Finding Care and Support Jobs in Kent
Kent is the most populated and largest county in the UK. Known as the Garden of England, it’s a mix of bustling towns and green landscapes. This combination makes it an ideal place to live and work that has many opportunities for a successful career.
This guide will cover the care sector job market and the advantages of living in Kent. Read on to find out where to look for jobs, how to begin your search and what makes Kent stand out. Plus, we’ll share industry tips on the top employers in the areas and how to impress prospective employers.
How To Find a Job in Kent
The many prosperous towns in Kent are the focus of the county’s job market, including care sector roles. Understanding the locations, distances and areas with the greatest need is your first step to securing a job in the county.
Once you recognise the main towns and areas that need care and social workers, you can look at the opportunities available. By viewing several job adverts in the area, you’ll get a clearer idea of what organisations want from their employees. Here are some key factors to note when checking the listing.
- Number of vacancies
- Position title
- Hiring company
- Area/town in Kent
- Responsibilities
- Skills, qualifications and experience required
- Hours e.g. part-time or full-time work
- Salary
Your next step is to work out where your skills fit in. It’s essential to think about what you want from the position and what you bring. Now it’s the time to draft or redraft your CV. Find ways to tweak it to draw attention to your skills and how they address the needs of hiring companies in Kent.
Benefits of Working in Kent
Besides the beautiful city of Canterbury, the country is full of big, medium and small towns. It means that there are many options for different settings for work and living arrangements. Here are some more benefits to living and working in Kent.
1. Competitive Opportunities
Since the population of the county is large, many people need care and several organisations to provide it. There is also a healthy workforce in Kent. These two factors combine to deliver opportunities with competitive salaries but also a variety of job vacancies at different levels.
2. Towns to Suit Your Budget
The different towns in Kent have a range of atmospheres and house and rent prices. While some have neighbourhoods that are ideal for families, others deliver plenty of entertainment and socialising opportunities for younger people. It’s possible to find affordable accommodation to suit all budgets.
3. Excellent Connections
Travelling between Kent’s main city and towns is easy by car, bus and train. The high-speed line runs through several Kent towns, connecting them with London with a journey of less than an hour. Additionally, the channel tunnel and international train stations connect Kent with popular destinations in Europe.
4. Facilities and Green Spaces
One of Kent’s most appealing attractions is its green spaces. You can explore the Kent Downs, the White Cliffs and several other parks and nature reserves. As for staying active, you’ll have access to top-class sports facilities, including a state-of-the-art climbing wall, boxing gym and skate park in Folkestone.
Starting Your Search
Kent is an appealing prospect and the opportunities are out there. You know what hiring companies are looking for and how to tailor your CV. Now it’s time to reach for some tools to maximise your ways to find the right role for you.
It’s best to start broad and then narrow your selection. Begin by finding many different vacancies and then work out how many you’ll apply for. Physical job boards within the county and online listings can provide two different sources to explore.
While going it alone might suit your needs, don’t rule out working with recruiters. It can share some of the workload of finding roles and discover opportunities you might not see otherwise. Plus, if you’re relocating, a local recruiter can bring several advantages.
For anyone studying, already working in the industry or even if you know someone in health and social care, now’s the time to speak to your contacts. Networking is a useful way to gain extra information or help your CV get noticed by the right people.
Industry Tips for Landing Social Care Roles in the Kent Job Market
A large job market, such as the one found in the populous county of Kent can be challenging to navigate. These tips will help you take your next steps towards getting the role you want.
Follow Top Companies Hiring in Kent
Staying up to date on the hiring companies with the most vacancies and attractive roles is crucial. By knowing where to look, you’ll see new job listings from the top companies first.
- Cygnet - Cygnet has been operating since 1988. It runs a range of health and social care services, including supporting adults and young people with autism and learning disabilities, mental health needs and dementia and providing palliative care.
- Bupa - This organisation was created in 1947. It’s an international healthcare company serving over 38 million people. The range of healthcare services includes residential, nursing, respite, convalescent and dementia care.
- Look Ahead - Look Ahead has been supporting people with its care, support and housing services for over 50 years. It works across London and the South East and is commissioned by Kent County Council to deliver mental health, homelessness, learning disability, young people and domestic abuse services.
- Greensleeves Care - This not-for-profit organisation has been supporting older people for over 25 years. It operates 27 care homes across England, including four in Kent.
Show What You Can Do
Care and support workers need to be personable. Show that you understand the value of the personal touch by finding out the name and position of the person running the recruitment. It’ll allow you to address them directly and get off to a great start.
When highlighting your skills, make sure you describe them in terms of how they’ll help you in the new role. Focus on different aspects of how you’ll improve the service, boost the team and bring positive influences to the environment. Any personal statements or cover text that you write should give the reader a sense of who you are while also showing attention to detail and professionalism in your spelling and grammar.
Find a Good Match
While searching for a job is a numbers game, it’s best to focus on quality not quantity when it comes to care and support roles. Once you’ve worked out how many job applications you can handle per week or month, you can ensure you only line up the opportunities that match your needs and skills. That way, your application will shine as it aligns with the hiring company's requirements and values.