10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WORKING IN A CARE HOME

​There are many different roles open to you in the care sector; from working in a care home to visiting someone’s house to care for them there.

There are many reasons why work in a care home is worth considering. Social care currently has a significant shortage of workers, so many care homes wish to recruit people who have the passion and skill to consistently and professionally care for others.

Here are 10 reasons to consider working in a care home:

1. Compassion and empathy
Health and social care is an employment sector where your daily work makes a tangible difference in people's lives. Our number-one quality for working in care is compassion - simply put, you have to care. Many care seekers face isolation, loneliness, health conditions and boredom, which over time can have serious effects on their mental health and wellbeing. As a caring person, you’ll spend time each day interacting with and listening to each person, no matter what.


2. Team work
Team members work together to ensure that the residents receive a high standard of care. Though there are different roles in a care home, staff are usually flexible, adaptable and willing to help each other, especially if there are new challenges, emergencies or understaffing.

3. People skills and communication
A residential care home differs from a fast-paced corporate or retail environment where interactions can be fleeting. A big part of the work of a carer is building a productive, therapeutic relationship with residents to help them have the best quality of life possible.

4. Work flexibility and time management
Like other health and social care professions, care workers in residential homes tend to work in a shift pattern with late shifts, early shifts and waking care on night shifts. This means that you can work a variety of shifts that may suit any of your specific scheduling needs. For many care home workers, shift working suits their lifestyle and enables them to more effectively manage personal responsibilities.

5. You can develop valuable clinical skills
Employers expect health and social care professionals working in care homes to observe the residents and be able to identify people who are becoming sick. Care work involves the careful monitoring of residents with escalations of developing problems to managers or the local healthcare team.

6. Care homes operate at a slower pace than acute hospital care
Residential care homes often attract staff who work as nurses or healthcare assistants in hospitals who are looking for work with less pressure. Nurses that work in care homes can focus on the caring aspects of their profession without the added pressures of a busy hospital ward and larger numbers of patients. Since you're with care home residents for a longer duration, you can see the positive impact of their care on them.


7. Care home work teaches you to be resourceful
There is much more to working in a residential care home than simply providing help with a resident's personal care. Care home workers are creative thinkers that come up with ways to engage and motivate people who may have severe physical and mental disabilities. Problem-solving skills are valuable for helping you to stay responsive to the changing needs of individuals in their care.

8. There are many types of care homes that you can work in
Care home workers have a variety of options for choosing a residential care home to work in. This means that you can focus on providing specific types of care or working with residents or patients with certain conditions.

9. There's often good job security
Care work offers good job security, as there are many vacancies in the adult social care sector. The country's ageing population also means that increasing numbers of people may require residential care in the near future. Employers typically want to retain staff as this is beneficial to the residents they care for.


10. Care home work provides consistent pay
Demonstrating that you take a professional approach to your job will set you apart from other candidates for a care worker role. Working in care requires a drive to provide the highest standards of care in accordance with moral and ethical codes, as well as respect for care home residents.
High levels of retention and a lack of competition mean that care work is a consistent form of income. Working shifts means that you have the opportunity to work paid overtime or night shifts, boosting your wages. Promotion can also lead to a large increase in your salary.