Publication: Guardian Careers
Date: 21st May 2014
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Seven social care careers you may not have considered
Everyone knows what a social worker or care worker does, but what other job opportunities are there within the sector?
You need to be someone who appreciates how wonderful life is, as social care is about helping people live.
Occupational therapist
Chris Bowden is a team leader and specialist occupational therapist (OT) for intermediate care in Dorset
"I've been an OT for 13 years, after completing a three-year undergraduate course in Liverpool. I have also worked in a mental health day centre for older people, two acute hospitals, a community therapy team, two rehabilitation centres and two A&E departments. I work in a multi-disciplinary team visiting people at home to help prevent them coming into hospital or A&E.
"There is no such thing as a typical day. One moment you will be taking a two-hour response referral from an ambulance crew, the next moment providing clinical supervision for a staff member, organising short-term support for a patient who otherwise would need to be admitted, or arranging for a 24-hour tape to be collected. For me the important thing is making a difference, and in OT I really feel that we do that. It has its challenges but overall we make a positive difference for our patients and families."
Employment support
Hannah Skerritt is an employability consultant for RBLI (Royal British Legion Industries) in Rochester, Kent.
"This job is a bit learn-as-you-go but I got into it on the back of my 11 years' recruitment experience. I have taken some in-house mental health training and also did a part-time A-level in psychology. You need an empathic nature and a velvet glove for your iron fist as you have to be able to push people gently forward. You also need to know the area and be able to signpost effectively. If the claimant fails to meet tasks you've given them, a sanction is applied to their benefit, so you need to know your stuff.
"I might start the day with someone with chronic mental illness and end the day with someone waiting for a consultant appointment for a physical ailment. There are many high points, from the lad who suffered with depression for years and has just started work, to the lady who couldn't leave the house and is now doing voluntary work."
Support worker
Jodie Holland is a support worker for Community Integrated Care in Leicester
"I support people with learning disabilities in Leicester to live independently in their own homes. Being a support worker is more than a job to me, it's a vocation. It's my job to make sure that the people I support live the fullest, happiest lives they can, and I love it. Since starting the role, I've received lots of mentoring and development, from an NVQ Level 2 through to specific training to meet the individual needs of the people I support.
"Working in care is full of highs and lows. One of the people I supported was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year. It was really challenging helping him come to terms with the news, but I also wanted to make sure that his last weeks were as happy as possible. Very few 21-year-olds will have the chance to do something so meaningful in their jobs."
Guidance worker
Karen Unrue works for CoolTan Arts, a London-based arts in mental health organisation
"I have been doing this for eight months, before working as a trainer. As a community involvement advocate I am responsible for registrations and referrals, meeting and advising clients on the best options for them. I also liaise with care coordinators about the available personal budgets. A lot of our clients don't even know they are eligible for a personal budget in the first place.
"I have been in mental health for 12 years and started my career as a mentor. All of my training has been on the job. I have done counselling courses and a lot of one-day training in all aspects of mental health, most recently from the Humans Given College in London. I am also an expert by personal experience. It helps to have had some contact with the service and to have been aware of the journey, or to have been on it yourself."
Care home manager
Lorraine Randles is manager of the Bupa Sabourn Court Nursing Home in Leeds
"My first job was as a care assistant. This confirmed that care was the right career for me. I later completed a nursing degree and a further degree in learning disability nursing, before doing an NVQ in leadership and management for care services. I became a care home manager in 2008 and Bupa is now supporting me to complete a QCF (Qualifications and Credit Framework) Level 5 Diploma in leadership for health and social care.
"A home manager needs to have good communication and listening skills, should be adaptable, organised and, most importantly, have passion for care. There are far more highs than lows. Seeing residents happy and well cared for is extremely rewarding. The amount of paperwork I need to complete is a low, but this is a must in social care."
Advocate
Ian Grimwood is an independent advocate with Matrix Service Development & Training Ltd, a not-for-profit based in Hampshire
"I support people engaged with specialist services to make sure their voice is heard. This involves people detained under the mental health act and who lack capacity to make decisions, as well as people engaged with specialist mental health services and those with drug and alcohol problems. We don't steer people, we help them support their own decisions.
"You don't do this for the money. It's a vocation. I got into it because my father had mental health problems and I knew various people with mental health issues. At the time, advocacy was a grassroots movement but now we are professional advocates – there's now a Level 2 Award in independent advocacy. I started working at a mental health charity and eventually went to work on the wards. I now work with older people on wards and in private hospitals with adolescents. A common untruth is that advocates give advice. For us, it's about identifying what the problem is and the outcome they want and the consequences of that."
Bereavement support co-ordinator
David Hamilton works for the Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People in Loughborough
"I was a palliative care specialist nurse and a counsellor and I have been doing this role for eight months. The role of bereavement support co-ordinator is very varied and includes interventions and formal face-to-face work but also a number of more practical aspects such as facilitating remembrance events and maintaining a remembrance garden. My job also has an educational aspect, helping the whole hospice deliver support. The job can be obviously challenging but we have very good ways of processing our feelings and we also have professional supervision.
"It's a very privileged and rewarding job. To do it, you need to be someone who appreciates how wonderful life is as it's about helping people live. You also need to be fairly boundaried as some of the families have been involved in the hospice for many years."
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