Health & Social Care

You may think the only people in healthcare who actually earn any dosh are the doctors and dentists, or that social workers are dowdy, mousy types with brown lace ups. We think it’s time you got educated. Careers in health and social care are some of the most important in the world. These employees not only help people on an individual basis, but make a difference to society as a whole.

Careers in healthcare are all about helping people who are having problems with their physical health. Careers in social care are concerned with helping vulnerable people in the community and providing with them support. Loads of different career paths are available for people from all kinds of academic backgrounds. Careers in healthcare are more likely to require a combination of further study and on-the job medical training; whereas careers in social care are more likely to start with on-the-job training and allow people to work towards professional qualifications later on in their career.

So what do you need to work in the sector? The clue is in the name: ‘care’. In order to progress in your career, you need to really care about helping other people. Without that level of concern and desire to make a difference, it’s impossible to be a superstar of the health and social care world. Communication skills are paramount; you need to have the ability to build relationships with people and to gain their trust. Patience and compassion is key. You also need to be thick-skinned; these careers can be the most challenging emotionally.
The big question in healthcare is: NHS or private? The NHS is the largest employer in Europe, with over one million employees (well, before the cuts…), but there are plenty of job opportunities in the private sector too with organisations like BUPA. Besides from the obvious doctors, nurses, dentists and paramedics, there are managerial, I.T. and administration careers. Also it is chock-a-block with different specialist careers: from clinical support staff to physiotherapists.

So what about social care? J Lo and Mariah Carey have both played social workers in films; how’s that for a bit of glamour (admittedly, J Lo’s portrayal was more Barbarella than social worker)? Social workers deal with the complex problems of services users with critical social needs, offering advice and support. They tend to operate at a more senior level.

However, you don’t have to be social worker to work in social care. There are social care workers (yes, there’s a difference) who tend to be more actively involved with providing personal and hands-on care to service users. So, for example, you might be a counsellor offering mental health advice or providing physical support for people with mobility issues.

You’ll have to be checked out before working in this sector, most likely undergoing a standard Criminal Records Bureau check.