Start your career in health and social care

An adult nurse learns to observe and assess the needs of their patients, delivering the most appropriate care for them, and evaluating the results.

Social workers help to protect and support vulnerable children and adults. This could include providing support plans for clients, advising and counselling, keeping records and writing reports, reviewing situations and more.

Physiotherapists help patients to extend their range of movements, often helping them recover from accidents or injuries, working with children who have disabilities, and helping older people with physical struggles to move more easily.

Paramedics respond to emergency calls, assess scenes on-scene where emergencies have taken place, help to stabilise or revive patients, and more.

An occupational therapist provides support to people whose health is making activities that are important to them difficult or impossible. This could include rehabilitation after a stroke causes physical difficulties, helping people with learning difficulties to be more independent, encouraging someone with depression to try a new activity.

The number of disabled younger adults living longer and the number of older people needing care means that adult social care in particular is growing, and the sector is likely to need at least another half a million employees by 2030.

There are over 100,000 vacancies at any time in the health and social care sector, and with the sector’s predicted growth over the next decade, there are many jobs available for those dedicated to careers in this area.

In 2020, the health and social care sector accounted for 8.3% of the total gross added value (GVA), or £1.2 billion, of the area known as the Marches, which incorporates Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin.

The Marches has a wide stretch of rural and ageing communities, requiring approximately 40,900 health and social care jobs, or 14.1% of the total jobs, which is the third highest sector in the region. The health and social care sector here was predicted to increase by around 1,150 jobs by 2022, showing that the regional area’s requirements for qualified employees is rising.

The Royal College of Nursing’s West Midlands regional director Lindsay Meeks reported in April 2022 that there are nearly 8,000 vacancies for NHS nurses across the Midlands. This is the equivalent to one in nine posts – a number which has barely changed in the past four years, so demand for qualified nurses remains high.

For many careers in healthcare you will need to be a registered healthcare professional, while it is possible to enter a social care via an apprenticeship, work experience, or by qualifying in a relevant subject.

In social care, there are numerous graduate-level roles available where it is not always necessary to have studied a specialised subject; however, applicants are likely to be considered to be more dedicated to the area if they have already studied a relevant degree or qualification. Places for degrees in social work are often very competitive.

For most careers in healthcare, you will be required to be a registered healthcare professional, as regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Most health-based degrees require applicants to have GCSEs in English, Mathematics and Science.

For any health-based degree or career working with vulnerable people, you will likely need to pass a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. There are several levels of DBS check, which may give details of any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings held by the police about you.

If you are a caring person, great interpersonal skills, and a genuine passion, a career in these areas can be highly rewarding. You will dedicate yourself to the care of vulnerable people, and finish each day knowing that you have helped those who most need it. Work in both areas is varied and your days will rarely be the same, as every situation and every client or patient will be different.

The amount of experience you need to enter the sector depends on the role you are hoping to enter. Most degree courses have a large amount of hands-on work experience and built-in placements as an integral part of the course. If you’re applying for a degree, there are lots of opportunities to gain valuable work experience to include on your application.

There are many ways you can gain experience in the sector. These include:

• work experience placements
• volunteering
• a supported internship
• caring for a friend or relative who is unwell or disabled
• paid part or full-time work, eg. in a care home

You may be able to volunteer through NHS Jobs, a scheme such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, or through a charity or voluntary organisation. If you are studying a related qualification with the University of Wolverhampton, you will be able to gain help to find a placement through our Careers team.

The number of disabled younger adults living longer and the number of older people needing care means that adult social care in particular is growing, and the sector is likely to need at least another half a million employees by 2030.

There are over 100,000 vacancies at any time in the health and social care sector, and with the sector’s predicted growth over the next decade, there are many jobs available for those dedicated to careers in this area.