Care Worker Jobs in the UK: Pay, Shifts and How to Start (2026)

Step 1 of 3: Job overview

Since April 2026, anyone aged 21 or over in the UK must be paid at least £12.71 an hour, and that includes care workers. Many care jobs need no previous experience, because you train on the job. Below you'll see what the work is really like, and the next page shows exactly what you need to qualify.

Pick the kind of care work that appeals to you, and we'll show you the requirements next.

Which type of care work suits you?

🏠 Home care visits See requirements → 🏡 Care home See requirements → 🌙 Night shifts See requirements → 🕒 Part-time hours See requirements →

🤝 What a care worker actually does

Care workers, also called care assistants or support workers, help adults who need support to live their lives. That might be older people, people with dementia, or adults with a disability or a long-term illness.

The National Careers Service says the job includes help with washing, dressing and personal care, and keeping care plans and records up to date. In practice, your tasks often include:

• Helping people get up, wash, dress and get ready for the day
• Preparing meals and drinks, and helping people eat if they need it
• Reminding people to take medication, where you've been trained to
• Helping people move around safely
• Chatting, keeping people company and supporting hobbies or trips out
• Writing short notes so the next carer knows how the person is

Home care vs care homes

Home care (also called domiciliary care) means visiting people in their own homes. You usually have a list of visits, or calls, each day and travel between them. Care homes and residential services mean working on one site as part of a team, often with the same residents every shift.

Both are adult social care, and both use the same basic training. The right one for you depends on whether you prefer being out and about or working in one place.

Want to know if you'd pass the checks? It only takes a minute to find out.

💰 How much care workers are paid (2026)

Pay in care is close to the legal minimum for many workers, so it helps to know the official figures. Here's what the government and Skills for Care, the official workforce body for adult social care in England, have published.

The Skills for Care figure was measured before the April 2026 rise. Because the legal minimum is now higher than that median, care workers aged 21 and over must now get at least £12.71 an hour.

Skills for Care also found that 26% of care workers were paid within 10p of the National Living Wage in December 2025. So for many roles, the advertised rate is the main thing to compare. Some employers pay more for nights, weekends or experience, so always read the advert.

🕒 Shifts and working hours

Care is needed every day of the year, so shifts can fall at any time. The National Careers Service lists typical hours of 35 to 45 a week, with evenings and weekends on shifts.

• Early or morning calls: helping people get up and ready for the day
• Day shifts: in care homes, often a long day covering meals and activities
• Evening calls: supper, medication reminders and getting ready for bed
• Night shifts: waking nights or sleep-in shifts in some homes and services
• Part-time and flexible hours: common in home care, where you can often choose your availability

Next up: the DBS check, the right to work documents and the training you'll do in your first weeks.

⭐ Training and career growth

You don't need a qualification to start in many care jobs. New starters usually work through the Care Certificate, a set of 16 standards that cover the basics, such as communication, privacy, safeguarding and health and safety. It was updated in March 2025.

Once you're working, you can build on it. There's now an accredited Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate based on the same 16 standards, and with experience you can move into senior care worker roles.

Skills for Care found that a new NHS Band 3 healthcare assistant earned 15p an hour more than the median care worker. Some care workers use their experience to move into NHS support roles later.

🙋 Who this job suits

Care work can be a great fit if any of these sound like you:

• You're kind, patient and like helping people
• You've looked after a family member or friend, which the National Careers Service says counts as caring experience
• You want work that's different every day, not a desk job
• You need hours that fit around family, study or another job

It can be harder going if you find personal care, such as helping someone wash or use the toilet, difficult. Shifts can also be physically and emotionally tiring, so be honest with yourself before you apply.

Curious whether you'd pass the checks? The requirements page lays them out in plain English.

✅ What to expect next

Hiring in care usually follows a few simple stages. You apply to an employer, have an interview, and then the employer checks your right to work in the UK, your references and your DBS certificate before you start. Your first weeks are spent on induction and the Care Certificate.

On the next page: who needs an enhanced DBS check, the right to work documents, whether you need a driving licence for home care, and the mistakes that get applications rejected.

🔥 Other jobs hiring now

Care isn't the only field with steady demand. If you want to compare options, these UK jobs are worth a look too.

Disclaimer: This is an independent information website. We are not a care provider, the NHS, a council or any employer, we do not hire anyone and we do not collect job applications. Pay, training and hiring rules change and vary by employer and area, so always check the details with the official employer or job advert before you apply. Never pay anyone to get a job.