Exploring the skills of a care worker

Contents

Knowing what’s needed to succeed

Working in the care sector is so much more than an occupation. It is about embodying a deep understanding of the lived experiences patients go through daily, and offering support with empathy, warmth, and respect.

However, what are the specific skills a care worker requires to compliment a natural affinity for looking after others? Moreover, what steps can be taken to make official and legitimise these skills, so that you can progress professionally as a care employee?

Join tend as we take a closer look at the skills of a care worker, the values they need to exhibit, and what you can do to officially qualify to work in care environments.

So, what are the skills of a care worker?

Care work is a mix of practical capabilities, emotional intelligence (sometimes also referred to as EQ), and professional judgement with a strong moral compass.

Care worker skills fall into 3 primary categories:

• Core Personal Skills – Employers look for the following qualities in candidates, even if they have no prior experience:
  • Empathy and compassion
  • Communication skills
  • Patience
  • Resilience
  • Reliability
  • Respect
• Practical Care Skills – These are the skills that professional training and qualification courses can help a care worker to build:
  • Personal care
  • Moving and handling
  • Basic clinical observations
  • Nutrition and hydration support
  • Medication advice and support
  • Record keeping and reporting
• Safeguarding, wellbeing, and professional judgement skills – These skills can be learned on the job, perhaps through shadowing more experienced members of staff:
  • Safeguarding awareness
  • Infection prevention and control
  • An understanding of mental health and cognitive conditions
  • Person-centred planning

These 3 elements combined form the rounded skill set of a capable, confident care worker.

How do you gain the skills of a care worker?

Apprenticeships are now the primary route for professionals developing care skills in the UK job market. These programmes work so well because they combine real-world experience with a structured learning path.

The other great thing about apprenticeships, is that they go beyond the classroom. Learning is much more aligned to the learner’s job, which serves to reinforce everything they bring to their role.

Here are some key aspects of the apprenticeship route to consider:

• A personal approach – apprentices can enjoy benefits that traditional education just doesn’t provide. Care professionals who learn with tend for example, are allocated a dedicated Development Coach, who is both a personal tutor and an experienced advisor for the duration of the course. Learning is also personalised to the learning style of the individual, and the goals of their employer.
• Developing job-ready skills – their unique structure ensures practical care sector experience, coupled with a guided curriculum of learning led by an expert tutor. This helps apprentices to emerge not only qualified, but confident, compassionate, and capable.
• A level of learning to match experience – apprenticeships allow learners to zero in on their professional goals with pinpoint accuracy. Courses exist on a tier system that accurately reflects the learner’s experience to date, and where they would like to take their career. For example, the Level 2 Adult Care Worker apprenticeship is perfect for those just starting their professional care journey, designed to help build foundational skills that will remain relevant throughout working life. Through to Level 5, which is for care workers moving into leadership roles.

With all of this in mind, apprenticeships don’t just open doors into the care workforce. They are designed to help individuals and teams build long-term career goals and grow organically.

Which training providers are best for building care worker skills?

When choosing a training provider, the main thing to consider is how well they know the sector you’re entering into. Care-specific training providers like tend will have an intrinsic understanding of the essential knowledge and behaviours that will ensure your success, while also making sure the learning comes from qualified, care sector coaches.

Unlike other broad-stroke further education providers, learning from trainers like tend is unmatched in its niche knowledge, and the quality of care career development.

tend focusses entirely on:

• Adult Social Care
• Healthcare support
• Pharmacy
• Leadership in care settings

Every single programme tend offers is:

• Delivered by care sector specialists
• Aligned with the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
• Tailored to learner and employer needs
• Aware of the challenges unique to care
• Designed to form a clear progression journey

This is exactly why care professionals who can say they are tend-trained are recognised in the field as a benchmark for excellence in health and adult care delivery.

How important are future-ready skills for care workers?

The care sector, like everything else in the 21^st century, is ever-evolving. The key to keeping yourself super-employable will mean staying ahead of the changes and trends, and ensuring your skills never have the chance to stagnate.

Elements of care work to keep an eye on include:

• Digital care records
• Assistive technology
• Person-centred planning
• Wellbeing-focused support
• Mental resilience

The skills of a care worker reflect that this vocation is more than just a job. It is a modern, modern, skilled, high-value, rewarding profession.

Final thoughts

Care workers possess such a wide range of skills, that those building a career in the sector must ensure that they have the perfect balance of practical experience, interpersonal skills, and a willingness to embrace perpetual learning.

Apprenticeships are the top choice for care worker training, providing all of the above, plus a tailored approach to learner and employer needs. They are also cost effective, with government funding readily available.

Sector-specific training providers like tend are closely aligned with care and its nuances. Courses are curated to facilitate success, as well as high-value, high-quality care delivery.

No matter your chosen care career path, or team training needs, this profession is incredibly rewarding, in high demand, and impacts lives for the better. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Do you or your team need sector-specific care training? Reach out to our team today. Call 01753 596 004 or hit the button below.