social care and childcare qualifications

bluebeary

thanks guys, im just wanting to look into either working as a care assistant, support worker or in a nursery environment, can i do any of these without qualifications, maybe just a disclosure type thing ?

baybeebug

you can actually start in all three as long as you show enthusiasm and an understanding of the role involved.

You will be offered training whichever postition you go for, and you will have to go through an enhanced CRB and will need to provide your work history including gaps and 2 references (which should be taken up both written and verbally)

gizmo111

Care Assistant and support worker usually but not always offer training on the job, not sure what nurserys require but there are different levels. I would look through some vacancies and see what they are asking for.

ohreally

You will be required to join the PVG scheme regardless...http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/304621/0095592.pdf

Oldernotwiser

gizmo111 wrote: »

Having been a childcare social worker for more years than I care to remember I can assure you that we come under the social care umbrella.

Which is what I said.

However, as I'm sure you know, they involve totally different skills and qualifications.

Oldernotwiser

bluebeary wrote: »

thanks guys, im just wanting to look into either working as a care assistant, support worker or in a nursery environment, can i do any of these without qualifications, maybe just a disclosure type thing ?

You'll have more chance of this in the social care sector as nurseries tend to be staffed predominantly by young people who've done qualifications at college.

Not impossible, but more difficult.

gizmo111

gizmo111 wrote: »

Depends what you actually want to do with the qualification. If you want to be a social worker then you will need the social work degree - OU do it but you have to be sponsored by employer.

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

The OP hasn't mentioned Social Work - Social Care is very different.

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Which is what I said.

However, as I'm sure you know, they involve totally different skills and qualifications.

No that is not what you said and certainly not what the OP asked - she asked about social care and childcare in her OP with no indication of the area she wanted to work in, I gave her a reasonable answer which covers both, however you seem determined to seperate social work from social care and this is not a true reflection of the broad range of jobs and qualifcations that are covered under social care.

maybemischief

Care worker and support worker jobs you will not normally require any experience. You will have to complete induction training, health & safety, first aid, sova, food hygeine etc. You would then be able to go on and do a level 2 nvq or the newer equivilent. As said above majority is by observation so you woudnt be able to really do this online or as an evening class.

Oldernotwiser

gizmo111 wrote: »

No that is not what you said and certainly not what the OP asked - she asked about social care and childcare in her OP with no indication of the area she wanted to work in, I gave her a reasonable answer which covers both, however you seem determined to seperate social work from social care and this is not a true reflection of the broad range of jobs and qualifcations that are covered under social care.

From a careers advice point of view, social care and social work are very different and it's always important to make sure that people understand this. It can be difficult to do when newspapers describe someone as a "social workers" when the person in question is actually a support or care worker.

Seeing that we (in different ways) seem to know what we're talking about, I wonder if you could clarify in what way you think being a social worker is the same as working in social care because we seem to be talking at cross purposes at the moment.

gizmo111

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

From a careers advice point of view, social care and social work are very different and it's always important to make sure that people understand this. It can be difficult to do when newspapers describe someone as a "social workers" when the person in question is actually a support or care worker.

Seeing that we (in different ways) seem to know what we're talking about, I wonder if you could clarify in what way you think being a social worker is the same as working in social care because we seem to be talking at cross purposes at the moment.

Statutory social work is social care, I see many people through my other job as a OU lecturer taking all sorts of health and social care courses thinking they can link them to a degree to become a social worker because they want to work in childcare and aren't clear enough when they start the course and end up very disapointed. I was simply pointing out an option to the OP not offering careers advice as I'm not sure this is one I would recommend!

I am a full-time child protection social worker and I work in the social care directorate of the local authority, this is split into children and adults and both have many jobs including home helps, unqualified support workers for the elderly, support for disabled adults and children, residential care for both as well as supportworkers such as child and family support and contact supervisors, but they all including social workers come under the umbrella of social care.

Social Care is a huge area and I really don't care what the papers call us- they should come door knocking and meet the family's and lear na few new words for social workers!.

HTH