Career Pathways

New to Social Work?

You don’t necessarily have to have worked in care before.  What is most important is your values and attitude to working with people who need care and support.

If you are new to working in care, the first step as part of your induction is to obtain your Care Certificate.  This supports 15 standards of care and demonstrates your knowledge and competency.

After this, the next step would be a level 2 qualification which could be via an apprenticeship.  This is a great way of learning on the job from more experienced workers, while being paid. 

Looking to Progress?

The right combination of values, skill and hard work can take you far. There are a range of different job roles you can progress to.  These may include:

• Senior care worker
• Health care assistant
• Occupational therapy assistant
• Mental Health Support Worker

There are a range of qualifications you can take and progress your career.  This may be a higher level apprenticeship, or it may be specialist training in your area of expertise.  This includes certificates or diplomas which can be obtained through the local colleges.

A Management Role?

Whatever your role in management, whether it is your first role, or you are looking to progress your management career, there are apprenticeships or higher level degrees available to support your development.

Could you run your own business?

Could you be part of a new generation of social care entrepreneurs? The social care sector is increasingly innovative and searching for new solutions. Working alongside service users and other care & health agencies, could you use your experience to design the kind of services we will need in the future?