Adult social care is one of the largest employers in the UK. The work is demanding and entry-level pay is modest, but there is real variety and a clear route upwards. Here is an honest overview of the roles, the training, the checks and, importantly, what the immigration rules now say.
The main entry-level roles
- Care assistant or care worker – helping people with daily living, such as washing, dressing, eating and moving around, in a care home or in people’s own homes (domiciliary or home care).
- Support worker – often working with people with learning disabilities, autism or mental health needs, with more focus on independence, routines, activities and community life.
- Senior carer – an experienced carer who leads a shift, supports newer staff, and often handles medication and care plan updates.
Home care usually involves driving between visits, so a full driving licence is often requested.
The Care Certificate and the new Level 2 qualification
The Care Certificate is a set of standards that describes what a new care worker in England should know and be able to do. It was updated in 2025 and now has 16 standards, including a new one on awareness of learning disability and autism.
It is not set out in law as compulsory, but the Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects providers to make sure new staff have, or are working towards, the skills it describes. In practice, most employers build their induction around it, so you will usually complete it in your first weeks or months.
Alongside this there is now the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, an accredited qualification based on the same standards that launched in 2024. Skills for Care confirms it is not mandatory at present, and employers decide whether to enrol staff. The advantage for you is portability: an assessed qualification moves with you between employers, which can cut down on repeating the same training.
Both sit within the government’s Care Workforce Pathway, a career framework for adult social care in England. It sets out the skills expected at each stage, from “new to care” through care worker, enhanced care worker and supervisor, up to registered manager.
DBS checks
Because you will be working with people who may be vulnerable, care employers carry out criminal record checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). For most hands-on care roles this is an enhanced check, usually including a check of the adults’ barred list. Your employer starts the application. You cannot request an enhanced check for yourself. If you have lived abroad, employers may also ask for a criminal record certificate from those countries.
Pay
Many entry-level care jobs are paid at or close to the legal minimum. From 1 April 2026, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour. Rates are higher in some areas and for senior or specialist roles, and some employers pay extra for nights, weekends and bank holidays.
When comparing offers, look beyond the hourly rate. In home care, ask whether travel time between visits is paid and whether mileage is covered. Your total pay for the time you work must not fall below the minimum wage. The government is also working towards a Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care, with negotiations planned rather than finalised, so treat any headlines about future rates with care until terms are confirmed.
Overseas care workers: what changed in July 2025
There is a lot of out-of-date information online, so we want to be precise.
From 22 July 2025, care workers (occupation code 6135) and senior care workers (code 6136) can no longer apply from outside the UK for a Health and Care Worker visa. In plain terms, new overseas recruitment into these roles has closed.
There are transitional arrangements for people already in the UK:
- If you already hold a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa in a care role, and your certificate of sponsorship was issued before 22 July 2025, you can generally extend, update or change employer, provided you have held one of these visas continuously since then.
- People in the UK on a different visa can still switch into these care roles until 22 July 2028, but only if they have been legally working for the sponsoring care provider for at least three months before the certificate of sponsorship is issued. This is set out in the explanatory memorandum to the July 2025 rule changes.
Be very wary of anyone offering a care job “with a visa” from abroad, especially if they ask for a fee. Your circumstances matter, and only advisers regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (formerly OISC) or solicitors can give immigration advice. You can find a regulated adviser on GOV.UK.
Career progression
Care is a sector where you can move up relatively quickly if you take on training. A typical path looks like this:
- Care worker or support worker, completing the Care Certificate standards
- Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, then a Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care
- Senior carer or team leader, often with medication responsibilities
- Deputy manager, then registered manager, usually working towards a Level 5 leadership diploma
Some people move on into the NHS, as a healthcare assistant, nursing associate or through a nursing or social work degree. Ask employers whether they offer apprenticeships or fund qualifications, as many can access government training funding.
Next steps
- Decide whether care home, home care or supported living suits you best
- Ask employers how they deliver the Care Certificate and whether they offer the Level 2 qualification
- Check that the hourly rate, including travel time, meets the current National Living Wage
- If you are on a visa, check your own position against the GOV.UK rules before accepting any offer
- Look at the Care Workforce Pathway to plan your next two or three years
Official sources we checked
- GOV.UK – Health and Care Worker visa: your job
- GOV.UK – Explanatory memorandum, Statement of Changes HC 997 (July 2025)
- GOV.UK – National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
- CQC – Our position on the Care Certificate
- Skills for Care – Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate FAQs
- GOV.UK – Care Workforce Pathway for adult social care
Checked on 1 October 2026. Rules and fees change — always confirm on the official page.
