Care Worker Supporting Statement: Example and Tips

Care work is one of the few careers where kindness really is the main qualification. A good supporting statement shows that you’re caring, reliable and safe, and that you understand what the job is really like.

What care workers do

Care workers, also called care assistants or support workers, help people to live as well and as independently as possible. You might work in a care home, visit people in their own homes (domiciliary or home care), or support people in supported living. Tasks often include personal care, helping with meals and medication, encouraging activities, keeping records, and noticing when something isn’t right.

What employers usually look for

• A caring, patient approach that respects dignity and choice
• Treating each person as an individual (often called person-centred care)
• Reliability, including early, late and weekend shifts
• Good communication, including with families and other professionals
• Understanding of safeguarding: knowing what to do if you’re worried about someone
• Willingness to complete training and qualifications
• For home care, often a full driving licence and access to a car

Training and registration

In Wales, care workers in adult care homes and home care must register with Social Care Wales. You don’t need to be qualified to start: employers support new staff to complete the Level 2 Health and Social Care Core qualification and the Practice (Adults) qualification over time. Saying you’re keen to do this is a good addition to your statement.

In England, new care workers usually complete the Care Certificate when they start.

New to care? You have more to offer than you think

• Caring for a family member shows personal care, patience and noticing changes.
• Childcare shows routines, safeguarding and working with families.
• Retail, hospitality or call centres show reliability, teamwork and staying calm with upset people.
• Volunteering, for example befriending, shows commitment and empathy.

Example paragraph

Here is a STAR example for “Ability to provide person-centred care”. It is an example only, so use your own experience.

“When I volunteered at a day centre, one gentleman rarely joined in and spent most days alone. I sat with him over a few visits and learned he had been a keen gardener. With the manager’s agreement, I set up a small planter on the patio and asked if he would show me what to grow. He began coming in early to water the plants and started chatting with other members about gardening. His daughter told staff he talked about the centre at home for the first time.”

It shows getting to know the person, acting on what matters to them, and the difference it made.

Tips for care worker applications

• Show you know the reality. Personal care, shifts and emotional days. Employers want people who will stay.
• Include safeguarding. Give an example of noticing a concern and telling the right person.
• Talk about dignity. Privacy, choice and doing things with people, not to them.
• Mention practical things the advert asks for, such as a driving licence or flexible availability.
• Keep it honest and specific. Real examples beat a list of caring adjectives.

Applying for a healthcare support role in a hospital instead? See the NHS Band 2 guide. New to supporting statements? Start with how to write a supporting statement.