Social Care is...

Social care covers a wide range of services designed to help people, such as older people and disabled people, with their daily needs, including washing, dressing, eating, transportation and being part of the community. These services are typically funded by local authorities and provided either by the local authority or the independent sector.

Social care also includes ‘personalisation,’ which is the term used to describe people arranging and buying their own care provision, and people having a real say in how services are provided to them. The aim of personalisation is to help people to live independently in the ways that they choose.

In 2005, social care in England was separated into children´s social care services and adult social care services, allowing better co-operation between agencies in order to improve children´s well-being, and the provision of more bespoke services for adults.

Adult social care is one of the fastest-growing segments of the economy. Currently, there are approximately 1.5 million people working for 39,000 employers across England. An additional 1 million more employees are forecast to be needed by 2025 to meet the growing demand of an ageing population.

Social care is provided by both social workers and social care workers. The terms are not interchangeable.

Social workers hold a professional qualification and must be registered by the General Social Care Council to practice. They are involved at a senior level with people who use social care services. Social workers are trained to deal with complex problems, assessing an individual´s needs, offering support and advice, and if necessary, helping to arrange a care package. There are approximately 85,000 social workers in England, with the majority involved in children´s services.

Social care workers are often offered on-the-job training and do not necessarily require any qualifications when they start work. As their careers progress, social care workers have the opportunity to gain qualifications, allowing them to take on additional responsibilities. In some cases, qualifications and experience gained in social care entitle people to go on and study for a social work degree.

“Social care makes a substantial positive difference to people´s lives. It helps people retain or regain their independence and dignity. It helps them overcome difficult situations in their lives, giving them more choice and control, and rebuilding fractured relationships. It safeguards adults from harm, helps individuals who are likely to harm others, and protects society from potential harm. Social care is vitally important to the estimated 1.75 million people who receive adult social care services in England.”
Options for Excellence, Department of Health, 2006