Getting started in a Care Assistant Role
You’re considering a career in the care industry - but you’re not sure how to go about getting a job in care.
So, just how do you become a Care Assistant?
Understanding care assistant duties and roles is crucial for anyone looking to enter this rewarding field.
From thinking about your relevant background experience, to acing the interview and starting work, we’ve got you covered. Below are the steps you need to take in order to become a Care Assistant, including the essential skills and qualities you'll need to develop.
It’ll be worth considering that each company may have different requirements for healthcare support workers.
Your background and skills
The care sector can be a great career path that has no set entry requirements. While specific care assistant qualifications aren't always necessary, employers will expect good literacy and numeracy skills. As long as you have the willingness to learn, and a strong desire to help others, you will receive all of the relevant training you need to become a Care Assistant.
You can view more information on what makes a good care assistant, but here are some key carer skills and care worker skills that would come in handy:
- Patience
- Being a great communicator with strong verbal communication skills
- Having a flexible approach to work
- Reliability and trustworthiness
- Being a hard worker with attention to detail
- Being sensitive, respectful and compassionate, upholding dignity and respect
- Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
- Emotional maturity to handle challenging situations
- Strong interpersonal skills
These care assistant qualities are essential for providing high-quality care and managing individual care plans effectively.
Preparing to become a Care Assistant
With those key skills in mind, you may want to write a CV and take a look at our blog Transferable Skills for Care, which covers the transferable skills you might want to highlight in your CV. (Although you don't need a CV to apply with Cera!)
You may need to send a cover letter too - you’ll want to write one tailored to each role you apply for, if it's a requirement for applying.
Your cover letter is a great opportunity to stand out and make your application a lot more personal. Whether you have worked as a Care Assistant previously, been an unpaid carer or don’t have any care experience at all, you will want to focus on relevant experience, your top-notch people skills and your hard-working nature.
It's important to do your research before applying for a job to really understand and get a grasp of what they are looking for in terms of care assistant duties. In your cover letter, let the recruiter know why you would be a perfect fit for, not only the job, but the company too. Highlight your desire to learn and your commitment to professional development.
Your cover letter doesn’t need to be more than one side of A4. To grab the reader’s attention, start with your most relevant points at the top and work your way back from there.
When searching for Care Assistant jobs, search for a range of job titles. For example, some good keywords are Care Worker, Support Worker, Carer, Healthcare Support Worker or Professional Carer.
Preparing for your Care Assistant interview
Once you have secured the interview, practice makes perfect. We have a blog on the Top 10 Social Care Interview Questions which will help give an idea of what could be expected.
Make sure you do all of the necessary preparation to feel as confident as possible - and remember, an interview is an important time for you to ask questions about care assistant roles and potential career progression opportunities as well.
Training to be a Care Assistant
If you get an offer for a job, you’ll then need to go through some training. We spoke to the Director of Learning and Development at Cera, who explained how Cera’s training programme works:
“At Cera, we offer comprehensive training suitable for your role. This starts with two days of face-to-face induction training at a branch, where you’ll cover key practical skills such as First Aid, Moving and Handling, Medication, and much more.
After this, you’ll complete a day of e-learning, which you can work through at your own pace. This covers essential topics such as the elements of Care Certificate, Food Hygiene Awareness, Oral Health, Medication Awareness, and Mental Capacity.
You’ll then have an orientation at your local branch and shadow experienced carers in the community. This combination of classroom learning, online training, and real-world experience is designed to empower you with the confidence, skills, and knowledge to do the job well.”
This comprehensive training ensures you are well-prepared for the various aspects of care assistant duties, from providing medication reminders to supporting clients in challenging situations. It’s the first step in your professional growth within the adult social care sector.
