Support Worker job description | Totaljobs (2024)

What is a support worker?

The definition of support worker is someone who looks after the well-being of vulnerable people. They help people to live their lives as independently as possible and support them in reaching their potential, through both practical and emotional support.

The type of care you provide will be tailored to the needs of the individual. It is an incredibly varied and rewarding role as you will be helping vulnerable people to improve their quality of life, achieve their goals and make a very real and positive difference to their lives.

You could work both independently and as part of a team, in a variety of different settings, such as in the individual’s home, a care home or a day centre.

This piece contains everything you need to know about the role of a support worker, sourced from experts in the field.

What does a support worker do?

A support worker role will vary depending on the person you’re supporting, as well as seniority and specialism, but generally speaking you will be supporting vulnerable people with many aspects of their day-to-day living, helping them to take care of themselves and live a fulfilled life. Different people will need support for different reasons. For instance, they may have mental health needs, learning disabilities, medical conditions or physical disabilities.

As a support worker, you could be working in people’s homes, in the community or in health and social care settings, and may help them with tasks such as mobility, eating and drinking, or personal care. There are many different types of support worker roles available, includingFamily support workers,Mental health support workersandCommunity support workers.

The career prospects are good too, with lots of opportunities to progress your career into more senior roles, such as team leader or service manager, or a different specialism, such as mental health or dementia.

Roles and responsibilities of a support worker

The duties and responsibilities of a support worker are unique and varied because the people you support all have unique needs. Whilst this can be a very diverse role, the key focus is always on supporting a person to lead a fulfilling and more independent life.

On a day-to-day basis, support worker duties could include helping with meal preparation, household chores, administering medication, managing finances, accessing community facilities, going shopping, meeting friends, visiting the doctors, finding a job, or providing general emotional support. The list really is endless.

Brandon Trustis a UK charity supporting approximately 1,600 children and adults with learning disabilities and autism. Their recruitment marketing specialist, Joely Kitson, says: “A support worker will also work with other professionals involved in supporting an individual. Some will work in the person’s home; others will work in registered care and nursing homes, as well as in day centres and social enterprises.”

In addition to this, you will often work with significant people in the person’s life, such as friends and family, by giving them confidence and reassurance and involving them in the person’s care.

Cath Magee, area manager at health and social care charityMaking Space, says: “The help required is all pulled together in a focused, person-centred support plan and the support worker will produce reports and notes to evidence their work.”

She adds that the wide remit of the role means you can gain many transferable skills, which are beneficial to a huge number of careers. “Some people come into care because they want to go on to become a social worker, a nurse, a more specialised role, such as a dementia adviser, or they may use it as a stepping stone to care management,” according to Magee.

Support worker responsibilities

• Providing emotional support to individuals and their families.
• Providing practical support for individuals and their families, such as helping with household tasks, personal care and paperwork.
• Supporting and monitoring their healthcare needs, including administering medication and temperature checks.
• Supporting them to pursue hobbies and interests.
• Supporting the learning of new skills or gaining employment.
• Teaching life skills, such as budgeting and paying bills.
• Helping with everyday tasks such as meal preparation, writing a shopping list, going shopping or maintaining their housing tenancy.
• Helping them to access community facilities and be included in community groups.
• Understanding their communication needs and adapting your communication to each individual, e.g. sounds, tones, body language.
• Working with other professionals, such as doctors and therapists, to ensure consistency of support.
• Analysing an individual’s needs and drawing up a focused support plan.
• Becoming both a role model and companion to the individual and uncovering shared interests, such as hobbies and outings.

Why become a support worker?

So you’ve decided that you’d like to become a support worker, but what’s in it for you? For many people, it’s job satisfaction. Yes, it can be a challenging career, but it’s also hugely rewarding as support workers can make a genuine and positive difference to people’s lives by empowering them to reach their full potential.

Karolina Gerlich, founding director of theNational Association of Care & Support Workers, believes that it is one of the most fulfilling jobs you can do. “The feeling of helping someone is great, and it’s a role that has a great purpose and makes people’s lives better,” she says.

Also, if you don’t like the thought of being stuck behind a desk working on repetitive tasks, then becoming a support worker could be a good career choice for you, as it’s an incredibly varied and flexible role. Plus, there are great opportunities for career progression.

