Social work assistant

You can do a college course in health and social care which may help when you look for work.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

You could apply to do an apprenticeship in care or youth work to get experience of working with vulnerable adults, children or young people.

These include:

• Health and Social Care Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship
• Adult Care Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Youth Support Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Early Intervention Practitioner Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
• Children, Young People and Families Practitioner Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship

You could then do a social worker degree apprenticeship once you have experience.

Foundation apprenticeship

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

• have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• are in care or have been in care
• are in prison or have been in prison

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

You could get experience by volunteering which might help when you apply for a course or job.

You can find volunteering opportunities through Do It.

You could apply directly if you have experience in a care role such as a care worker or healthcare assistant. It would help if you have experience working in a:

• hospital
• hospice
• care home
• children's home

You'll usually need a GCSE in English for this route.

Career Tips

Experience of caring for someone in your own family or community can help you get into a social work assistant role.

Further Information

You can find out more about a career in adult social care from Think Care Careers.

As a social work assistant you could:

• advise clients and families about what help is available
• visit clients at home to check how they are
• follow or create a social worker care plan
• keep up to date with changes in the law, write reports and keep records
• go to meetings with other healthcare professionals

You could work in the community, at a children's care home, at a client's home, in an office, in an NHS or private hospital or at an adult care home.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.