How to Become a Support Worker

Support workers play a vital role within our communities, assisting those who are facing both short- and long-term problems. Support workers can work with a variety of different clients including families with young children, the elderly, and the disabled. For this reason, it is an incredibly diverse and rewarding role in which you can instantly see the impact that your work is having on those you are supporting. But what, exactly, is a support worker? What personal qualities will you need to be a support worker? And how much can you expect to earn? Here’s everything you need to know:

What is a Support Worker?

Support workers fall under the umbrella heading of ‘the caring professions’ alongside nurses, carers, and other healthcare workers. A support worker is someone who dedicates their career to helping others. You will primarily work with individuals who need extra assistance in order to live their daily lives. This could be families with short- or long-term care needs, elderly or disabled people, or even those with drug or substance abuse issues. The role of a support worker involves so much more than simply providing support: many support workers feel their role is most successful when those that support them don’t need them anymore! This is because the support worker’s role includes helping those they support to develop strategies and systems to live freely and to work in a way that assists them in overcoming their social or physical impairments. This could include but is not limited to, helping them develop routines for self-care and shopping, or using mobility aids to move around more independently.

Support workers often work not only with their clients but also with their families. For example, if some clients have trouble communicating, the support workers might speak to their family members to clarify how they can perform their duties most effectively.

Full-time Support workers typically work between 36-38 hours per week, although many will also choose to work overtime hours as well. Because the care needs of those who rely on support workers are not limited to working hours, support workers don’t work regular hours either! You should expect to work on a shift basis, and your rota could include working some evenings, weekends, and public holidays.

Support workers often wear their own clothes, which should be comfortable and practical, including closed-toe shoes. Depending on the needs of your clients, you may also have to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as aprons, gloves, and face masks. Some agencies may have more formal uniform requirements, but this is determined from employer to employer.

Personal Qualities of a Support Worker

In order to be successful in the role of a support worker, you will need to possess the following personal qualities:

• The ability to interact with individuals from all walks of life in a way that is warm and welcoming
• Good counselling skills, including the ability to listen in an active way to your clients and adopt a non-judgmental approach to dealing with their wants and needs
• Patience, and the ability to remain calm in situations that are either difficult or stressful. When working under pressure you must be able to accept criticism and often change how you work accordingly
• You must be flexible and open to change. This could be a change of clients or a change of work schedule. Last-minute changes are common within this role
• The ability to work well as part of a wider team, as well as the self-motivation required to work independently
• You must be a ‘people person’. You should be empathetic to the thoughts and feelings of others and have the ability to understand other people’s reactions and react appropriately to them
• The most important skill required of a support worker is a genuine desire to help people and to make their lives better and easier
• You should have good written and verbal communication skills, as you will be required to write reports on your interactions with your clients and share handover notes with other support workers
• Basic medical knowledge. This will help you to keep track of your clients’ medical records and to understand their medical needs
• You should be able to carry out basic tasks on both a computer and a hand-held device

What a Support Worker Does

The role of a support worker is varied, and so no two days will ever be exactly the same. But you can expect to complete many of the following tasks as part of your day-to-day job:

• Working with your clients who will each have their own unique challenges. These can include but are not limited to, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health concerns or substance and alcohol abuse challenges
• You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team, alongside the care workers and other medical professionals involved in the care of your patient, to establish the best treatment plan for them. Your role will largely involve implementing this treatment plan at a practical level
• If your client has specific physical needs or requires support with any mobility issues then helping them with these will be a part of your role. This could involve helping them to travel to hospital appointments, social events, or leisure activities
• Regardless of their physical or mobility needs, your role will involve supporting your clients with everyday tasks and activities. This could include but is not limited to, cooking, cleaning, bathing and personal hygiene tasks, and shopping
• When your clients have medical appointments, your role will involve attending with them to provide physical and emotional support
• You will use specific NHS information technology systems to keep track of your client’s medical records and files so that you always have the most up-to-date information available to help you provide the best possible level of care to your clients
• As well as working closely with your clients, you will also work with and communicate closely with their friends, family and other caring or support systems, to ensure that all crucial information is shared throughout these key networks
• Your role will be a collaborative one. You will speak with and listen to your clients, ensuring that you understand their needs and that you know how they feel you can best support them to reach these needs. You should build a relationship to make this collaboration as easy and effective as possible
• Finally, as well as supporting your clients with their existing needs, you will also work to help them to minimise their dependency on care. You will do this by working with them to develop goals and building their strength to meet these goals, helping them to live independently where possible

How Much Does a Support Worker Earn?