Hftis a national charity that supports people with learning difficulties. Executive director of operations and development, Hilary Crowhurst, says: “Where else can you work with someone to help them to achieve their life goals? At Hft, no experience is necessary, full training is given on the job, and there is the opportunity to work as part of a supportive team and develop a meaningful and satisfying career.”

What is the best part of being a support worker?

Fran Winney, regional director, and Nick Duffy-Turner, regional recruitment coordinator, at support services providerLifeways, say: “It brings new challenges and a great feeling of accomplishment when you witness a person growing in independence. You can share new experiences together and celebrate success. This is a very privileged position – we don’t get to do this with everyone in our own lives.

“Also, you are building lifetime experiences and memories with the person and their families, as well as enabling them to overcome fears and challenges, and developing and building their confidence and self-esteem.”

Steph Johansen, director of services at charity Making Space, believes that one of the best parts of being a support worker is enabling people to live the lives they want and achieve the outcomes that have been agreed, within an organisation whose values you share.

“You can see you’re making an instant difference to the lives of vulnerable people,” she adds. “Also, you don’t just get experience in care and support, there are a huge number of key skills that you may not necessarily associate with a support worker role: communication skills, relationship management, report writing, working as part of a team, and access to a huge amount of job-related training.”

How much does a support worker earn?

A typical full-time support worker salary ranges between £20,893-£32,410 per year, with an average of around £23,000. Check the Totaljobs Salary Checker tool for the most up to date information on support workers salaries in different parts of the UK.

Salaries and wages will vary depending on age, experience, industry and region. For example the NHS has clear salary bands, while salaries at private sector providers could vary more widely.

Salaries must be in line with the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage. That means that as of April 2024, anyone aged 21 or over should be paid the National Living Wage of at least £11.44 an hour, and anyone aged 18-20 should get at least the National Minimum Wage of £8.60 an hour.

Fran Winney, regional director, and Nick Duffy-Turner, regional recruitment coordinator, at support services providerLifeways, told Totaljobs that the main factor that influences salary is supply and demand for support workers in different regions: “For example, salaries tend to be higher in the south than the north of the UK,” they say.

To get a sense of salary ranges and opportunities, try searchingsupport worker jobson the Totaljobs jobs board, and for more detailed salary information on specific roles, please see the Types of support worker jobs section.

Where do support workers work?

Support worker roles are available in all sectors of health and social care, including social services, not for profit and education. Social care departments within local councils, private companies, and the NHS all recruit for support worker roles.

Amanda Ashworth, project manager – recruitment and retention atSkills for Care, says:“Around three quarter of jobs in adult social care are with independent sector employers – these are businesses who set up and run their own care service, many of whom employ support workers. Local authorities, charities and support organisations might also employ support workers.”

You could be working in a number of different settings, depending on your role, employer and sector. “You might work in a care home where people who need care and support go to live,” she adds. “Or you could work in a day centre where they visit to do particular activities. More and more people are choosing to stay at home for their care, so you could also be working in the community or in someone’s house.”

To find a support worker role, you can try contacting some support worker agencies. Support worker jobs are found all over the UK but there may be some areas where there’s more demand for them, depending on where people who need care and support live.

Ashworth says: “There are usually more opportunities in big towns and cities where the population is higher – however, social care services are needed everywhere, so even if you can’t find an open vacancy, contact your local care organisation to see if they have anything coming up.”

Although the role mainly involves working with clients, there are some office-based elements, for example when producing reports for your clients.

Types of support worker jobs

There are many different support worker jobs available and the sections below will go into more detail on the most common roles. These include family, mental health, clinical, maternity and community support worker roles.

Every support worker job is unique because the people you support are all different, although the common thread running through all roles is to empower these individuals to live their lives as independently as possible and reach their full potential, in whatever setting they are in.

Whilst there are clear differences between each of the different types of support worker roles, which are illustrated in the sections below, there can also be some crossover. Cath Magee, area manager at charity Making Space, explains: “For example, a support worker in a residential support service, for people with a primary learning disability, may also need to know about mental health or physical health issues in order to provide the most relevant care and support to the individuals they are working with.”

Victoria Neish, director of operations and quality atAffinity Trust, an organisation that supports people with learning disabilities, says: “The roles differ depending how independent the people we support are, how complex their needs are, and how much support they require. Some people could be more involved in personal care. Others can be more involved in positive behaviour support, where people show challenging behaviour. Each role is varied and mixed, supporting people with varying needs.”

Family support worker

What do family support workers do?

