Graduating from university in Jan 2014, I was interested in getting a career within nursing, thanks to the fact that postgraduate is the only pathway to break into the world of Psychology (I would never advise choosing Psychology as a degree, but that's for a different post). Whilst at uni I tried to look for care worker jobs but was only when I returned from university that I saw a post looking for drivers and non drivers for Sevacare where previously every care agency only required drivers, and being a non driver getting a position within their companies proved very difficult. I applied and was contacted immediately, within a few days for an interview and was successful. A week later I enrolled on the 3 day induction course which were typical 9-5 classroom based sessions where you have to pass a few exams such as Medication Level 3 in order to administer medication in the field. Once the induction was complete and some paperwork had been filled out, I began in the field roughly 2 weeks later shadowing an experienced carer for 5 days where I was shown the personal care aspect of the role and reiterate how to manage hoists etc. Now what I will say is the induction DOES NOT prepare you in the slightest for the actual work you will be carrying out! It is far too theory based and has no practical aspect that will serve you well in the field, if you shadow a good carer this is where you will learn the most. I am in my third week with the company and now doing cover shifts both doubles and singles calls. For anyone that says care work is easy, you have no idea what you are talking about. It is immensely tiring and very hard work. Expect long days (7:30am - 9:00pm with some breaks dispersed throughout the day), non stop calls from on call for cover shifts (which you have the legal right to refuse) and terrible pay. There have been some heavy cuts tot he healthcare system in this country in the most recent years and I think the wage for carers are steadily decreasing, I am on £6.50 an hour but if you take a lot of calls then you can expect to take about £1200 home every month. This job isn't for everyone and you will know whether it is or not as soon as you start shadowing, the personal care aspect i.e cleaning and changing pads isn't for the faint hearted at times! Being patient, open minded and friendly are the most important qualities to have. There is a lot of work involved but is hugely rewarding. I have plans of moving on to Healthcare Assistant roles in the coming years to increase hospital based experience before returning to university to get qualified in Mental Health Nursing. Another positive factor of working for this company is after 6 months of employment they will pay for you to work towards your NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care which is now being phased in as a legal requirement to work in the care industry in this country. Its a fantastic qualification to have behind you even if you have other prospects.
Overall, I am enjoying myself but I am only 3 weeks in and I have been exposed to the varying degrees of care required from various clients which is good because it can vary from 'very sound' meaning they are able to do pretty much everything for themselves besides medication all the way to the other end of the spectrum which means can involve them having advanced dementia, no speech and are bed bound. Expect anything and everything and you will be fine as a care worker, and even when it gets difficult and you do not get thanked for your work, always wear a smile because what you are doing is invaluable!