Care workers and home carers
£25,029
Average salary
31 hours
Average weekly hours
3.35%
Unemployment rate
Definition: Care workers and home carers
*SOC Code (Standard Occupational Classification): 6145
Care workers and home carers attend to the personal needs and comforts of the elderly and the infirm with care and support needs (‘service users’) within residential care establishments, day care establishments or in their own homes.
Common tasks include:
- assists and enables service users to dress, undress, wash, use the toilet and bathe;
- serves meals to service users at table or in bed, and assists with feeding if required;
- generally assists with service users’ overall comfort and well being;
- provides interest and activities to stimulate and engage the service user;
- helps with daily activities such as letter writing, paying bills, collecting benefits;
- undertakes light cleaning and domestic duties including meal preparation as required;
- monitors service users’ conditions by taking temperature, pulse, respiration and weight, and contributes to record keeping;
- liaises with professional staff in carrying out care plans etc.
Qualifications
There are no formal academic entry requirements. In most cases workers will be required to register with the appropriate statutory body which involves satisfying the registration criteria. This would normally include holding or working towards the appropriate qualification for the job. Entrants must typically be 18 years old and have experience of working in a care environment. Both off- and on-the-job training is available. A wide range of qualifications including NVQs/SVQs covering various aspects of care are available. Background checks including a CRB check are likely to be required.
*Introduced in 1990, SOC is a multi-purpose common classification of occupations in UK. Jobs are defined in terms of skill level and skill content, including qualifications, training and work experience.
Employment status: Care workers and home carers
Regional employment: Care workers and home carers
Future employment: Care workers and home carers
Top 12 industries: Care workers and home carers
Alternative & related job titles: Care workers and home carers
Worker, support, carers Carer, personal Visitor, care Attendant, night (old people's home) Worker, support, rehabilitation Worker, care, social, residential Supervisor, care Coordinator, activities (old people's home) Assistant, general (old people's home) Attendant (home for the disabled) Enabler, care Assistant, general (home for the disabled) Orderly (nursing home) Assistant, care, day Carer Worker, healthcare (welfare services) Aide, care Assistant, health, mental, community Worker, healthcare (nursing home) Worker, residential (welfare services) Worker, social, resident Assistant, support (welfare services) Carer, domiciliary Worker, care Worker, support (welfare services) Worker, support, health (nursing home) Worker, care, residential Sitter (welfare services) Coordinator, activities (residential home) Befriender (local government: social services) Worker, support, community Attendant, care Worker, support, health, mental Assistant, reablement (local government) Aide, home Attendant (old people's home) Attendant, charge Organiser, activity (nursing home) Assistant, care Worker, support, disabilities, learning Careworker (welfare services) Worker, reablement (local government) Worker, social, residential Carer (welfare services) Assistant, care, health (nursing home) Helper, people's, old Worker, enablement Worker, support, care, home Worker, shelter (welfare services) Carer, reablement (local government) Worker, health, mental, community Assistant, personal (welfare services) Carer, home Worker, support, night Coordinator, activities (nursing home) Aid, care Assistant, care, domiciliary Assistant, care, home Therapist, hobby Worker, care, community Aid, home Attendant, night (home for the disabled) Officer, residential (welfare services) Nurse, care Organiser, activity (old people's home) Attendant, invalid Worker, support, home Worker, support (nursing home)
Equality focus: Care workers and home carers
Breaking down the official government big data sources by gender, age and region. Hours and pay data based on full time equlivalent roles.
Breakdown by gender
£24,507
Female average annual salary
£27,114
Male average annual salary
30
Female average weekly hours
31
Male average weekly hours
Average pay per hour: Care workers and home carers
Workforce gender: Care workers and home carers
Breakdown by region
£29,721
London - highest annual average salary
£21,900
Northern Ireland - lowest annual average salary
36
South East (England) - Highest average weekly hours
27
Northern Ireland - Lowest average weekly hours
Average pay per week (£): Care workers and home carers
Average weekly hours by UK region/nation: Care workers and home carers
Breakdown by age
20 years
Lowest annual salary (£15,121)
years
Highest annual salary (£0) at this age