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- A rewarding role helping people with learning disabilities lead happy, independent lives
- This would suit you if you have a caring nature, good practical skills, and a passion for helping others
- There are opportunities to progress into senior roles and management with experience
Support workers are there to ensure that people who need this extra help are able to play an active role in their communities and have the independence they want. In this role you will provide the kind of day-to-day support that your client or clients need to help them live their lives in the way they want to.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
The exact role you take on will depend on the person you are supporting and their needs, but might include:
- Cooking
- Helping them manage their finances
- Going out to the shops or on day trips with them
- Helping them with their hobbies and interests
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
The hours and type of work will depend on the individuals you work with, but you may need to work shifts and support at evenings or weekends.
You'll need
This can be challenging but highly rewarding work, and would suit you if you have a passion for helping others, strong empathy, practical skills and a caring nature.
You don't always need experience to become a learning disability support worker, but it will help if you have a qualification in health and social care or a related area.
You can apply direct to employers, and many of them provide on the job training, or you may be able to do an apprenticeship in this area.
You'll need excellent practical skills, empathy, a passion for helping others, patience, and a calm, caring manner.
You may need to pass a background check (called a DBS check), your employer will normally arrange this, and it may also be helpful to have a driving license and access to a vehicle.
CAREER PROSPECTS
You can progress into senior support worker roles and into management roles where you'll lead a team of support workers for a particular area.