Working in social care means supporting people with their non-clinical needs, although there is an important crossover between working in health and working in social care.

1.48 million people currently work in the social care sector. Because of the increasing number of disabled younger adults living longer and the growing number of older people needing care, adult social care is growing and the sector needs at least another half a million jobs, and people to do them, by 2030.

The social care sector employs 1.48 million people and will have half a million extra jobs available by 2030.

 

You could help people in their own homes, in residential homes or in a number of other places such as day centres or supported housing.

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Many staff now work in roles that cover both health and social care, and the values and qualities needed are very similar.

The Government has set out the need for the health and social care sectors to develop new integrated care models to promote health and wellbeing and provide care. In the future, this could mean your career crossing both sectors in new and exciting roles.

Several methods are in place across the country to develop and promote these new ways of working, such as:

• providing key skills training for health staff so they can assess mental health wellbeing

• training for physiotherapists so they can undertake dementia assessments

• enhancing the competencies of care home staff so they can support clinical and non-clinical professionals

• ways of encouraging closer working and learning between primary and community-based nursing teams

See the Health Education England website for more information.