Sector guide
Care and social services
Care work needs empathy and reliability more than formal qualifications, and people with lived experience of disability or mental health often bring real insight. Emotional load and irregular hours need active support.
Roles that often work well
Care assistant, support worker, activity assistant, kitchen and housekeeping staff, peer supporter, receptionist
Common barriers
- Emotionally demanding situations with little time to recover
- Paperwork, care plans and records
- Rotating shifts, nights and weekend work
Quick adjustments
- Regular supervision or a debrief after hard shifts
- Dictation or templates for care notes
- Predictable shift patterns
- Starting with non-personal-care tasks while training
Extra steps in your plan
Value lived experience in your job ad
Say that personal experience of disability, mental health or support services is an asset. It widens your pool of candidates and improves care.
Attract candidates · Recommended · 15 min
Build in debriefs after difficult situations
A short conversation after a hard shift protects wellbeing and is good practice for every care worker, not only new ones.
Onboard · Essential · 15 min
Make documentation easier
Use templates, checklists and dictation for care notes, and give time to learn the system alongside a colleague.
Onboard · Recommended · About 1 hour
Turn this into your own plan
Choose your type of business and who you are hiring, and get one checklist that tracks your progress, plus a tracker for each new hire's first six months.
This toolkit is general guidance, not legal advice. Rules on recruitment, adjustments and support schemes differ between countries, so check with your local employment service or an adviser.