Children and young people Social services and healthcare Social work Toolkit

Working in social services and healthcare in Scotland

#lifechangingwork
social services and healthcare

Working together to make a difference

If you’re compassionate, have a sense of fun and enjoy working with people you could be perfect for a career in social services and healthcare. There are many types of services across the community like care homes, care at home and housing support services. Most roles will involve supporting adults but you can support younger people too.

This work is about helping people to live well and achieve the things in life that really matter to them. You’ll go home each day knowing you made a difference.

3 social care workers at ROyston Court Care Home.

My best words of advice are there is no need to worry about training as you’re given all the training you will need. Go into it with an open mind and never look back.

Blair Social care assistant

What’s it really like to work in social services? Find out below in our career stories.

Career stories

There are over 200,000 people working in social services and they come from all walks of life. Take a look at these stories from people who provide support with health and care to learn how they got started, what they like most and their best words of advice for you.

Use the buttons below to filter the stories. Once you've explored some stories, keep scrolling on this page to learn how you can enter this career.

To find out where your career might take you, explore our interactive qualification pathways.

Qualification pathways

You don’t usually need a qualification to start this career but you’ll have an opportunity to gain one in work. If you want to progress into promoted posts there are qualifications to help you do this.

Explore our interactive pathways to see how qualifications can help you build a career.

go to the qualification pathways

Cathy from Royston Court Care Home.

Tender loving care, that's all we need. And they're all very good to us here. Just like our own family.

Cathy Royston Court Care Home

Interested in a career in social services and healthcare?

Take your first steps

Explore these routes to get help taking your first steps. In each category you’ll find links to websites to apply for work experience, jobs, training or study.

Take your first steps

Learn

You can develop your knowledge and prepare for interviews with free learning resources from the SSSC.

SSSC Learning Zone

Whatever your role and level of experience, the SSSC Learning Zone has apps and resources to help you develop your knowledge and skills. These are all completely free and you can work through them at your own pace.

SSSC Open Badges

Open Badges are digital certificates recognising learning and achievement. If you can demonstrate that you’ve learned from materials produced by the SSSC you can earn an Open Badge. You can share digital badges with potential employers.

A Question of Care

Try the interactive video challenges in this website to find out if you have the right values for working in social services.

Right Values, Right People

This recruitment toolkit will help you identify your values and prepare for job interviews.

Communication skills for caring

Communication skills are important in social service careers and this website points you to some online, local and national resources. Many of the resources shown can help you improve your English skills.

Find volunteering and work experience opportunities

Volunteering and work experience can help you show employers that you are committed and understand what it is like to work with people. Here are some ideas.

  • Contact some community-based services and ask about voluntary or part time roles. Children’s services could include sports groups and holiday clubs. Adult’s services could include day care or care homes. If you have a hobby or skill you can offer to share it.
  • Speak to a friend or relative who works in social services. They can explain what their job is like and may be able to help you get work experience.
  • Get Into, by the Prince’s Trust, offers free mentoring and work experience courses for young people up to age 30 who want to start a career in social care or healthcare.
  • Visit your nearest volunteer (or voluntary action) centre. You can use this website to find one close to you.
  • Organisations like Girlguiding Scotland, Scouts Scotland, Prince’s Trust and Duke of Edinburgh have volunteering and work experience programmes for young people.
  • Other organisations which offer advice about volunteering include Volunteer Scotland, Volunteering Matters and NHS Health Scotland.
  • You could consider applying to become a panel member with Children’s Hearings Scotland.

Work

Apply for jobs and learn while you work

Find jobs

Apply for jobs and learn while you work

Here are some popular job websites you can try:

If you’re not ready to apply for jobs try looking at some volunteering and work experience opportunities.

You can find out if you have the right values for working in social services with our interactive quiz A Question of Care.

Qualifications may help you apply for some jobs but remember that many people start working first and gain their qualification once they have taken part in training and are confident in their role.

Apply to train as an apprentice

Search for modern apprenticeship opportunities online at apprenticeships.scot

Apprenticeships are also advertised on some job sites, like myjobscotland.

You could also ask colleges, local training companies or employers about vacancies.

As an apprentice you will take part in training and be supervised by experienced workers. There should be no age limit so look around to see if there’s an opportunity for you.

If you already have a job you may be able to access apprenticeship funding for your modern, technical or professional apprenticeship.

Find a college course

You can gain a qualification in college before you find your first job or while you work.

Find the name of the qualification that’s right for you in our qualification pathway then see if it’s available at the college you want to attend.

Remember that the college can offer you an access route if you don’t yet meet the entry requirements for your chosen course.

Find a university course

Practice qualifications

The SSSC accepts a range of practice-based qualifications gained at university. Get information about studying social work in this website.

Get information about studying nursing and allied health professions (like occupational therapy) at the NHS Scotland careers website.

Get information about studying teaching at the Teach in Scotland careers website.

Make sure you check our website for information on the university qualifications we accept.

Other qualifications

You can bring the knowledge you gain in any university course to a career in social services. You could also work in social services while you study.

If you stay in a social service career you will need to gain a practice qualification like an SVQ or HNC. These qualifications include observed and assessed practice in the workplace. This means someone would come to your workplace and watch and assess you while you carry out your work.

MyLearning app

Learning about social services is a good way to show your committment to employers.

If you want to store your learning and share it with others, including new employers, try using MyLearning. It's a free, smartphone-based app provided by the SSSC.

MyLearning is also used by social service workers to record continuous professional learning.

MyLearning website

A man using the MyLearning app while drinking coffee.

Downloads

Feedback

Partners

Skills Development Scotland, the national skills body Iriss, the Institute of Research and Innovation in Social Services The Care Inspectorate, the regulator of care services in Scotland Scottish Government NHS Careers, a website showing healthcare career opportunities in the NHS