No, you can enter into the career at any age. Depending on the role, you may be required to be at least 18 years old due to administering certain medications, however this would be indicated in the job description.

Take a look at our many stories on this website to read case studies from those who work within the sector.

Of course! For many roles, you’ll need to gain relevant work-based qualifications within five years of starting your job (e.g. Scottish Vocational Qualifications, or SVQs), which show you have the skills and knowledge to make a difference in the sector. Your career development can include specialising on working with people with specific support needs such as autism or substance abuse. Alternatively, you can broaden your experience to support many people across diverse groups

You can also complete apprenticeships and other qualifications, including university degrees, while you work, and you can increase your responsibilities and skillset through specialised training. Plus, with opportunities to move into management or leadership roles, a job caring for adults can be the gateway to an interesting and worthwhile career.

Absolutely, take a look at Clair’s story at caretocare.scot/stories/clair-anderson/ where she talks about her decision to switch careers from insurance to care, along with many other stories from those who followed a similar path.

Getting into a career in adult social care is quite simple. As adult social care doesn’t need any specific qualifications to start your journey, all you have to do is decide on the type of care worker role you would like to like and then search for roles near you via many different websites including:

• Myjobscotland
• Indeed
• Myworldofwork
• S1jobs
• Goodmoves
• Findajob
• Jobs.scot.nhs.uk

Once you have found the role and job that you would like to do, you will usually be asked to fill out an application form. If you are successful and you have begun your job in the sector, you’ll need to register with the SSSC within six months of starting work. Registration makes you part of one of the biggest workforces in Scotland who take pride and passion in the work they do to improve the lives of people across the country. It also allows you to access to a wide range of support and resources.

Download ‘Your guide to working in adult social care.’ today for in-depth information on everything you need to know on how to start your social care career.

“Care assistant” and “support worker” are two of the most common titles for roles in social care. They both focus on providing care and support to individuals. The exact title of your role will depend on your employer, and sometimes the preferences of people using a care service will influence job titles.

Other examples of similar roles which you’ll see on job adverts include “social care worker”, “home care assistant”, “residential support worker” and “care worker”.

The job advert will explain what your responsibilities will be and whether you will need to register with the SSSC. Finding out your SSSC registration category from your new or potential employer is a good way of understanding what responsibilities you’ll have, and what qualification you’ll complete in work. You can find out more about registration categories and qualifications at www.careersincare.scot (many of the career stories include employer job titles alongside a person’s SSSC registration category).

These are skilled roles and sometimes you may need experience to apply. However, many employers are willing to hire people without experience if they have strong values and a positive approach. Employers will also provide training and support once you start work.

It’s helpful to remember that care services provide support to a range of different people, and each person will be unique. Therefore no matter where you work you’ll have the opportunity to learn from people and develop your skills in particular areas. Some examples of what you’ll learn about include dementia, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. Of course if you become passionate about a particular area this might influence the direction your career takes once you have some experience.

It’s a good idea to research different employers in your area to find out more about their ethos and the types of support they provide. This can help you make a decision about where to apply.

A final piece of advice is to look at the real stories on the stories at caretocare.scot/stories and www.careersincare.scot. By doing this you’ll see that social service workers may start in one service, but then move around different types of service in the course of their career. The flexibility and potential to work with lots of different people is a real benefit of a career in social care.