What Does A Support Worker Do
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to become a support worker? Read our first-hand experiences and how to get involved in support work with Prestige Nursing & Care today.
Support workers are a vital part of providing vulnerable people with care, and are able to radically improve their quality of life. Support workers assist individuals who are unable to live independently by offering them the practical help they need as well as emotional support. There is an enormous range of clients that support workers provide help to, including people with learning difficulties, people with physical disabilities, and the vulnerable elderly – which includescompanion careand caring for people withdementia.
Why become a support worker?
Becoming a support worker is an incredibly rewarding job path. You will have the opportunity to support people in need and make a meaningful difference in their lives. Even though support work presents challenges at times, the knowledge that you are making a positive difference will provide you with a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
A career in support work also provides a number of practical benefits. Your responsibilities and tasks will vary day-to-day, meaning no two days on the job will be alike. At Prestige Nursing & Care we provide a number of flexible rotas, so you can work the hours you want, when you want them. We also provide competitive hourly rates that are often higher than other agencies, along with benefits such as holiday pay and ongoing training and development.
What is the work environment of a support worker?
As a support worker, you may find yourself working in a number of settings including private homes, clinical facilities, hospitals, and care homes. The hours you work will depend on your work environment. If you work in private care, you may be required to visit your clients for a few hours a day or you may live in your client’s home in a live-in care arrangement. If you work in other care settings, you may work normal business hours. It is this flexibility that makes support work so appealing.
Support Worker Duties and Responsibilities
Support workers’ roles and responsibilities are varied – although they all involve working to improve the standard of care and quality of life for a client. On a day-to-day basis the job typically includes assisting clients with their care needs, for example, washing and dressing them, helping to administer them with basic care and ensuring that standards of hygiene are adhered to. The role also involves monitoring the health of clients, which can include checking their temperature, pulse and weight on a regular basis.
There is far more to the duties of a support worker than this, however. Support workers are also expected to assist in improving the quality of a client’s life, and this means helping them with tasks both inside and outside of the home. There are a wide range of basic tasks that can be challenging to the vulnerable, including bed-making, cooking, cleaning and even administrative tasks like paying bills – and as a support worker you will assist with these and more.
Beyond this, support workers often find themselves working with other professionals involved in a client’s care, such as their therapists, nurses and doctors.
Being a good support worker
Being an organised and hard-working individual is a huge part of being a support worker. The role of a support worker also demands that employees possess strong people skills.
The ability to communicate easily with clients and build a personal relationship with them is extremely important. A good relationship improves support workers’ ability to fulfil their duties effectively and also improves a client’s quality of life considerably. A friendly and approachable demeanour will also help support workers to build strong working relationships with other care workers, as well as a client’s family.
Being a support worker is not for everyone due to the very personal and emotive nature of the job, and it is important that would-be employees are mentally strong.
What skills are needed to become a support worker?
There are no specific qualifications needed to be a support worker – beyond a good attitude and willingness to learn, which are essential – but experience in the care sector is definitely advantageous.
When starting as a support worker, employers provide newcomers with a course of training that gives an insight and understanding into the role and its responsibilities.
Prestige Nursing & Care offers people who are looking to start a fulfilling career as a support worker with the opportunity to take part in an introduction to care course, which provides them with the necessary skills to excel in the care profession. We also offer we offer free uniforms, and provide a free DBS check.
If you are looking for support worker jobs or other care roles, please contact us and we’ll be happy to provide you with more information.
We are here to take your call and will provide impartial support and guidance – contact our friendly care experts today to discuss your nurse-led care needs. Jobs FAQs
What shifts or rotas are available for professional carers?
Our branches have a wide variety of hours and rotas which means it’s possible to find shifts that fit in with your life situation, whether you want a full time role or are just looking for a few hours a week. All that we ask is that you commit to the hours you can do two weeks in advance.
Do I need care experience to join?
Six months’ professional care experience is ideal – such as a domiciliary carer, care assistant, homecare worker, support worker or healthcare assistant. However, if you are new to care some branches do offer training leading to care certificates, so please contact the recruitment team to discuss on .
Do I need a driving licence?
A full clean driving is required for some roles, but not all. Job roles normally state if a driving licence is required, but if you are unsure then please contact the recruitment team on .
What pre-employment checks do you do?
To join Prestige Nursing & Care as a professional carer you will be required to apply for a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, unless you are registered with the update service.
We can help you apply via your local branch. When you work with children and vulnerable adults a DBS check is a legal requirement. Find out more about DBS checks: /government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service/about.
We also require two professional references, one of which should be your current or most recent employer.
Finally, you will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK, NI number, ID and proof of address. Your recruiter will talk you through all requirements and support you all the way.
What training do I need to complete before starting work?
You will need to complete both online e-learning modules and virtual training via Microsoft Teams. This is very flexible and can be completed from home as long as you have a compatible device. Find out more about the training we offer.
Yes, the training is completely free.
Do you offer regular patterns of work?
Yes, our branches offer a wide variety of hours and shift patterns.
Will I be employed by Prestige Nursing & Care?
You would become a member of our team with a contract for services. You would be eligible for things like SSP and holiday, as well as a NEST workplace pension.
How old do you have to be to work as a carer?
You need to be 18 years old to join our care team and there is no upper age limit.
How often will I get paid?
We pay all our professional carers weekly.