Care can be an extremely rewarding field to work in. Unlike many jobs, it provides opportunities every day to help improve people’s standards of living. Care assistants work on the frontline of care delivery, helping individuals to overcome the everyday difficulties they face. Clients for care assistants can include the disabled, elderly, long-term ill and individuals with learning difficulties, so roles can be extremely varied and every day is different.
If you join our team at Prestige Nursing & Care, you’ll be helping us in our continued efforts to make life better for our clients. You will experience the satisfaction of supporting and helping people live comfortable and fulfilling lives in their own homes. Start your own rewarding career in care by taking a look at our current job vacancies.
What does a care assistant do?
Typical care assistant roles and responsibilities are wide-ranging. The job revolves around helping clients with their immediate needs such as washing, dressing and maintaining their hygiene, as well as helping them with basic day-to-day or administrative tasks like paying bills. The care assistant role also includes getting to know clients personally and providing them with emotional support and company, which contributes positively to their well-being.
Here are what we believe are the key duties of a care assistant:
Is a role as a care assistant right for you?
The role of a care assistant is to enrich and enhance the quality of life of their clients. As every client is different and has their own unique care needs, no two days are alike for a care assistant. If you’re looking for a career that is rewarding and flexible, a career in care just might be your calling.
Here is what the typical day of a care assistant looks like, to help you make an informed decision.
In general, your mornings will be spent preparing your client for the day. You may be required to provide a nutritious breakfast, help your client with personal care such as showering and dressing, or gently prompt them to take their medication.
Throughout the day, your duties may include helping with domestic tasks such as emptying the bin, washing clothes, or washing up. At lunchtime, you may provide lunch for your client if they are unable to prepare it themselves. In addition to cooking nutritious meals, you may help your client to carry out their shopping.
There is plenty of time for leisurely activities too – you can plan simple activities like taking your client for a stroll in the park or facilitating a visit with family and friends. While many of the tasks you will carry out are to help your client remain independent and support them in their day-to-day life, you will also become a source of companionship and support.
Before going home, you may be asked to provide a wholesome dinner for your client or help prepare them for bed. They may need help with bathing, toileting, or other personal care tasks.
What skills and qualifications do I need to become a care assistant?
Skills
In terms of what makes a good care assistant, an ability to relate to people from a variety of backgrounds is near the top of the list. This is because care assistants spend a considerable amount of time working with the same clients, so they must be able to form a good working
relationship. The nature of the care assistant job role also means that patience and a sense of humour are important.
Qualifications
There are no formal qualifications required to become a care assistant with us. We provide all our starters with our industry-leading training programme that ensures you have the skills and know-how to provide professional in-home care services to our clients. There are always plenty of opportunities for you to develop your skills and potential with further qualifications as you gain more experience with us.
What does Prestige Nursing & Care expect from their care assistants?
Prestige Nursing & Care places a genuine emphasis on providing clients with companionship, and the duties and responsibilities of a care assistant with us include helping clients to pursue hobbies, and even taking them on holiday. We provide a number of different services to clients in their own homes, and a care assistant’s responsibilities with Prestige range from helping to care for those with dementia or learning difficulties, to providing end of life assistance to people requiring palliative care. Being a care assistant can be a challenging role but it is also one of the most rewarding and fulfilling.
If you’re compassionate, friendly, and looking to make a difference to people’s lives then we would be interested in hearing from you.
The Benefits of Working With Prestige Nursing & Care
Our nurses and carers are the heroes of our business. Our ‘carer first’ mentality means that everything we do is designed to support our carers so that they thrive as much as our clients.
As a Prestige Nursing & Care carer or registered nurse, you will enjoy the following benefits:
- Competitive hourly rates that are usually higher than other agencies
- Flexible working– the hours you want, when you want them
- Working with a local team at a local branch
- A variety of work matched to your skills and interests
- Ongoing training and development
- Multiple learning opportunities through our training programs
- A competitive package with paid training
- Future growth opportunities through staged care progression
- A positive, supportive environment
Find out more about working as a professional carer.
Flexible Work Options
Becoming a care assistant provides a number of opportunities for a flexible work schedule. Thanks to this flexibility, a career in care allows you to maintain a healthy work/life balance.
Since visits to a client’s home can be for as little as 1 hour per visit, you can choose between full-time and part-time work. You can even choose specific days or times you are willing to work.
As you will be required to travel to your client’s home across your local area, a UK driver’s licence and access to your own transport are essential.
How do I apply to become a care assistant?
If you think a career in care is for you, Prestige Nursing & Care offer a comprehensive training programme that ensures you are equipped with the right knowledge and skills to be a great carer, even if you have less than 12 months of experience. You can find out more about working for us here.
We have a number of fantastic and flexible roles for care assistants across the UK available that you can search for here or, alternatively share your details and preferred location for work using this form and we will contact you with any suitable opportunities.
Please visit our jobs and careers page for care assistant job openings and to see an example of a care assistant job description. If you would like to learn more about our Introduction to Care training course, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
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