Domiciliary Care Assistant
Also advertised as: Care Worker, care worker (homecare), community home care worker, Domiciliary Care Assistant, domiciliary care worker, Domiciliary Carer
Supports people to live independently at home with daily tasks and personal care.
What the job involves
Domiciliary care assistants visit clients in their own homes to help with washing, dressing, medication and meals, often across several short visits a day. The work relies on reliability and compassion, since clients depend on the same face turning up on time. It is one of the most accessible entry points into social care.
Typical responsibilities
- Support clients with personal care
- Help with medication prompts
- Prepare meals and light housework
- Monitor and report changes in wellbeing
- Keep accurate visit records
Common employers
- Home care agencies
- Local authority care teams
- Live-in care companies
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£20,000 – £23,000 a year
With experience
£23,000 – £26,000 a year
Typical hours
Flexible shifts including early mornings, evenings and weekends
Working environment
Clients' homes across a local area
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
high
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Compassion
- Time management
- Basic care skills
- Communication
- Reliability
Transferable skills you may already have
- Caring for family members
- Customer service
- Working independently
Requirements employers ask for
- Compassion
- Time management
- Basic care skills
- Communication
- Reliability
- No formal qualification required to start
- Enhanced DBS check
- support social service users' positiveness
- communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields
- work in a multicultural environment in health care
- handle conflicts
- apply socially just working principles
- encourage social service users to preserve their independence in their daily activities
- protect vulnerable social service users
- assist disabled individuals to participate in community activities
- maintain privacy of service users
- advocate for social service users
- tolerate stress
- promote inclusion
Useful but not essential
- Caring for family members
- Customer service
- Working independently
- Care Certificate
- Full UK driving licence
Helpful qualifications
- Care Certificate
- Full UK driving licence
Licences and checks
- Enhanced DBS check
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Adult Care Worker (Level 2)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Health and social care
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Care Assistant
next
Care Coordinator
next
Adult Social Care Team Leader
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- No qualifications needed to start
- Flexible hours to fit around other commitments
- Genuine difference to people's daily lives
What people find hard
- Travel time between visits often unpaid
- Physically and emotionally demanding
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a domiciliary care assistant?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
- How much does a domiciliary care assistant earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £20,000 to £23,000 a year, rising towards £26,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Caring for family members, Customer service, Working independently.
Related careers
Social Worker
Assesses and protects children or adults at risk and coordinates the support around them.
Residential Childcare Worker
Provides day-to-day care and support to children living in residential children's homes.
Family Support Worker
Works with families to build parenting skills and reduce the risk of children going into care.
Adult Social Care Team Leader
Manages a team of care workers delivering support to adults in the community or a care setting.
Substance Misuse Practitioner
Supports people struggling with drug and alcohol dependency towards recovery.
Safeguarding Officer
Investigates and coordinates responses to concerns about children or vulnerable adults.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
Read how our career data is built and reviewed, or tell us if something here is wrong.