The Many Faces of Care
The SKA Group Ltd
Specialist recruitment agency, supplying staffing solutions and consultation to both public and private sectors.
It takes a team with all kinds of skills to ensure that people who need care and support have their needs met. If you’re interested in working in the sector but not necessarily in delivering care, there are still many options open to you. While the individuals who provide the care are integral, they can’t do it without the support and efforts of a wider team.
With that in mind, we’ll be exploring some of the different roles you’ll find in the sector.
Part of a Team
Every care environment that you come across will be different, and will need to staff a variety of roles based on the support required and the setting of the workplace. For example, a team of people who assist a service user in someone’s home, will differ from the team you’d find at a day centre. The teams are often divided up into two; front facing and back office. Some of the staff working back of house may have contact with the people being supported, though they aren’t directly responsible for care duties.
Front Facing Roles
Front facing roles involve working directly with service users. The majority of these roles are responsible for delivering care, assisting with daily activities and personal care. Individuals who work in these positions spend the majority of their time with the people they support.
The main front facing roles are care assistants/workers, support workers and registered nurses. Other front facing roles within the care section include physiotherapists, doctors, dentists, drivers, nutritionists, catering staff and activities coordinators.
If you’re interested in the various types of support workers, read our article here
Back of House Roles
People that work behind the scenes tend to have responsibilities focused around operations more than care. These people enable other members of the team to do their jobs efficiently and effectively, whilst helping to maintain a safe environment with the appropriate resources.
These roles can include managers, administrators, cooks, finance managers, hr officers, maintenance staff and housekeeping.
Care Positions that don’t involve Delivering Care
There are many roles within care that don’t involve delivering care to the service user - we’re going to take a look at the responsibilities and expectations of a few.
This role is front facing, but focuses primarily on planning trips, events and activities for the groups of people who are being supported. It requires a deep understanding of people and their needs and the role usually requires someone who is creative and very well organised.
Many care settings, such as day centres and care homes, are responsible for providing meals around the clock. They will often have a kitchen and catering staff to help prepare and serve meals, as well as to tidy up afterwards. These roles often require health and safety certificates, on top of previous experience within a similar role - time management and communication are essential skills for a cook to have.
When a team of staff is involved in any project, there needs to be someone present to help look after the employees. Members of the human resources team handle employment as a whole. They can cover salary payments, recruitment, contracts, training, holidays, sick leave and other organisational matters. It’s common for HR roles to require previous experience.
Services, just like everything else, require money to run and care is no different. A finance manager will oversee the incoming and outgoing sums, provide financial reports and oversee invoices, tax and other payments. People in these roles require strong numeracy and literacy skills.
Another aspect of maintaining wellbeing within a care environment is to look after the environment itself. In care homes, housekeepers will be expected to tidy and clean common areas and resident rooms. Day centers and other environments need cleaners to ensure their spaces are safe and hygienic. These positions don’t tend to require specific qualifications, though may require training on health and safety or hazardous materials.
Care environments involve high levels of organisation and a lot of paperwork. In some cases, the finance manager or HR team may tackle administrative duties, but it’s common to see this as a separate role. It involves ordering supplies, overseeing resources and liaising with external consultants where necessary. This role requires numeracy ability, organisation and good communication skills.
Not every team member is involved in the delivery of care, but they are just as important to the service. You can have a career in care even if delivering care and support isn’t directly what you’re looking for. Supporting the wellbeing of others comes in many different roles, including front facing and back of house. What exciting career will care offer you?
If you’re a hard working, kind hearted and determined individual, then our care sector jobs might just be a match for you. We look for people with a positive can-do attitude and a genuine passion for helping those in need. Of course, we provide full training, as well as constant support and supervision. Whatever skills you have, there’s a career in care perfect for you. Get in touch today to start your journey!