The amount you will earn as a support worker will be determined by the employer that you work for, where in the UK you are based, and your level of experience. If you are an entry-level support worker that is relatively new to the role then you can expect to earn around £19,000 per year, whilst more experienced support workers can earn up to £36,000 per year. Some employers choose to pay their support workers on an hourly basis, and support workers in the UK earn more than the minimum wage, with the hourly average starting rate for support workers sitting at £11.80 per hour.

Qualifications Needed for a Support Worker

There are many different routes to becoming a support worker, meaning that you can pursue the qualifications and career path that best suits your specific needs. These include:

• GCSEs. Most employers will require that you have achieved certain GCSE requirements, including having qualifications in English, maths and science. Most employers feel that it is vital for their support workers to have qualifications in biology or other life sciences because they often have to assist individuals with varying disabilities or diseases. If you don’t have GCSE qualifications in place then it is possible to retake your GCSEs online, which will help you considerably when applying for support worker positions, as well as helping you to improve your knowledge and skills for this type of job role
• College-Based Qualifications. Once you have relevant GCSE’s you may wish to pursue additional qualifications to enable you to secure a support worker role, helping you to develop your knowledge and skills. Common examples of these include: diplomas or national vocational qualifications (NVQs). To pursue a level three diploma, you will need to have at least four or five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4. To pursue the level four diploma, you need to have either: at least one A level, or a level three diploma. You do not need to have previous qualifications to pursue an NVQ, and you can pursue these either via on-the-job training or at colleges or online colleges across the UK. If you have a certain number of GCSEs or completed A levels, you can also use those as an equivalent for a national vocational qualification, and some employers accept four to five GCSEs instead of a level two NVQ, and two A levels instead of a level three NVQ

Some of the most relevant college-based qualifications that you could study for to help you in your chosen career path include:

• CACHE Level 3 Award in health and social care
• CACHE Level 3 Award in awareness of dementia
• CACHE Level 3 Certificate in preparing to work in adult social care
• Transferable Skills. Whilst academic qualifications are essential in almost all job roles, in social care and support work, the transferable and demonstrable skills that you possess will be just as important as your formal qualifications. If you have previously worked in any customer service role (for example by working in the retail or service industry sectors) then you will be able to demonstrate the excellent communication skills needed for these roles. These are often referred to as ‘soft skills’. Other soft skills that would be essential for working as a support worker include demonstrating your problem-solving skills, communication skills, and any health skills or medical experience. If you don’t have any work experience, because you are still in school or college, it is still possible to develop the transferrable skills you need. You can do this by volunteering within relevant environments, and taking an active role in school or youth activities would also be a great way of demonstrating your care for your community and your commitment to working in a support worker role
• On-the-Job Training. Finally, some employers may recruit you to work as a support worker without already demonstrating a wealth of experience, as they will provide training as part of your employment. They may still ask that you are able to demonstrate your aptitude for fulfilling the role before you begin your employment, and they may also ask that you pursue a care certificate, which focuses on the general standards and regulations for social care and health workers as part of your terms of employment. The subjects that the certificate focuses on can include personal development, duty of care and fluids and nutrition. On-the-job training may also take the form of an apprenticeship, and you will work as a support worker (usually under the supervision of a more experienced support worker) whilst also completing relevant qualifications at college on day release, or via online learning

Because your role will involve working with vulnerable people in their homes, you will need to undertake an enhanced background check before you can begin your career as a support worker. And as your role will involve visiting clients in their homes, you will need a driving licence with no penalty points to enable you to get from A to B efficiently.

Professional Bodies

Joining a professional body for your chosen career is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to your role, meet others within your sector, and develop your qualifications. The national association of care and support workers (NACAS) is the only professional body for care and support workers in the UK and has been recognised by the social care network as a vehicle to unite the care workforce. Unlike nurses and other healthcare professionals, until recently, care workers have not had a formal membership body, which means they have not been given the professional recognition they deserve, but the role of NACAS is to change this. The body provides an outlet for anyone with a role in social care. This includes: paid employees in the care and support work sectors, unpaid carers or care workers, and students interested in working within support work and care. The focus of the organisation is on advancing and promoting care work as a profession. If you would like to build professional relationships with other care workers, help to promote care as a career and profession, and have access to core skills training and professional development opportunities then you may find NACAS membership to be beneficial.