Adult social care is about supporting people 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. 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, supporting people with a wide range of different needs. 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 in Portsmouth include:
- social work
- home care
- residential care
- working with people with a learning disability or sensory needs
- day centres
- occupational therapy
- activities worker
- community connector
- team leader or manager
You can find out more about some of these roles below, or search for adult social care jobs in Portsmouth.
Social work
Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that supports people to be connected to their communities.
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 an Independent Support Assistant. There are then internal routes which could gain you a social work qualification. You can search for vacancies on the council job portal
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
- Frontline programme: two years of intensive, paid training and a fully-funded MSc in Advance Relationship-Based Social Work Practice with Children and Families
- Think Ahead programme: a two-year training programme to become a social worker in mental health
Whichever route you choose, if you wish to work for Portsmouth City Council 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.
Home care
We’re particularly on the lookout for applicants to jobs in home care at the moment. You don’t need any qualifications to work in home care, just a caring and resilient personality and a desire to help people. You’ll receive training on the job and valuable experience which could lead to a full career in social care.