Care Assistant Job Description (UK template)

A care assistant (also called a carer, care worker or healthcare assistant in social care) provides personal and practical care to residents in a care home or to people in their own homes. Typical duties include help with washing, dressing, eating, moving around safely and taking medication, along with companionship and noticing changes in someone's health. Below is a complete UK job description you can copy, plus guidance on checks, pay and shifts.

Care Assistant job description template

Job title

Care Assistant

Job purpose

To provide safe, kind and person-centred care that meets each resident's or client's needs and preferences, protecting their dignity, privacy and independence.

Key responsibilities

  • Help people with personal care, including washing, bathing, dressing, continence care and oral hygiene
  • Support people to eat and drink, recording food and fluid intake where needed
  • Help people move safely using approved moving and handling techniques and equipment
  • Give or prompt medication when trained and assessed as competent
  • Follow care plans and report changes in health, mood, skin condition or behaviour
  • Spend time with people, supporting activities, conversation and contact with family
  • Keep accurate care records on paper or the electronic care system
  • Recognise and report safeguarding concerns straight away
  • Keep rooms and equipment clean and follow infection prevention procedures

Essential skills and experience

  • Kind, patient and respectful, with a genuine interest in older or disabled people
  • Good communication skills and enough written English to keep care records
  • Able to work as part of a team and follow instructions and care plans
  • Physically able to carry out moving and handling tasks after training
  • Willing to complete the Care Certificate and mandatory training

Desirable

  • Experience in a care home, home care, hospital or caring for a family member
  • Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Adult Care or Health and Social Care
  • Experience supporting people living with dementia
  • Full UK driving licence (essential for most home care roles)

Requirements

  • Enhanced DBS check with adult barred list
  • Right to work in the UK
  • Two satisfactory references
  • Care Certificate within 12 weeks for those new to care, plus mandatory training (moving and handling, safeguarding, infection control, basic life support)

Hours

Day shifts (often 8am to 8pm or 8am to 2pm), night shifts and part-time contracts are common. Home care often uses split shifts around morning, lunch, tea and bedtime calls.

Want it tailored to your organisation? The free AI job description generator writes a version for your setting, seniority and must-haves in seconds.

Care Assistant pay in the UK

Care assistant pay in the UK usually runs from the National Living Wage (£12.71 an hour from April 2026) to about £14 an hour, with enhancements for nights, weekends and bank holidays at many employers. Home care roles should say whether travel time and mileage are paid.

Pay ranges checked November 2026. They are typical ranges, not official figures: check local adverts before setting your rate.

Career progression

Care assistant, then senior care assistant, team leader, deputy manager and registered manager. Some care assistants move into nursing through apprenticeships.

Tips for writing your care assistant advert

  • State whether the role is in a care home or home care, and for home care whether a car is needed and mileage is paid.
  • Include the hourly rate and any night or weekend enhancements.
  • Mention dementia, nursing or residential care so candidates know what to expect.
  • If you welcome people with no experience, say so and describe the training.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a care assistant do day to day?

Help people get up, washed and dressed, support them at meals, help with toileting and moving around, give or prompt medication, keep records and spend time talking with them. In home care, the day is a series of visits to different clients.

Do you need qualifications to be a care assistant?

No formal qualifications are needed to start. Employers provide the Care Certificate and mandatory training, and many support staff to take a Level 2 or 3 Diploma.

Is a care assistant the same as a healthcare assistant?

Not quite. Healthcare assistants usually work in hospitals or GP surgeries under nurses, while care assistants work in social care settings such as care homes and home care. The duties overlap.

How much do care assistants earn?

Usually between £12.71 and about £14 an hour in the UK from April 2026, depending on region, setting and shift. Nights and weekends often pay more.