Carers provide day-to-day support so clients can live independently
Flexible hours, good pay and the chance to make a positive difference to someone’s life. A job as a care worker can deliver much more than expected.
The Work
Carers provide day-to-day support so clients can live independently, rather than in a communal home, says Peter Henry, owner and manager
of care company Origin. One of the benefits of working as a carer is that each job is different because each client is different. Tasks include shopping, housework, cooking meals, personal care and driving.
Why is it important?
A carer’s job is to give necessary support to their client so they can lead an independent lifestyle.
“Good quality care support can mean the difference between being able to live in your own home, have a job, enjoy sports and a social life or being confined to a residential home of some kind,” Henry says. The feeling of helping someone achieve their independence gives carers the greatest job satisfaction.
Live-in, live-out
Live-in carework typically means that you live in the home of the person you will be caring for. Live-out care work is usually undertaken with a residential home, where teams of care workers support the home’s residents in a more structured setting.
Who needs care?
Elderly people and people with mental and/or physical disabilities, need care. Some care agencies specialise in particular fields. For example, Origin specialises in care services for people with spinal injuries.
Training and skills
While some care agencies may ask for care work qualifications, most welcome people with no previous experience or qualifications. Origin provide a free four-day training course to all its care workers, while most of the better care agencies provide some free training, as well as the opportunity for further formal training, which can lead to gaining some qualifications.
“In most cases, no experience is necessary,” Henry says. “At Origin we have carers who have been scuba instructors, holiday reps, hotel managers, teachers, physiotherapists, care workers, secretaries and butchers – plus just about every other job too.”