A family support worker role involves working with families with long or short-term difficulties, providing practical help and emotional support. This could include helping with issues such as domestic abuse, bereavement, life-threatening or terminal illness, homelessness, drug or alcohol addiction, physical or mental health issues, marital difficulties, or financial problems.

Family support worker responsibilities include:

• Identifying and planning the support required by the family.
• Reviewing caseloads on a regular basis to ensure families are fully supported.
• Working with colleagues and other professionals, such as social workers, to evaluate and address the families’ needs.
• Assessing parenting abilities and helping to make improvements.
• Providing support and advice to parents on a range of issues, such as budgeting or discipline.
• Helping children with their development.
• Keeping accurate and up-to-date records and reports.
• Attending court hearings if relevant.
• Moving into the family home in crisis situations, such as a single parent in hospital.
• Helping to assess a family’s needs when a child returns home from being in care.

Rainbow Trustsupports families with children who have a life-threatening or terminal illness and employ a number of family support workers. Director of care Anne Harris says that, as an employer, they would look for people who have “professional experience of working with children” and that the most important qualities are “the ability to communicate with children of all ages and to demonstrate empathy, listening skills and warmth”.

To get a sense of what employers might look for when recruiting for a family support worker, try searching currentfamily support worker job adson Totaljobs.

Family support worker salary

The starting salary for a family support worker is between £19,000 to £24,000 a year. With more experience, this could rise to £35,000.

If you become highly experienced, for instance working as a centre or project manager, you could earn up to £50,000.

Mental health support worker

What does a mental health support worker do?

A mental health support worker role involves providing support for patients who have mental and physical health needs. James Harris, associate director for marketing and communications at mental health charityRethink Mental Illness, says: “A mental health support worker’s primary function is to provide safe and empathetic personal care to people who experience mental illness, and who use mental health services. They are tasked with duties that focus on maintaining the patient’s physical and mental wellbeing.”

Mental health support worker duties include:

• Promoting an environment that encourages the patient to feel safe and comfortable.
• Monitoring the patient’s mental state.
• Assisting the mental health nurse in their clinical duties.
• Maintaining the patient’s personal hygiene and wellbeing.
• Ensuring that the patient is properly fed and hydrated.
• Communicating and supporting the patient’s relatives and carers.

According to Harris, the two most important skills that employers look for in potential workers are patience and empathy. “People who experience mental illness, who require treatment, can sometimes present symptoms that can make for a challenging working environment, and as their carer it is important that you are able to maintain consistently safe levels of care,” he says.

“High levels of interpersonal skills are essential, as the applicant will not only play a role in a busy team, but will also be a source of knowledge to the patient, and the patient’s family, during a stressful period in their lives.”

Look up currentmental health support worker job adson totaljobs for more ideas of what employers are looking for when hiring mental health support workers.

Mental health support worker salary

Mental health support workers typically earn between £18,000-£24,000 a year, depending on experience.

Clinical support worker

What does a clinical support worker do?

As a clinical support worker in the NHS, you will be supporting nurses, doctors, midwives and other health professionals to help them deliver excellent care to patients.

The typical duties required of a clinical support worker role include:

• Assisting healthcare professionals in the delivery of patient care.
• Welcoming and preparing patients.
• Explaining treatments to patients.
• Updating patient records.
• Assisting with analysis of samples.
• Inputting data.
• Organising specimens.
• Sterilising equipment.

To be considered for a clinical support worker role, you’ll need GCSEs in Maths, English, and probably Science. You’ll need to be a caring, enthusiastic person, who is organised, disciplined and can follow instructions carefully. Some experience of healthcare is also an advantage.

If you’d like to know more about what employers are looking for when recruiting for clinical support workers, try searching currentclinical support worker job adson totaljobs.

Clinical support worker salary

A clinical support worker usually starts on band 2 pay and can progress to band 3 and 4 with further experience and training. In 2024, band 2 pay is £22,383; band 3 ranges from £22,816-£24,336; and band 4 ranges from £25,147-£27,596.

Maternity support worker

What does a maternity support worker do?

The primary role of a maternity support worker is to assist midwives in caring for mothers and babies throughout pregnancy and childbirth.

Denise Linay, head of organising and engagement at theRoyal College of Midwives, says: “Many maternity support workers work on maternity postnatal wards, supporting women in a variety of ways. This includes helping mothers to care for their babies, supporting mothers to breastfeed or providing advice to a mother who wishes to bottle feed. They may also, after additional education and training, undertake clinical tasks such as blood pressure, pulse and temperature recordings of the woman, as well as temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate of the baby.”

