Health and social care is a huge sector of the UK labour market and set to grow further. You’re probably already familiar with many of the clinical roles in the NHS, but you may not have thought about the wider social care sector, the business functions associated with healthcare (from HR to finance to property management to IT) or know about the postgraduate routes into health and social care professions, which don’t necessarily need you to have a health-related undergraduate degree.
What is the main aim of the health and social care sector?
Social care is a term used for help that is provided in terms of physical and emotional support. The main aim is to help people live their lives in a happy and healthy manner despite their disabilities; either physical or emotional.
What is the difference between health care and social care?
A healthcare need is related to the treatment, control or prevention of a disease, illness, injury or disability, and the care or aftercare of a person with these needs. A social care need is focused on providing assistance with the activities of daily living.
Places to start exploring your career options!
If you are interested in health and social care but don’t know what job options are open to you, here are some places to start:
Job Boards
Employers also use job boards to advertise roles, so they’re another way to find opportunities. They often have filters by location and job type to help your search. Here are some sector-specific job sites:
Graduate and Placement Schemes
Graduate schemes are a great way to get into the industry at entry-level. Often spanning two years, they provide structured training, and typically a full-time contract after completion. Many of them will allow you to earn specific qualifications or accreditations which are recognised across the industry. Here are some graduate schemes in the sector:
Other Careers Resources
If you want to find out more about this sector, or you’re preparing for a job interview or assessment centre, these are fantastic resources to find out what people in the industry are talking about at the moment:
Local Companies
Professional bodies, organisations and regulatory authorities
Professional bodies and organisations help maintain high standards and reputations in the profession and of their members. Many sectors require their staff to be a member of one of these organisations. Here are some links to the organisations relevant to this sector.
Remember, all of these bodies also recruit staff to a variety of business functions!
