Health/
social care assistant
Providing comfort and reassurance as well as supporting physical wellbeing, no two days are the same for a health and social care assistant.
Providing comfort and reassurance as well as supporting physical wellbeing, no two days are the same for a health and social care assistant.
Ben has changed my life.I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about a year ago which has made me a little wobbly on my feet and quite nervous about leaving the house these days. My daughters have been helping me out as best they can but they live quite far away, which means they can’t get down very often. Besides, they have their own lives to get on with. They’d never say so, but I was starting to feel like a burden.
Ben has changed my life, though. He’s kind, patient and never makes me feel like I’m being a nuisance. He makes sure I take my medicine and he’s an excellent cook to boot! I feel a lot safer knowing I have someone nearby who can help and I always look forward to his visits. I suppose I was starting to get a bit lonely cooped up on my own. I know I will need more care one day, but, for now, he is helping me stay in my home and that is a great reassurance to me and my daughters.
I want to help WilliamI get a real sense of satisfaction from helping people, and also from learning about the care provided by all the other medical and social care practitioners. I feel really proud to be part of the team providing the care William needs.
William is full of funny stories about his time in the army and I’ve learned that it can be quite hard for him to ask for help. He’s also a real stickler for routine. That’s why I take things very slowly and always get to know a client. I also try not to make assumptions about what he can and can’t manage. It’s about helping him feel comfortable and reassuring his daughters that their Dad is cared for.
I want to help William stay as independent as possible for as long as possible and I can see how much it means to be in his own home. This is more than a job for me.
Health and social care assistants don’t need any specific academic qualifications, just a few of the following characteristics:
This role is all about helping a client feel safe and comfortable, so you’ll need to be a good listener and feel a genuine passion for helping others.
Many clients tend to be quite frail and may even be coming to the end of their life. It means you’ll need a gentle, yet confident, approach. You’re there to provide reassurance as much as to carry out practical tasks.
As well as the client, you’ll most likely be working alongside their family and primary carers so it helps to have good, clear communications skills.
It can be hard for once-independent clients to have to rely on other people for support so patience is key in a job like this.
No two days are the same as a health and social care assistant, so you’ll need to be adaptable and good at problem-solving.
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Find out moreLooking after vulnerable people is at the heart of what a health and social care assistant does. Read on to find out what the job is really like, and some of the relevant organisations on hand to help you.
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