Additional duties include:

• Updating records.
• Housekeeping and administration duties.
• Taking blood samples.
• Preparing equipment.
• Reporting any problems to a registered midwife.
• Working in the community, delivering care to mothers and babies at home.
• Working in postnatal wards, delivery suites, maternity theatres and midwifery-led units.

There are no set entry requirements for maternity support worker jobs, but employers will expect good numeracy and literacy skills, and may ask for GCSEs or a qualification in health and social care, nursery nursing or childcare. They may also want to see some previous experience of working with children and families.

“Like any employer they need intelligent, reliable people,” adds Linay. “Working in the NHS can also be stressful so they need to be able to remain calm, and know when to seek advice if they are unsure of anything they are asked to do. The ability to engage with people is also very useful, as maternity support workers will deal not only with the woman and baby but also with the women’s family and friends. Employers will also ensure that maternity support workers have the relevant training, which they provide, before they start working in the maternity service. This is not standardised across the UK but work is currently being done to ensure that this will be the case.”

Try searching currentmaternity support worker job adson totaljobs to get a sense of what employers are looking for.

Maternity support worker salary

The starting salary for a band 2 maternity support worker is £22,383. For the majority of maternity support workers, their top salary will be £24,336, although for maternity support workers on the highest band, their top salary is £27,596.

“Their basic wage will be enhanced if they also work unsocial hours, such as nights, evenings, and weekends,” adds Linay.

Community support worker

What does a community support worker do?

A community support worker will visit people in their own homes, to help them live their lives as independently as possible, and ensure they are safe and healthy.

Community support worker duties include:

• Supporting and encouraging people to manage their own domestic responsibilities.
• Assisting with their personal care.
• Ensuring they are eating and drinking well.
• Maintaining accurate records and reports.
• Supporting people to access community facilities.
• Assisting with financial responsibilities.
• Meeting their social, emotional and intellectual needs.
• Supporting them to take and monitor their medication.
• Communicating with relatives, friends and other health professionals.
• Helping with everyday tasks such as paying bills and attending appointments.

Previous experience is not always necessary as many employers provide training. The qualities needed to be a community support worker include: honesty, reliability, trustworthiness, flexibility, commitment and good communication skills. It’s also useful if you hold a driving license.

To get an idea of what employers may be looking for in this role, look up currentcommunity support worker job adson totaljobs.

Community support worker salary

The starting salary for a full-time community support worker is around £20,820, and can go up to approximately £24,500.

For up-to-date salaries, please check theaverage UK community support worker salaryon the totaljobs Salary Checker.

There are plenty of opportunities for support workers to progress in their career. Amanda Ashworth, project manager – recruitment and retention atSkills for Care, says: “You could move into a team leader or manager role, which involves managing a team of people and helping to manage the care service. You might also choose to move into a different support role such as an advocacy worker, personal assistant or rehabilitation worker. This might mean working with different people and in a different setting, with lots of opportunities to learn.”

As a support worker, your employer should offer you the chance to learn and develop your career. “For example, when you start a support worker role, you should have an induction that will include theCare Certificate. These are the minimum standards that everyone working in social care needs to know – and it’s transferable across the sector so you only need to do it once,” explains Ashworth.

Standards within the social care sector change over time. Authorities often provide support workers with the opportunity to take part in training courses to stay up-to-date, such as child protection courses, health and safety, first aid and moving and handling. There are also specific training courses available, such as autism awareness, communication skills or working with people with dementia.

Many authorities also provide the opportunity to work towards an NVQ or degree in a related subject, while working as a support worker. Ashworth continues: “When in your role, you could do avocational qualification, such as a Diploma in Health and Social Care, or a continuing professional development qualification, such as dementia, end of life, or autism care.”

Gaining qualifications can help support workers progress to more senior support worker roles and managerial positions.

Support worker career paths

• Trainee support worker>Support worker>Senior support worker
• Support worker>Team leader>Locality/service manager

How to become a support worker

If you’d like to become a support worker, you could start by searching online to find opportunities. “You could Google support worker, adult social care and your location,” advises Cath Magee, area manager at health and social care charity Making Space.

TheSkills for Carewebsite also has lots of useful information on how to get started if you’re considering a career in care. Amanda Ashworth, project manager at Skills for Care, suggests applying for a role directly with your local care organisation. “This could be a private care provider or with your local council,” she says.

