or disability. Social workers may work with other services to develop and implement a plan for the care needed. Social workers may work with particular groups such as: children and families; children who are being placed for adoption and fostering, older people or those with disabilities; patients in hospitals, etc.
For more information visit:
General Social Care Council: www.gscc.org.uk
Careers in Social Work and Social Care: www.socialworkandcare.co.uk
Children’s Workforce Development Council: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
Community Service Volunteers: www.csv.org.uk/ftvol
Skills for Care: www.skillsforcare.org.uk
There are many roles supporting people in the community which are not done by professional social workers. Many of these are with charities or voluntary organisations, but could also be with the local council or health services. Typical jobs could involve: supporting elderly people in sheltered housing or their own home; working in hostels for the homeless or people leaving prison; working with refugees or asylum seekers; working or volunteering in day centres for the elderly or disabled.
For more information visit:
Community Care: www.communitycare.co.uk
General Social Care Council: www.gscc.org.uk
Skills for Care: www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Careers in Social Work and Social Care: www.socialworkandcare.co.uk
►Youth and Community Development Work
Youth workers provide activities for children and young people, they can be qualified or unqualified, employed or a volunteer. Youth workers may work in a youth centre or detached in the community, the work often involves working evenings and weekends. Typical activities include: organising sports, drama and dance arts or music activities. Some youth workers are involved in running schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The role of a community development worker is to develop activities which involve local people and build community relationships
For more information visit:
Community Care: www.communitycare.co.uk
Children’s Workforce Development Council: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk
National Youth Agency: www.nya.org.uk
Christian Youth Work Training:
Information on Apprenticeships in Youth Work can be found HERE!
Counsellors listen! They give their clients time to talk through their worries or concerns. They will not tell people what to do but will ask questions which get the person look at causes of the problem and find ways for themselves to cope with them or make thing better. Counsellors may work with people who have had a trauma, addiction, stress bereavement, relationship problems. Although you do not have to be qualified most professional roles require qualifications and experience.
For more information visit:
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy: www.bacp.co.uk
A psychologist investigates how the way people think and behave impacts in their lives. There are several branches of psychology, all of which require Higher Education qualifications. They include:
Clinical- based in medical settings dealing with problems such as stress anxiety, depression and addiction.
Educational- work with children who have learning behavioural or emotional difficulties. Forensic- work in prisons and with the police to examine the psychology of criminals and crime. Health- work in medical settings to investigate the impact of illness on patients and at health damaging behaviours. There are also research and teaching posts
For more information visit:
The British Psychological Society: www.bps.org.uk
Association of Child Psychotherapists: www.childpsychotherapy.org.uk
Association of Educational Psychotherapists: www.aep.org.uk
UK Council for Psychotherapy: www.psychotherapy.org.uk
The British Psychoanalytic Council: www.psychoanalytic-council.org
There are a lot of jobs available with charities both in paid posts and as volunteers. There may be opportunities in the UK and overseas. Roles may include publicity and fundraising, campaigning, working with or managing teams of volunteers, administration, finance, etc.
For more information visit:
Institute of Fundraising: www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
National Council for Voluntary Organisations: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk
Working for a Charity: www.wfac.org.ukwww.charityjob.co.uk
Job Vacancies: www.cfappointments.com, www.crsearch.co.uk, www.thirdsector.co.uk/jobs, www.jobsincharities.co.uk, www.communitycare.co.uk
