Quick summary
You do not need qualifications to start. You need a driving licence, an enhanced DBS check (which we organise), references and the right to work in the UK. Training and shadowing come first, and new carers work towards the Care Certificate. Most people are working independently within about three weeks.
What you actually need
Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
Qualifications | None needed to apply. The Care Certificate is worked towards after you start |
Experience | Not required. Caring for your own family counts for more than people think |
Driving licence and a car | Needed for this area. The villages are not reachable by bus at visit times |
Enhanced DBS check | Required by law for this work. We arrange and pay for it |
Right to work in the UK | Required |
References | Required. Previous employers or, if you have been out of work, someone who knows you well |
Age | 18 or over |
Things that stop people applying, and shouldn’t
“I have no care experience.” Most carers did something else first. Retail, hospitality, cleaning, factory work, or years caring for a parent. What matters is turning up, noticing things and being unhurried.
“I have no qualifications.” Not needed. The Care Certificate is the national set of standards new care workers are trained against, and it is done on the job.
“I’m too old.” Plenty of people start care work in their fifties and sixties, and life experience is genuinely useful in a job that is mostly about people.
“I couldn’t do the personal care.” The most common worry, and the one most people get past within a fortnight. You shadow someone experienced first.
“I have a gap in my CV.” Not a problem in this sector. Being straightforward about it is.
“I can only do school hours.” Very common among our carers, and workable. Some weekend work is part of it.
What happens after you apply
- A phone conversation. What hours suit you, where you live, whether you drive. You ask about pay, travel time and visit lengths.
- An interview. Less formal than most. Mostly about how you would handle real situations.
- Checks. Enhanced DBS and references. This is the part that takes the longest.
- Induction training. Moving and handling, safeguarding, infection control, medication, food hygiene, first aid basics.
- Shadowing. Out with an experienced carer, watching and then doing, until you and they are confident.
- Your own rota, built around where you live and the hours you can work.
- The Care Certificate, worked through over your first months.
Roughly three weeks from starting to working independently, depending on how quickly the checks come back and how many hours you are doing.
What the Care Certificate is
The agreed set of standards that new health and social care workers are expected to meet. It covers areas such as duty of care, safeguarding, person-centred working, communication, privacy and dignity, infection prevention and basic life support.
It is not an exam you pass before applying. It is assessed at work, partly through observation, and a good employer trains and pays you through it.
What the first month feels like
Worth knowing so it does not come as a surprise.
- Week one is mostly training and feels like a lot of information at once.
- Shadowing is reassuring and slightly awkward. You are a spare person in someone’s home while they get supported..
- Your first solo visits take longer than the experienced carer made them look. That is normal.
- You will worry about doing something wrong. Ring the office. That is what it is for, and asking is what good carers do.
- By week four you will know your regulars, and the job starts to feel like a routine rather than an ordeal.
What it pays here
- £14.70 an hour during a three month probation.
- £15.70 an hour once probation is complete.
- 35p a mile, and travel time between visits is paid.
- No visit shorter than an hour.
For comparison, the National Living Wage from April 2026 is £12.71 an hour, and the median care worker in England’s independent sector was on £12.60 in December 2025 (Skills for Care).
Where it can lead
Care work is one of the few jobs you can enter with no qualifications and progress in without going back to college full-time.
- Senior carer, supporting and mentoring other carers.
- Field supervisor or care coordinator, doing assessments and building rotas.
- Specialist work in dementia, Parkinson’s or complex care.
- Registered manager, which needs a formal qualification and is a genuine career.
- Nursing or allied health, where care experience is valued on an application.
Frequently asked questions
Can I be a carer with no experience?
Yes. Most employers train from scratch, and the practical requirements are a licence, checks and references rather than qualifications.
How long does a DBS check take?
It varies, usually a couple of weeks, sometimes longer. It is normally the thing that decides your start date.
Do I need my own car?
For this area, yes. The rounds cover villages with limited public transport at the times visits happen.
Is the training paid?
It should be. Ask any employer directly, because unpaid training is a real practice in parts of the sector.
What if I have a criminal record?
It does not automatically rule you out, and it depends on what and when. Be upfront at application stage, because it will come up on the DBS check either way.
Can I do it alongside another job?
Many people do, particularly with evening and weekend rounds. Be realistic about early starts after a late shift somewhere else.
How to apply
Call us on 01625 720157 and ask about caregiver roles. No CV needed for the first conversation.
Visiting Angels Cheshire East covers Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Congleton, Alsager, Buxton, Whaley Bridge, Leek, Biddulph and Kidsgrove. Rounds are built around where you live.
Authored by Kim Blissett, Registered Manager, Visiting Angels Cheshire East.
Published 27 September 2026. Last updated 27 September 2026.
This article is general information about starting work in care, not employment or legal advice. Requirements, training arrangements and pay rates are correct at the date of publication, may change, and are not a contractual offer of employment. Details of the Care Certificate and DBS checks are set nationally and should be checked at source. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GB Care at Home Ltd accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this article.
