The job of a care assistant is highly demanding, but it also comes with its fair share of rewards. If you have a passion for caring for people, it just might be the job for you. However, before you can start taking care of people as a professional, you will have to get the right education and training. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn everything you need to know to become a care assistant in the UK.
How to Become a Care Assistant?
You will have to get through the following steps to become a care assistant:
1. Get Basic Education
You don’t need a formal education to work as a care assistant. However, most employers prefer candidates with GCSEs or equivalent. Some employers also ask for secondary education qualifications based on the role. You can also go for a training programme to work as a care assistant instead of pursuing secondary education.
2. Pick Your Career Pathway
The services of care assistants are required in different work environments. They can choose to work as personal care assistants and home care assistants. Care assistants can also decide whether they want to work in care homes or deliver their services directly to a single client. Once you have gotten the qualification part down, you should pick a career pathway for yourself. Choosing your career pathway will help you decide where should you direct your efforts to.
3. Work on Your Skills
Most people who choose the career of a care assistant already have soft skills like communication, empathy, and a passion for caring for others. However, you may also require some technical skills to be able to do your job properly. So, if you want to become a care assistant, you should work on specific skills like nutrition and first aid.
Understanding the Types of Care Assistants
There are two main types of care assistants, or rather two paths care assistants can take in their career: personal care assistant and home care assistant.
i. Personal Care Assistant (PCA):
A personal care assistant provides support and care to people who cannot do their daily tasks on their own. As a PCA, you will be working with the elderly, the disabled, and those recovering from an injury. So, you can choose to work in care homes or hospitals, depending on your preference.
The primary duties of a PCA are:
- Helping patients with tasks like bathing, washing, and eating.
- Ensuring patients are taking their medications on time.
- Offering support during physical therapy sessions.
- Provide emotional support to the patients.
ii. Home Care Assistant:
A home care assistant helps the elderly and disabled live comfortably and safely in the comfort of their own homes. The duties of home care assistants are similar to those of PCAs. In most cases, home care assistants report to the home care manager about the condition of the patient.
The primary duties of a home care assistant are:
- Helping clients wash, bathe, and eat.
- Assisting patients with taking their medications.
- Preparing meals and running errands for the client.
- Monitoring the health of the client.
Skills Needed to Become a Care Assistant
Care assistants must possess the following skills to be able to do their job efficiently:
Empathy
Care assistants have to provide their services to the elderly and the disabled. It isn’t easy for the patients to accept help from care assistants as it makes them feel vulnerable and weak. However, if care assistants practice compassion and empathy, they can make it easier for patients to rely on them.
Physical Fitness
Care assistants often have to move patients, something that requires a lot of strength, which is why they must be physically fit. They also have challenging duties, which require them to have a great deal of stamina. If you wish to become a care assistant, you should build your physical fitness.
Communication
Providing support to clients when they need it the most requires care assistants to have exceptional communication skills. Through these skills, care assistants can figure out when clients need help and the best way to support them during difficult times.
More on Mastering the Necessary Skills and Qualities as a Care Assistant.
Training & Development for Care Assistants
Although care assistants don’t require formal degrees to enter their field, they should still undergo basic training to polish their abilities. However, over the years, these abilities may get rusted over time, which is why regular training is essential for the career development of care assistants.
ESGO understands the need for training and how beneficial it can be for care assistants. ESGO conducts regular training sessions to directly contribute to the growth of care assistants, helping them become the best at what they do.
Duties & Responsibilities of Care Assistants
The duties and responsibilities of a care assistant can vary depending on the environment they are working in. However, the basic duties and responsibilities remain more or less the same. Here’s what you will be responsible for as a care assistant:
- Helping clients with basic tasks related to their personal hygiene.
- Ensuring clients take medication on time.
- Doing household chores for the client.
- Providing companionship to clients by engaging in healthy discussions with them.
- Continuously monitoring the health of the clients.
- Assisting clients in maintaining a clean and sharp image to boost their confidence.
5 Key Duties of a Care Assistant
The five key duties of a care assistant are:
- Providing Help
- Handling Chores
- Preparing Meals
- Offering Companionship
- Monitoring Health
Care Assistant Job in London
29% of London’s population is over 50 years old and a significant percentage of that demographic requires assistance from professionals for handling their daily tasks. As a result of this, there’s a high demand for care assistants in London. However, there are also plenty of people applying for care assistant jobs, including foreign nationals hoping to move to the UK. Finding a job as a care assistant in London may be difficult on your own, however, you can get through this task with the help of ESGO. With ESGO’s staffing platform, you can connect with recruiters in London looking for care assistants and apply directly.
How to Apply through ESGO?
As a modern staffing platform, ESGO has an online job portal designed for those in search of employment. You can sign up with ESGO through our website or our app for Android and iOS. You can check the list of available jobs on the job portal and apply to the ones that match your preferences.
Why Care Assistants Choose Us?
Getting in touch with recruiters through an agency is not unheard of. However, what separates ESGO from those agencies is our commitment to adhere to quality at all times. We don’t let poor-paying jobs get posted on our portal. Care assistants from all over the UK choose us to find jobs because ESGO helps them get the best pay and benefits. You can also enjoy competitive salaries and benefits as a care assistant by letting ESGO connect you with the right recruiters.
FAQs
- What is a healthcare assistant?
A healthcare assistant (HCA) is someone who provides basic care and support to patients including washing and bathing them. Healthcare assistants are also responsible for monitoring the vital signs of patients and reporting irregularities to the doctors. - How to become a healthcare assistant in NHS?
There are no set requirements for becoming a healthcare assistant in NHS’s health centres. However, you must have GCSEs and some employers might also ask for healthcare-related experience. There are also apprenticeships in healthcare that can help you gain the experience needed to apply for HCA jobs. - What does a healthcare assistant do?
Healthcare assistants help the elderly, the disabled, and those recovering from an injury handle their daily tasks. They are also responsible for keeping track of the health of patients. - Why do you want to be a care assistant?
The job of a care assistant is highly challenging, which is why only those who truly wish to work with the vulnerable should apply for the role. If you have a high degree of empathy and compassion for others, then it just might be the perfect job for you.
