Different job roles in health and social care

Herefordshire Cares can help you find your perfect career

How to identify your perfect fit

The adult social care sector offers a wide range of different job roles in health and social care for people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether you’re a student or a retiree, you can find a career that suits you. While roles may vary, all employees share common characteristics such as empathy, good listening skills, effective communication, and patience. Most importantly, they are kind. Explore the diversity of job roles available in the sector and find your perfect fit today.

Direct care roles

Adult social care workers love that no two days are the same. They support the more vulnerable people in our communities with their day-to-day needs, give their physical and social activities a boost, provide company, help with their personal care, assist at mealtimes, and anything else that is needed to give someone a better quality of life.

There are three similar primary roles to that of a care worker. These are a support worker, a shared lives care worker and a personal assistant.

A support worker provides extra support; this includes things like teaching essential life skills, such as how to cook a healthy meal and do laundry, as well as providing additional emotional support.

A shared lives worker welcomes a person into their own home to give welcome respite to families.

A personal assistant builds a close relationship with one person and takes on extra duties, such as taking the individual to an appointment and helping with their housework.

Other direct care roles for you to explore include counsellor, social worker, therapists, rehab worker, health visitor and activities worker.

Indirect care roles

If your skillset is more relevant to indirect care but you’re itching to have a rewarding job, then a role in management could be just what you’re looking for.

The variety in this field is big too. First there are line managers, middle managers and senior managers. All these roles are able to work in a variety of locations, from care homes to supported living flats.

Plus, their responsibilities are varied too, they manage staff, identify training needs, undertake care assessments, recruit, comply with regulations, oversee budgets, make strategic decisions and get involved with project work.

No matter the level of management, their role is to provide the highest level of care and support in the community. This includes the staff too!

Or, if you fancy focusing on one area, think about a Specialist Coordinator role. And if organisation is your superpower, then an admin assistant role sounds the perfect match.