Planning your career in social care
There are lots of different roles in social care depending on what you want to do, who you want to work with and where you'd like to work.
Social care is one of the few sectors where jobs are increasing, offering a wide range of long-term career opportunities. A career in social care offers long-term employment prospects, with a lot of opportunities for promotion and progression within the sector.
Why you should choose social care
Somewhere in your community there's a job that you can do to help others. If you like working with people, social care offers a worthwhile job that can turn into a rewarding, long-term career. There are lots of different job roles in social care; it just depends on what you're interested in, who you want to work with and where you want to work.
Care Academy transcript (PDF) [78KB]
A Question of Care: A Career for YOU?
ThinkCareCareers - SkillsforCare
Skills for Care support people interested in finding out more about a career in care. It can be used by jobseekers, students, people considering a change of career or care workers wanting to progress in their career. Careers advisors, teachers or job brokers can also use it with people they are supporting.
You will find information on getting started to career progression and it highlights the range of job opportunities within the care sector and how you can get into and progress a career in care. It includes case studies of people currently working in a range of different roles who talk about how they have progressed their career.
Go to ThinkCareCareers - SkillsforCare
The Care Academy have also developed a virtual work experience tool where you can find out more about roles in adult social care. See Northeast Ambition: workplace tour.
County Durham Care Academy for information on the qualifications and training to help you find your perfect job in adult social care.
Myth Smash - the adult social care recruitment game
This is mobile and desktop game 'Myth Smash' which takes you on a journey of discovering different careers in adult social care. Help new carers find their perfect match within the sector, by smashing myths, pairing your carers with the perfect person to support and learning the true facts about adult social care.
The National Careers Service can help you make career decisions throughout your life. From deciding your education route, planning a career change at any age or getting the job that is right for you. See National Careers Service - Careers advice.
- Email careacademy@durham.gov.uk
- Telephone 03000 260 222
Document downloads
Related information
- County Durham Care Academy - careers in social care
- Free training to start a career in Adult Social Care
- Free training to start a career in Children's Social Care
- Become a Personal Assistant (PA)
- Support to find social care opportunities outside of County Durham
- Care Academy success stories
- Working in adult social work