Careers in adult social care

Adult social care is about supporting people aged 18+ with a wide range of different needs to live their best lives possible, whether it’s providing a bit of help to get back on their feet after a fall, supporting them to keep their independence and stay in their home, or providing full-time care if they need it. This could be: older people, adults with learning disabilities and sensory needs, people with physical disabilities, autistic and neurodivergent adults, unpaid carers or people struggling with substance dependencies – but this is not an exhaustive list.

It’s about helping people to live the life they want to live, in the way they want to live it.

There are all sorts of different social care jobs in Portsmouth. Some don’t require any qualifications and train you on the job. Others have more specific requirements.

Some of the many social care roles you might find on offer at Portsmouth City Council include:

• Social work (in a range of disciplines and settings)
• Occupational therapy
• Nursing (working in a nursing home)
• Rehabilitation (supporting people to regain independence, for example after a fall or a stay in hospital)
• Care work (in a care home, nursing home or day service)
• Business administration (in a range of settings).

You can find out more about some of these roles below, or search for adult social care jobs in Portsmouth. You might also like to find out more about some of the rewards and benefits of working for Portsmouth City Council.

Social work is a practice-based, profession-focused career. People often come for support from social care at a low point in their lives, perhaps a life changing event or because of an accident or incident. Social work is about promoting and protecting their independence, resilience, and wellbeing. The work is varied and rewarding, supporting adults with a wide range of needs such as mental health, learning disabilities or other difficulties. The role is demanding and sometimes emotional, but it can save lives.

In Portsmouth, we follow a ‘strengths-based’ principle which puts the person at the heart of our practice, looking at ‘what’s strong, rather than what’s wrong’, and promotes social change and development.

There are several routes into social work. You can:

• Apply for a degree course at university – Portsmouth University offers a BSc Hons in Social Work
• Apply for an unqualified position as a Social Care Associate Practitioner (search for vacancies on the council job portal). Having gained some experience in social care, you can then apply for a social work degree apprenticeship and ‘earn while you learn’.
• If you already have an undergraduate degree at grade 2:2 you can apply to one of the following post-graduate programmes. These all come with a bursary to support you during your training:

• Step up to social work: an intensive, 14-month, full time programme to qualify as a social worker
• Approach Social Work: two years of intensive, paid training and a fully-funded MSc in Advance Relationship-Based Social Work Practice with Children and Families

Whichever route you wish to take, once you have qualified and registered as a social worker, and you wish to work for Portsmouth City Council (or another local authority), you will then undertake an Assessed and Supported Year of Employment (ASYE). During this year you will be supported to grow and develop the skills and knowledge gained during your qualification and apply this to your practice.

Occupational therapists empower people to maximise their functional ability to achieve increased independence and quality of life.  This may include things like: assistive technologies, adaptations to the home, equipment provision, rehabilitation programmes and lifestyle changes that help clients to meet their personalised goals and participate in meaningful and purposeful activities.

There are several routes into occupational therapy. You can:

• Apply for a degree course at university. Locally, Southampton and Bournemouth University offer a BSc Hons in Occupational Therapy.
• Apply for an unqualified position as an Occupational Therapy Associate Practitioner (search for vacancies on the council job portal). Having gained some experience working in adult social care you may be able to apply for our four-year occupational therapy apprenticeship and ‘earn while you learn’.
• If you already have an undergraduate degree in a different subject, you can apply to an MSc in Occupational Therapy, a two-year accelerated programme.
• Apply for an NHS apprenticeship in occupational therapy.

Once you have completed one of these accredited courses, you will be awarded a BSc or MSc in Occupational Therapy – this will enable you to register as an Occupational Therapist with the Healthcare Professionals Council. Part of the learning requirements will be the completion of a minimum of 1,000 hours in clinical practice.

Find out more how to become an occupational therapist.

Nursing is providing care for people who are unwell or injured as well as the promotion of health; it’s about meeting patients’ physiological and psychological needs. Within adult social care, nursing care can be delivered in people’s homes, community health centres, or within residential nursing homes.

There are two main routes into nursing:

• Undertake a three year full-time Bachelors Degree (BSc in Nursing) at university – you can specialise in general nursing, mental health nursing or midwifery. This degree involves a mixture of classes and clinical placements. It is usually self-funded although you may be able to secure a scholarship. Once qualified, you can work as a Nurse and register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Undertake a Nursing Associate Apprenticeship – this two year full-time course blends classroom time and placements. On completion you can work as a Nursing Associate and will be able to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You can then choose to study an additional year to become a fully qualified Nurse.

Care workers support people in a variety of settings such as residential care, day services and in their own homes to support people to be as independent as possible and ensure their safety and wellbeing. Day-to-day support could involve things like: personal care (dressing, bathing, eating, going to the toilet), activities of daily living, taking medication, preparing meals, rehabilitation and recovery (for example after surgery or a stroke). You could be working independently, visiting people in their homes, or as part of a team based at a day service or care home.

There are different routes into care work:

• Apply without any care experience to a job as a Care Assistant or Support Worker (search for vacancies on the council job portal). You will be supported to complete your Level 1 Care Certificate and then undertake an adult care apprenticeship and ‘earn while you learn’, which usually takes between 15 months and two years.
• Apply from college having studied a T-level or Diploma in Health and Social care as a Care Assistant or Support Worker (search for vacancies on the council job portal). You will be supported to complete your Level 1 Care Certificate.

Once you have begun your career in social care there are many opportunities to progress into supervisory or leadership roles in different care settings across the council or be supported to explore other specialisms in health and care. Find out more about career progression in social care.