Care Home Jobs

Care home jobs: frequently asked questions

Welcome to our care home jobs page, featuring all the latest roles as well as frequently asked questions below.

What does a care home job entail?

Care home jobs involve helping vulnerable people to live as comfortably and independently as possible.

You’ll be working in a residential care home, the majority of which are operated privately.

The people you support could be adults with learning difficulties, physical disabilities, mental health conditions or older people.

There are various roles within this sector. At entry level, typical jobs include carers or care assistants, and at the higher end you have deputy home managers and care home managers. But there are other, specialist roles in between which can include social workers or home nurses.

What daily responsibilities do you have in a care home?

Care home duties depend greatly on the seniority of your role. But broadly, they may include:

• Supporting people with washing, dressing and eating

• Overseeing the needs of lots of different people and managing care accordingly • Monitoring health of residents

• Managing and administering medication according to treatment plans

• Helping to run internal and external home activities

It’s normally a shift-based role, because care homes are of course a 24/7 operation. This gives the potential for flexibility in how you work, and part-time opportunities.

What skills or qualifications do you need for a job in a care home?

No formal qualifications are required for entry-level positions within a care home.

You may need GCSEs in English, maths and science, but this is at the discretion of the care home. Care home workers often have a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care – but this often developed after entering the industry.

In terms of personal skills, care, compassion, patience, resilience and great communications skills are essential. Ideally you need a mix of toughness and compassion to ensure you can thrive in a care home.

Management positions are achievable through a combination of experience and qualifications. A Level 4 NVQ in Health and Social Care is a very common route into the role, although many home managers are former registered nurses who’ve gained some management experience.

You may also choose to train to become a social worker, support worker, or care home nurse.

What do care home workers get paid?

Care home salaries vary widely, mainly because the majority of residential care homes are privately operated.

According to industry statistics, the national average hourly rate for entry level care assistants is around £8.30 per hour, and average annual pay is between £15,000 and £17,000.

Meanwhile, the average salary for a care manager is somewhere around £30,000 to £32,000 a year.

Care home pay is currently under government scrutiny, as it continues to attempt to fill the large recruitment gaps within the sector. For such a challenging and vital profession, it’s rightly and widely agreed that entry level salaries and average salaries are too low. It’s therefore hoped that change is on the horizon.

Find your next care home job today

Whether you’re an experienced care home worker or just starting your career, view our latest care jobs above, or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, register your CV and we’ll send you the latest roles.