Spend time researching support worker roles online and looking at care organisation websites to gain more of an understanding of the role. Many of the job opportunities will be advertised on an organisation’s website or their social media pages, and most will have a straightforward online application form to complete. To find relevant care organisations, try looking on theCare Quality Commissionwebsite orNHS Choices.

Magee adds: “It’s important to find out more about the organisation to make sure it offers the type of support worker roles you’re interested in, and also to ensure that their ethos and values are a good fit with your own. Use the application process as a way to assess them as well as for them to assess you.”

Other job openings can be found on online jobs boards such astotaljobs, or in your local Jobcentre Plus or local newspaper. Some care organisations also attend job fairs so it could be worth finding out if there are any you could go to in your area.

To produce a stand-out application when applying for a support worker role, it’s essential you take your time. Hilary Crowhurst, executive director of operations and development atHft, advises: “Take some time to read through the job description and personal specification. Think about your previous experience and tell us about the ways it is relevant to the role by providing examples of how you match each requirement.”

Don’t worry if you don’t have professional care experience as this is, after all, an entry-level role. You may have personal experience, such as looking after a relative, that can be just as valid.

Joely Kitson, recruitment marketing specialist at the Brandon Trust, says: “Brandon Trust, and many other organisations, recruit people for their values. So whilst experience is always useful, if you’re new to care, many organisations will want to know that you share their values. It’s useful to cite relevant experience you may have had in your personal life too, or in a volunteering role, not just your work experience.”

Magee suggests asking questions, even before the interview. “We’d positively encourage this!” she remarks. “If someone called us and told us they were coming for interview and had been looking at the website and wanted to know more about our ethos and what we do, we would be very impressed.”

The good news is that support workers are in high demand and there are good job opportunities across the UK at the moment.Human Capital Departmentis an HR service provider that has been working with a national care group to help attract and retain support workers for the care sector. Director Peter Lawrence says: “There are plenty of opportunities for care and support workers at the moment as not enough people are coming forward for this type of work, which means it is relatively easy to obtain a position.”

What are the skills needed for a support worker?

The key support worker skills and qualities include a number of transferable skills, such as literacy, numeracy, digital, interpersonal and problem solving skills. There are also specific skills that are required for this role. Amanda Ashworth, project manager – recruitment and retention at Skills for Care, says that these include “the ability to work on your own initiative and prioritise your workload; good listening and communication skills; a caring attitude; good customer service skills; and good writing skills to fill in care plans”.

Steph Johansen at charity Making Space adds: “They should also demonstrate the ability to follow policy and procedure. The ability to work in a person-centred way is also crucial, so being able to demonstrate key skills such as empathy, empowering people and working effectively as part of a team is also important.”

There are also plenty of opportunities to develop your skills and experience during your career as a support worker. For instance, you will gain leadership skills through empowering and encouraging people to live as independently as possible. Brandon Trust’s Joely Kitson remarks: “A support worker will have a varied and interesting career developing skills in working in a person-centred way, in communication systems and how to promote independence and equality.”

Victoria Neish, director of operations and quality atAffinity Trust, adds: “We aim to improve people’s skills inpositive behaviour support, communication, working with families and carers, and assisting people with challenging and difficult situations – while also learning effective team work and how to support colleagues.”

The desired support worker skills and experience that recruiters and employers typically look for include the following transferable skills:

• Literacy skills.
• Numeracy skills.
• Problem solving skills.
• IT/digital skills.
• Interpersonal skills.

The desired support worker skills and experience that recruiters and employers typically look for include the following skills specific to this role:

• Good listening skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• Good writing skills.
• Good team working skills.
• Good leadership skills.
• Strong organisation and time management skills.
• Customer service skills.
• The ability to show initiative.

What are the most in demand support worker skills?

Recruiters and employers of support workers would consider the following as the skills they need the most:

• The ability to drive.
• The ability to support people with complex needs.
• An understanding of the difference between doing something for someone else and enabling them to do it themselves.
• Flexibility.
• A good communicator.
• Creativity.

What qualifications do I need to be a support worker?

Qualifications are not essential to become a support worker as full training is usually provided on the job. However, there are general qualifications, as well as support worker qualifications and support worker courses you can undertake. For example, your employer may ask for GCSEs in English and Maths (grade A-C).

