Five Surprisingly Big Benefits of Working in Social Care

There’s never been a better time to join the care industry. Here, we look at some of the biggest benefits of being a social care worker.

If you’re wondering about life as a carer, you should know there’s never been a better time to join the industry. Carers are in short supply and high demand – which means you’ll feel instantly appreciated by your colleagues and customers alike!

But that’s not the only reason to make the move into care. Here, we’ll look at some of the other big benefits of being a social carer.

Your hours can be guaranteed and flexible, and the pay is surprisingly generous

One of the top benefits of being a social care worker has to be the pay – at least, that’s the case when you work for Bluebird Care Worthing. At £10.50 an hour on weekdays, the rate is far higher than the national minimum wage (NMW) of £8.91 for people aged 23 and above, and an even better deal if you’re 21-22 (where NMW is £8.36) or 18-20 (an NMW of £6.56!). It's also even better at weekends, where the pay goes up to £11.50 an hour! On top of that, we pay £9 an hour for travel time, and 35p per mile for your travel between calls.

It might also surprise you to learn that while we do offer zero-hours contracts at Bluebird Care Worthing, we also give you the option of guaranteed hours ones too. That means we’ll give you the hours that you want and are available for. Some extra hours may come up, but they’ll be optional – meaning you can craft your personal life around the care shifts that work for you.

You can get qualifications for free

The care industry is tightly regulated, which means all of our carers need extensive training before going out on their first care call. The great news is that initial training is paid time – so you’ll be earning with us before you’ve even had your first proper care shift.

Once you’ve bedded in and gotten used to the role, you may decide you want to climb the career ladder. The great news is we’ll support you with that every step of the way – by being flexible, by offering assistance, and by paying for your health and social care diploma qualifications, which are worth over £1,500. It’s all part of our commitment to you as a Bluebird.

The broader benefits package is comprehensive

While we can’t speak for the whole of the care industry, here at Bluebird Care Worthing we’re particularly proud of the benefits we offer to our team.

Alongside the salary, flexibility and paid diplomas, those benefits include:

• A company mobile phone
• Access to the WPA health scheme (worth up to £1,300 of health appointments)
• Company Pension
• £200 by referral bonus if a recommendation lands a role with us (no limit to the number of referrals)
• Your birthday off work
• Paid annual MOT for the vehicle you use for work
• Paid induction training
• Paid DBS
• Social get-togethers
• An end-of-probation bonus
• Plus a first-year retention bonus

You might even say the benefits package is one of the biggest benefits of being a social care worker in Worthing!

Of course, the measurable factors aren’t the only ones that are important…

You’ll also make lifelong friends

Of all the items in the list of benefits above, maybe the biggest benefit of being a social care worker is the relationships you’ll make along the way with your fellow Bluebirds.

“Our team are very close-knit,” says Kat, Director at Bluebird Care Worthing. “I think it comes in part from all facing the same challenges and banding together to help each other overcome them,” she explains. “Care work isn’t always easy but having people who know what you’re going through and how you can feel when you have a really great day, or even a rather sad one – it brings everyone closer together.

“I know people through Bluebird Care who I spend time with away from work, and I’m proud to call friends,” she continues. “I know it’s the same for every member of our team here, too. We have a real family atmosphere. It’s pretty rare and really rather special.”

And have experiences no other career can offer

For the last of our five surprisingly big benefits of working in social care, we felt it only appropriate to talk to Rebecca, who’s been with us now for going on three years.

“I love caring because every day is different, and the job satisfaction you get from helping people… it’s just a warm feeling you get when you come home knowing you helped. Even if it’s helping them get washed and dressed, or just the tiniest thing like sitting with them and keeping them company. Caring means helping someone gain back a little bit of their independence and assisting them with the things they have trouble with. It’s really quite wonderful.

“For instance, some customers say things like ‘I’m useless, I shouldn’t be here,’ and I’ll sit down with them and say ‘it’s okay to need help. It’s okay to have someone assist you in these things you used to be able to do yourself. It’s all part of getting older.’ They need that reassurance, and I get to be the one giving them that to make them feel better about themselves and their life.

“I will admit that at the beginning, I did think, ‘hmmm is this for me?’ but I kind of just fitted in. As the past few years have gone by, I’ve learned so much, and it really has just made me a better person. I love being a carer. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

Would you love life as a care assistant?

If you feel that care could be the right career move for you, we’d love to hear from you. To learn more, get in touch here or take a look at our post on what it’s like to become a carer. To apply for a care role in Worthing, see our current vacancies here.

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