Being a care worker – what it’s really like

Support workers help people with different daily living tasks e.g. shopping, housework, laundry, meals and helping with personal care needs. You will help with letters, paperwork and managing personal affairs. You will also develop peoples wellbeing by supporting them to access hobbies, activities, holidays and the things that make life satisfying and enjoyable.

Personal care means giving intimate support and can include helping people to wash or dress, use the toilet or shower. It can mean helping people to take medication or manage incontinence. To be clear this can be messy so if you can’t cope with nudity or cleaning body fluids then perhaps this isn’t the job for you. It is something that you get used to very quickly and the important thing is to give the person we support respect and dignity. Most of the people we support manage their own personal care but it is an area of the job that will be required.

Rewarding work

Why are we telling you this? We want to be clear about your expectations and the things you will do in your job. Care work can be one of the most rewarding jobs anyone can do. You will have the opportunity to make a difference to someone's life, to make them happy and enjoy life. You can bring peace of mind to families and feel re-assured that their loved ones are well looked after. You can give hope, company, a kind word and a cup of tea. Even the small things make a difference.

At the end of a hard day, you will sleep well knowing that your actions make a difference to somebody's life.