Trading trades: why managers and graduates are turning to jobs in Social Care

JobsinSocialWork, the specialist jobsite for social work and social care professionals, has seen a 223% increase in candidate registrations over the past three months.

This reflects a recent Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) report which revealed that social care is the only sector to have consistently expanded over a two-year period. Taking advantage of a trend that looks set to continue, The Department of Health launched a national advertising campaign this week to recruit more professionals into the social care sector.

Jobseekers considering switching careers could benefit from pension schemes, job security, flexible working, improved work-life balance and all-round job satisfaction. Recent industry research showed that 82% of those currently employed in the sector are happy in their jobs, with many citing the key benefits as autonomy and the ability to make a difference to peopleís lives.

The most popular job searches on JobsinSocialWork include social worker, occupational therapist, social housing support worker, home manager, foster and kinship carer, as well as carers for children, the elderly and the mentally disabled.

The diversity of careers on offer is attracting applicants from a wide range of backgrounds. With appropriate training, those considering changing sectors may find that itís easy to transfer their skills and succeed in a new career in social care.

In September 2008, The Centre for Social Justice (an independent think tank founded by Iain Duncan Smith MP) compiled a report containing ëCare Firstí and ëCare Nextí initiatives, outlining the importance of recruiting the best candidates. These initiatives emphasise the importance of specifically targeting graduates and experienced managers into the profession, while recent government reforms have pushed for the addition of at least one yearís practice in the field for trainees.

Kazo Rees, Head of Sales for JobsinSocialWork, commented: ìThe job market is becoming increasingly dependent on maturing industries like Social Work and Social Care to regain stability. Vacancies are readily available to the right candidates, many of whom come from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds.

ìIt is important for recruiters not only to appeal to experienced jobseekers already in the sector, but also to entice ëcareer switchersí interested in applying for our vacancies. JobsinSocialWork offers scores of jobs throughout the UK that will appeal to managers and graduates alike.î