Make Care Matter / Working in care
What is social care?
Adult social care is an invaluable sector, made up of various different areas and professions. It responds to a wide range of needs - from a young adult with a learning disability who needs assistance with daily tasks to an elderly person with dementia who needs emotional support as well as personal care. It helps people to live as independently as possible, protects people from harm in vulnerable situations and offers essential support in times of need. Individuals need the maximum degree of choice on how their care is delivered, they need to be able to choose how they live their life. It is about working with people in communities to ensure that they become more resilient and self-sustaining.
No adult has the same needs when it comes to care, so this means various services and provisions work together to ensure individuals receive the level of care they need to meet their personal circumstances. There are a variety of different care settings out there, Take a look at the breakdown below to see examples of social care settings:
A residential care home is a setting where vulnerable adults reside full-time and receive ongoing support and care. There are various types of residential care homes available which cater for different individual needs, these include:
- elderly care
- dementia homes
- end of life care
- nursing homes
An assisted living setting caters for those who are becoming less able to do everything for themselves in their own homes, so move into assisted accommodation where they receive additional support according to their personal needs. These settings offer individual home environments for residents, giving it a community feel. They can come in various forms including blocks of flats, bungalow estates and retirement villages.
This aspect of care involves working across the community in people’s homes. It could be for short periods of time, supporting people who have undergone periods of illness or had an accident, or for long periods of time, supporting people who require ongoing care and support but prefer to remain in their homes rather than moving to a residential care setting.
These types of settings offer part-time care facilities to adults. They are often designed for adults with learning disabilities to offer them additional support and respite to their families and full-time carers. Service users can sometimes spend the night at these settings but not on a full-time basis.

What is it like to work in care?
As well as a variety of different service areas adult social care also has a number of career opportunities and pathways. Each role involves specific skills and knowledge but all have one vital factor in common; you get to make a difference every day. These positions do not always require previous experience or qualifications. Relevant training and support will often be provided by your employer to support your development and start your career journey in care. Take a look at some of the careers available below:

Care and support worker

Rehabilitation / Reablement worker

What qualities do you need to work in social care?
Working in care can be an extremely rewarding career, offering endless job satisfaction and allowing you to really make a difference. Working in care is far more than just a job. It is interaction, communication and relationship building. The enjoyment of activities, sharing of stories and memories, all whilst learning about the varied lives of the people you support. The positive impact you can make to the lives of others is invaluable. You don’t need previous experience or qualifications to work in care, relevant training and support can be provided by your employer.
To work in care the most important qualities an employer will be looking for include:
![]() Commitment. Working in any role within the care sector requires a high level of commitment to those you are caring for. You will be committed to ensuring they receive the best care and support possible and that you are doing everything you can to support them in living a fulfilled and dignified life. |
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Holding these core values is really the only requirement to work in care and means that people from all walks of life and backgrounds can access a career in the care sector.

Can I work in adult social care?
We truly believe that if you have the right core values and attitude, a career in care is for you. We have supported various different people to find their ideal career in care by helping them understand what will be involved in the different roles and whether or not it would suit their interests.

Men care

Students care

Parents care

Young people care
We are always happy to help people understand what working in care entails and help people come to a decision if it is the right career path for them; you can contact us to arrange a conversation with one of our Make Care Matter team. Alternatively, you can see the wide variety of jobs (with full, part-time and relief hours) we currently have available by clicking the button below:
You may also want to take a look at the Skills for Care 'could you care' quiz. You can take this quiz by clicking the button below!