We’re often exposed to the most negative aspects of working in Care, from what we see in the news and across social media, and pandemic media certainly didn’t help with this.
These reports only represent a very small percentage of the industry and overlooks the incredible work of Social Care Workers and the massively positive impact they have on the people they care for, their families, and the economy.
It doesn’t matter what your career background is or how old you are, if you have a passion for helping others there’s a job in Social Care to fit your skills. You don’t often need to have qualifications or previous experience to get started, what’s more important is your attitude towards those who need care and support and that you have the right basic skillset.
We’re here to try and debunk some of the common misconceptions surrounding working in Social Care.
Myth 1: Social Care is a job with no opportunities for career progression
This just simply isn’t true. With dedication, care and a passion for your work, there are countless of opportunities for promotion in Care. In fact, many of those in senior positions in Social Care started out in entry-level roles such as Support Worker and have worked their way up.
Many employers are more than willing to put you through further training meaning you can learn and gain qualifications as you’re working which will allow you to progress into roles with more responsibility and work towards a specialism in your area of interest.
Now more than ever, Social Care is an ever-expanding sector with new roles and progression paths being created so you may find yourself working in an entirely different area of the sector than the one you start in.
Myth 2: Social Care work is badly paid
While Social Care workers do tend to be low paid when compared to some other sectors, the pay isn’t as low as you might think.
All employers in the UK must pay their employees at least the minimum wage and most Social Care employees are willing to pay their staff more than this. Some organisations provide entry-level staff such as Care Assistants with a competitive salary of up to £11 per hour, as well as paid training, mileage and travel time.
If you are willing to put in the study time, completing Social Care qualifications will lead to an increase in salary and allow you to move up from starting roles. Once you have completed a Level 5 qualifications such as the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and are in a management role, you could be earning on average £33,000 to £50,000 per annum.
Myth 3: Social Care is only about personal care and working with old people
Social care is all about supporting people to live independently in a way that they choose, and personal care is just one of the ways you could do this.
However, if that’s off putting to you, there are many Social Care jobs that don’t involve personal care at all such as Mental Health Support Workers, Rehabilitation Worker and Activity Coordinators. People also need support going to work, taking part in social activities, finding housing or recovering after an accident.
It also doesn’t mean you’ll always be working with the elderly – as much as this can be a rewarding role, if it doesn’t appeal to you there are lots of other options.
You could support a person with a physical disability, someone with a mental health condition or a learning disability, an adult with autism, a child in the care system, a person recovering from problems with drugs or alcohol or a person who’s had a brain injury. Depending on which job you choose, you could be working with someone your age or younger.
Myth 4: Working in Social Care is emotionally draining
Putting other people’s needs before your own can leave you emotionally drained, but employers are aware of this and put measures in place to protect their staff.
It’s common practice for teams to have meetings at the end of each shift to reflect on the day and share any emotional baggage that may have built up. They’re also given regular opportunities to have one-to-one sessions with supervisors which are sometimes referred to as ‘supervisions’. These allow staff to raise anything that they wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing in a group situation.
The training you’ll receive working in the Care industry will be tailored to the kind of care and support you will be providing so you will be well-equipped to deal with challenging situations.
Employers also have a Duty of Care to ensure they create a safe and secure environment for both service users and staff. This protects everyone and ensures that staff don’t feel at a disadvantage.
Myth 5: Social Care work is unfulfilling and unappreciated
There will be times when you might be challenged by a patient or service user, and this may even lead to confrontation with their family so you might assume that there is little job satisfaction since it can feel like you’re not being appreciated for what you do.
How much satisfaction you can get out of a job in Care boils down to what motivates you. If you’re motivated by bonuses or financial incentives, Social Care probably isn’t right for you, but if you want a career that genuinely makes a difference in the lives of others then you’re likely to find it rewarding.
If you’re ready to start Caring, search the best jobs in Social Care at s1jobs.
