Career Development
As an organisation dedicated to delivering high-quality care and support to those in need, we place a strong emphasis on fostering professional growth and personal fulfilment among our teams. A role in community care can be incredibly rewarding, but also requires specific skills.
Whether you're just starting your career in the healthcare industry or seeking to advance your existing skills and expertise, we provide a dynamic and supportive environment where you can thrive and grow.
What to expect during onboarding
During onboarding at Cera, you can expect a comprehensive and structured programme designed to prepare you for the demands of providing care and supporting individuals in need.
This training is crucial for ensuring that you can deliver high-quality care whilst maintaining the safety and well-being of those you are responsible for.
We offer a three day induction programme which includes orientation to ensure you fully understand the branch, mission, values and skills needed to work at Cera. Our teams will then reconfirm your availability and book you in for a shadow shift.
Shadow shifts allow you the chance to see a more experienced carer in action and learn the structure of a professional care visit, as well as day-to-day responsibilities in a more hands-on way.
Once you have completed your shadow shift, or shifts, you will have a meds competency observation. This is to ensure you are ready to provide care to those with a variety of needs.
Once your probation supervisions and review are complete (typically around week twelve), you will be signed off and can consider your onboarding process complete.
In England you will work towards the industry standard Care Certificate, in Scotland and Wales you will need to register as a professional carer with the inspectorate, and must complete a Level 2 Health and Social Care qualification.
Although this a fantastic achievement, you might find yourself still keen to learn and expand upon the foundation skills we give you. At Cera we offer some fantastic opportunities for further development.
Career development opportunities for professional carers
As part of our Carer Value Proposition here at Cera, we are formally endorsed as a training provider by Skills for Care. This means that we meet the high standards set by Skills for Care for training providers, demonstrating commitment to deliver the highest quality internal training programmes.
You can discover more about the training, development and qualification options we can provide below.
Care apprenticeship pathway
We value your continued professional development and know that retention of our care staff is closely linked to progression and new opportunities within the business. Our industry leading career pathway clearly maps out the journey’s available to you at Cera. Whether you choose to focus on Care, Quality or Management there is an option for all.
To give our staff the chance to gain professionally recognised qualifications alongside their current work, we offer a huge variety of apprenticeships. Not only do they allow you to gain valuable experience whilst developing your skills in a chosen area, but can also open doors for you to new roles and areas of the business when complete.
With more than 70 options, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone.
Your journey with Cera
| Role | Description | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Professional carer | Many of our carers join us with no previous experience, to progress in our care pathway you can achieve a Level 2 or 3 Care Qualification to set you up for success. | Level 2/3 |
| Support Service Officer | For those wishing to progress into a business support role, our Level 3 Administration or Customer Service qualifications can offer a great next step. | Level 3 |
| Field Care Supervisor/Care Coordinator | Continue delivering care in the community whilst taking on more responsibility you can work towards a Level 3 Lead Adult Care Worker or towards Level 4 qualifications such as Team Leader or Learner and Skills Mentor. | Level 3/4 |
| Manager | The next natural step in your social care career would take you into a management role. To support your development you can undertake courses such as Level 4 or 5 in Care, Leadership or Quality. | Level 4/5 |
| Regional Management | You may choose to take an operational improvement/management role as a Regional Manager or specialise in Quality, Compliance and Risk. You will work towards a Level 5 or 6 Management and Leadership qualification. | Level 5/6 |
| Regional Director | You will have strong people management skills and expert knowledge on maintaining the highest standards of care whilst leading teams to success. Level 7 Senior Leader or Risk and Safety qualifications are available to develop your skills. | Level 7 |
Other qualifications and training
In any role you’ll have to do some mandatory training; this might include moving and handling, health and safety, basic life support, food hygiene, fire safety or a condition specific awareness course.
At Cera we work hard to provide access to specific training courses which allow carers to develop their own knowledge and practical skills. Currently we have almost 50 vocational course options available both in England and Scotland.
With available courses including; safeguarding, dementia care, caring for adults, caring for children and young people, end of life care, counselling, and much more.
Additional support and development
Continuous support and development is key for us to ensure our professional carers are both happy and successful in their roles. We know just how important it is to feel confident in the work you are doing and know your next steps if you’re looking to grow your career further. Mentorship, 1:1’s, and reviews allow our team to nurture the growth of carers, fostering their skills and ensuring they have every opportunity to succeed.
Our internal care mentors programme will allow you to develop your own skills in leadership, communication, problem solving, and empathy. Through building relationships with mentees and developing their skills, you can also enhance your own personal growth and professional development. As a care mentor, you will have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of others, fostering a sense of fulfilment and purpose in your role.
