Famous faces urge people to take up a career in care

18 Jan 2022 02:30 PM

Public are urged to consider a career in care as celebrities pledge their support for the sector.

The public are being urged to consider a career in care as celebrities pledge their support for the sector.

Reality TV star and campaigner, who recently fronted a BBC show on her family’s experience of autism, Christine McGuiness, TV presenter and Paralympian Ade Adepitan, rapper and star of Dancing on Ice 2021 Lady Leshurr, and author and influencer Toni Tone have come together to support the Department for Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) ‘Made with Care’ recruitment campaign.

Taking to social media, the stars have united to help show a job in adult social care is a career like no other. They have written their own insights into the qualities, rather than qualifications, needed to be a care worker and to shine a light on the extraordinary parts of the job often not included in traditional job adverts.

The ‘Made with Care’ campaign launched in November 2021 to help fill vacancies across the adult social care sector. With more than 105,000 vacancies, and almost half-a-million extra job opportunities in adult social care expected by 2035, the campaign aims to encourage people to apply for exciting and rewarding roles across the country.

To support this, the department announced £5.4 billion of additional funding to reform social care over the next three years, including at least £500 million to support training and career development for the workforce. This is on top of £462.5million to support the recruitment and retention of staff.

Minister for Care Gillian Keegan said:

A role in care can provide a truly rewarding and fulfilling career. You need empathy, compassion and patience. For everything else there’s training. You don’t need qualifications to get started and there are many opportunities for professional development.

Those already working in adult social care are doing an amazing job and we need more people to join them.

I would urge anyone who thinks they might have something to offer to consider applying for a rewarding, fulfilling and varied career in adult social care.

Each of the celebrities has a direct, personal connection to care or a particular passion and desire to support the sector.

Christine McGuinness recently filmed a documentary following her family as they found out more about autism after their three children received their autism diagnoses, including meeting with adults with autism and their care workers.

Christine said:

My three children have all been diagnosed with autism and I received my diagnoses towards the end of last year. As part of my research into autism, I have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to remarkable people working in the adult social care sector and seen what an incredible impact they have on individuals’ lives.

All people need to get started in their career in social care is their natural qualities, there’s training for everything else. Working in care really does change lives. I have a massive respect for the profession and would encourage anyone looking for a career where they can make a difference to apply.

Find more information and how to apply for a job in care.

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