It can also be beneficial to have a social care qualification, such as NVQ Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care or similar qualification, but these can usually be completed once your job has started.

You will also be at an advantage if you’ve had experience working in health or care. Amanda Ashworth, recruitment and retention project manager at Skills for Care, says: “It might be useful to have experience working in a similar role or with vulnerable adults. You can gain this experience through a work placement, from your personal life, through volunteering or as part of a traineeship orapprenticeship.”

For more information on gaining experience as a support worker, please go to the section entitled How do I get support worker experience?

What makes a good support worker?

In addition to skills and qualifications, employers will be looking for certain competencies, traits and qualities of a good support worker. These include:

• A passion for helping people.
• Patience.
• Enthusiasm.
• A calm and caring nature.
• An empathetic approach to clients.
• Emotional resilience.
• Open to change.
• A confident manner.
• Common sense.
• A team player.
• Compassion.
• Kindness.
• Punctuality.

Personalities that suit support worker jobs

A good support worker will typically display some of these personality traits:

• Caring.
• Empathetic.
• Amiable.
• Creative.
• Approachable.
• Compassionate.
• Enthusiastic.
• Calm.
• Realistic.
• Confident.
• Resilient.
• Courageous.
• Understanding.
• Friendly.
• Kind.
• Challenging.
• Motivated.
• Committed.
• Patient.

How do I get support worker experience?

If you want to stand out from the crowd when applying for support worker roles, past experience within healthcare or support can be really beneficial. As a candidate, you will need to demonstrate that you can help people with a range of issues and requirements, and that you will remain supportive.

To do this, it can help to undertake some support worker training through work experience. This also enables you to check to see if you’re right for the role, and if the role is right for you, before committing to a permanent job.

There are a number of ways to gain relevant work experience. For instance, you could take on some voluntary work for charities or community groups that work with vulnerable people.

Steph Johansen at health and social care charity Making Space, says: “Volunteering is an excellent way to get into paid work, and you can offer as much or as little of your time as suits you, even if it’s just an hour a week. It shows initiative, it helps you to gain confidence in the role, see how things work from the inside under full supervision, and learn of any paid opportunities.”

You could also work as a care assistant in a hospital or nursing home; work in a school for children with learning disabilities; or take on a work placement.

The Brandon Trust offer work placements for students studying health and social care. “Many people choose to become a casual (bank) support worker to gain some experience and choose shifts that work for them, to help them gain experience before committing to a permanent role,” explains Joely Kitson. “There are also volunteering opportunities supporting people with learning disabilities.”

Amanda Ashworth, project manager – recruitment and retention at Skills for Care, says: “Some organisations offer structured work experience programmes which you could apply for, whereas others might offer it on an ad hoc basis. The best thing to do is to get in touch with your local care service and ask if they offer work experience. Your local careers service, college, Jobcentre or other support service might know more about work experience opportunities.”

When requesting a work experience placement, remember these handy tips:

• Try to find a specific person to contact, rather than a generic email address.
• Write a polite letter that details why you chose this organisation and why you are interested in them, your skills, your academic achievements, your interests, your career aspirations, and what you hope to gain from this experience.
• Include a tailored CV with your letter.
• Be flexible with your time as they may have busy schedules.
• Politely follow up after a couple of weeks if you haven’t heard back from them yet.

Finally, relevant courses can help you to prepare for a career as a support worker. For more information on this, go to the section entitled What qualifications do I need to be a support worker?

Support worker job description summary

1. A support worker role is very rewarding because you are making a genuine difference to an individual’s quality of life.
2. Previous experience is rarely required as training can be completed on the job.
3. The role is ideal for people who are looking for variety in a job as you will be working with a wide range of individuals.
4. You will work both independently and as part of a team, in a variety of different settings, including in the individual’s home, in the community or in a care home.
5. You will provide support to vulnerable individuals who have a range of different needs, such as mental health issues, learning disabilities, medical conditions or physical disabilities.
6. There are many different types of support worker roles available, including family support workers, mental health support workers and community support workers.
7. Typical duties include helping with household tasks, personal care, mobility or providing emotional support.
8. The career prospects are great, with plenty of opportunities to train and develop your skills, move into more senior roles, and specialise in different areas.
9. The average salary for a support worker is around £17,000 a year.
10. The key skills required to be a support worker include literacy, numeracy, communication, IT and time management skills; while preferred personality traits include caring, creative, empathetic, resilient and calm.

Support Worker jobs FAQs