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Training and development opportunities available once you’re working in care

Training and development opportunities available once you’re working in care

What Training and Development opportunities are available when working in care?

When considering working in care, you may wonder whether you need specific qualifications.

Thankfully, you do not necessarily need qualifications for entry-level positions in most instances. You can learn more in our blog about applying to work in care, without experience or qualifications.

However, you may be interested in any training and development opportunities once you start work.

The list of training and development opportunities includes:

  • Induction and Regular training

  • Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)

  • Apprenticeships

Induction and regular training

Training and Development opportunities start as soon as you start your career in care, in the form of mandatory training, which includes things such as manual handling and safeguarding.  The training is likely to be both e-learning and practical. Chances are you will receive the care certificate, which has become a standard across the care sector.

While working in the care sector, you could also be offered additional training about other important topics you might want to know more about. This depends on the service the care company provides.

If you are working in a care home for the elderly, you might be offered extra training in dementia whereas if you are working at a service for those with learning disabilities, you may be offered extra training in various areas related to this.

Despite these opportunities, you may be thinking about developing your career further. Whilst the training opportunities already mentioned can do this, you may need to complete a qualification if you want to achieve a specific goal.

These qualifications are gained through a QCF (formally NVQ) qualification.

Qualification credit framework (QCF)

The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) was brought in to replace the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). Under the QCF framework, you earn credits to earn a qualification.

The more credits you earn, the higher the level of the QCF qualification. There are three types of qualifications you can earn:

  • You need to earn approximately 1-12 credits for an award.

  •  You need to earn approximately 13 – 36 credits for a certificate.

  •  You need to earn approximately over 37 credits for a diploma.

There are also different levels. The level depends on the qualification you want to earn. For example, a Level 3 qualification is equivalent to an A Level whereas a Level 6 qualification is equivalent to an undergraduate degree.

Some adverts ask for a level 2 QCF qualification in Health and Social Care, with a willingness to work towards a level 3, but these are mainly for senior roles. Therefore, if you have ambitions to go for a senior role, it is worth considering.

You can earn a QCF whilst working by completing an apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship allows you to do on-the-job training and earn a qualification.

Care companies offer the opportunity to do a wide range of apprenticeships at different levels. Therefore, whether you want to develop your current career or change your career overall, there are plenty of apprenticeships to choose from.

The level of the apprenticeship can affect the level of the qualification. For example, a level 2 apprenticeship is equivalent to a GCSE, but a level 6 apprenticeship is equivalent to an undergraduate degree.

The level of apprenticeship affects the length of the apprenticeship. A level 2 apprenticeship can last between 12 to 18 months whereas a level 6 apprenticeship can last 3 years. With this in mind, ensure you have applied to do the apprenticeship that is right for you and you are willing to commit to it.

During an apprenticeship, you are employed as normal but with 20% of your normal working hours set aside for study.

Once you have finished your apprenticeship, you receive a certificate and qualification.

How to access the training

To access more training, it is best to speak to your manager, who will determine if the training is worthwhile for your role and provide advice on the location, the method etc. If you want to do an apprenticeship, your manager can advise on what apprenticeship to take.

We also recommend that you speak to your prospective employer about available training and development as part of the recruitment process. Showing an interest in this will demonstrate your motivation to develop yourself when in role - plus you can decide whether the company you’re applying to will satisfy your own developmental goals.

We hope you have been given some inspiration about the type of training offered once you have started working in care and we wish you luck!

See a wide range of jobs within the care industry.