Qualifications in care

I can't work in care I don't have the right qualifications.

In a recent survey undertaken by The Work Foundation & Total Jobs, half of the respondents said they would not apply for a role in care because they didn’t have any qualifications.

We are here to tell you that there are MANY care roles that do not require ANY qualifications or even experience in a previous care role. It is possible to get a role in care with no experience or qualifications at all – you just think about how you can share your transferrable during the recruitment process.

We’ve listed just a few examples below to get you started:

1. Team working

Have you been part of a team either at a previous role or at school? How did you make sure you played your part? How did you communicate with others in the team? What did you achieve on your own and what did the team achieve as a whole?

2. IT skills

Care has traditionally not been a very digital sector however the pandemic and other changes has meant more and more things are moving to digital. Do you regularly use a computer or a phone to complete various tasks? This can be a really useful skill – be sure to highlight it in an interview.

3. Caring skills

If you are a parent or have looked after young children, perhaps your nieces and nephews or your friends’ children - you can reference some great skills. Perhaps you have looked after vulnerable friends or family and shown a duty of care? Also think about ways you may have helped people in your community. Did you pick up a neighbour’s shopping during the Covid lockdowns? Or perhaps help them with their gardens? These show great qualities to a potential employer!

4. Listening skills

Are you a good listener? Listening skills are often overlooked but so important for care roles. Taking time to really hear what the person you are supporting has to say can have a huge impact on their day. These could be skills you have developed in many different roles such as parenting, hair dressing and customer service.

5. Following procedure

It is really important to stick to an organisation’s processes when working in a care role. Care plans, safeguarding procedures and so on need to be followed diligently and to the letter to keep the people you are looking after safe and supported. If you are used to following certain procedures in other roles such as office based admin or retail this will look great on your application.

The survey also highlighted that pay was a barrier to some respondents. We want to highlight that care offers plenty of opportunity for progression. Care UK, one of the largest Care providers in the UK told us that 36% of their managers were internally promoted. This is common in the care industry – frontline workers who are dedicated and ambitious are often offered the chance to work up to team leaders and managers.

Care also offers the chance to specialise and progress your career that way – you could decide to specialise in dementia care or learning disability care for example. Care companies are also beginning to see the value in apprenticeship and graduate schemes, allowing carers to access post graduate courses in management training for example.

If you think a role in care would be rewarding, varied and inspiring but are concerned you don’t have the right qualifications please don’t be! You can absolutely secure a role in care without any qualifications at all. Check out our Care qualities to think about how you can evidence your transferrable skills.

Good luck in your job search!