A lot of people would make wonderful carers and never find out, because they count themselves out before they even apply. They see the word “carer” and assume you need experience, a qualification, or some kind of medical background. You don’t.
At Unity, no experience is needed. Full training is given, so you learn the job properly once you’re in. If you’ve got the right heart and you’re willing to learn, the rest can be taught.
If you’re still wondering whether you’re cut out for it, we went through that in what does it take to be a good carer. This post is the practical bit: who care work actually suits, how you get started, what happens after you apply, and what the job is really like day to day. No jargon, no rose-tint.
First things first: you really don’t need experience
Let’s clear this one up, because it stops more people than anything else.
You do not need previous care experience or a care qualification to start with Unity. What you need is a genuine care for people and a willingness to learn. Everything else, from the practical skills to the Care Certificate, which is the national standard for anyone new to care, you pick up through proper training and support once you have joined.
It’s worth saying plainly: some job adverts in care do ask for a year or two of experience, and that can put people off before they start. But plenty of roles, ours included, are built for people who are completely new to it. So if the only thing holding you back is “I’ve never done this before,” that is not a reason to stay put. It is exactly who this kind of role is for.
Who care work actually suits
One of the nice things about care is that there is no single type of person who does it well. Some of our best carers have come from completely different walks of life.
You might be a career changer, tired of a job that doesn’t mean much and looking for something that does. You might be a parent wanting hours that work around the school run or term time. You might be semi-retired, not ready to stop altogether, and keen to stay active and useful in your community. Or you might have cared for a relative, a parent, a partner, a grandparent, and realised you were good at it and got something out of it.
That last one matters more than people think. If you have looked after someone you love, even without ever being paid for it, you already understand a great deal about patience, dignity and what it means to help someone through a hard day. That counts. It just doesn’t come with a certificate.
The simplest way in
The most straightforward route into care work is to apply directly to a local provider that trains people from scratch, which is exactly what Unity does.
A quick tip when you are looking around: read adverts carefully, because some ask for experience and some are open to complete beginners. If an advert doesn’t say either way, don’t rule yourself out, just ask. Plenty of employers care far more about the person in front of them than the lines on a CV.
If you would like a formal qualification alongside the job, care apprenticeships are another way in, letting you earn while you learn towards a recognised award. But you do not need one to get started, and you do not need to have it all mapped out before you make the first move.
What actually happens when you apply
This is the part people find most daunting, and it really needn’t be. Here is roughly how it goes with us:
- You get in touch. A first message or a phone call, not a formal interview. You just let us know you’re interested. That’s the hardest step, and it isn’t very hard.
- We have a proper chat. We’ll talk about you, what’s drawn you to care, any worries you have, and the kind of hours that would fit around your life. It’s a two-way conversation, not an interrogation, and it’s your chance to ask us things too.
- The checks. Care work involves an Enhanced DBS check, which is a background check that we arrange and pay for, along with a couple of references. It’s completely routine, and we walk you through every part of it.
- Training and shadowing. Before you ever visit anyone on your own, you’ll be trained and you’ll shadow experienced carers out on their rounds. You learn the job by doing it, with someone right beside you, until you feel ready.
- Your Care Certificate. Over your first weeks you work through the Care Certificate standards, which cover the essentials like safeguarding, moving people safely, dignity and communication. It builds your knowledge and your confidence at the same time.
By the time you’re out on your own, you will know what you’re doing. And even then, there is always someone on the end of the phone if you’re unsure about anything.
The training and support you’ll get
Because no experience is needed, training isn’t an afterthought here, it’s the whole foundation. You are not expected to know things you were never taught.
Your induction gives you the grounding, the shadowing shows you how it works in real homes with real people, and the Care Certificate gives you the recognised standard behind it. From there, training carries on, because care is a job you keep getting better at over time.
Just as importantly, you’ll never feel thrown in at the deep end. We’re always a phone call away, whether it’s a practical question or a day that’s thrown you a curveball. Good care is a team effort, even when a lot of the work itself is one to one.
What you’ll need
To get started as a carer in the Tyne Valley, you’ll usually need:
- The right to work in the UK.
- A full driving licence and access to a vehicle. You’ll be travelling to people’s homes, though the work is focused around Hexham and nearby, so you’re not stuck in the car all day.
- A genuine care for people, and the willingness to learn.
That really is it. No degree, no prior experience, no health qualifications.
A typical day in home care
No two days are the same, which is part of the appeal, but it helps to picture what the work actually involves.
A morning might start by helping someone get up, washed and dressed, and making sure they’ve had breakfast and their medication. You might then prepare a light lunch for the next person, have a proper natter over a cup of tea, and help them feel steady on their feet. In the afternoon you could support someone to get out into the community, to the shops, a group, or just a walk in the fresh air, or sit with someone who mostly needs a bit of company and a friendly face.
In between, you’re making short local journeys between homes around Hexham and nearby, so there’s a gentle rhythm of visits rather than being in one place all day, and not much time lost to the road. And running through all of it is the quiet, important part of the job: noticing. Spotting when someone seems a bit off, or something at home isn’t quite right, and letting the team know. You don’t need to be a nurse to do that. You just need to pay attention to the person, not only the task.
What the job’s really like, honestly
We won’t rose-tint it. Care work has early starts, and some evenings and weekends, because that’s when people need support. You’ll be out in all weathers, driving to people’s homes around Hexham and the villages nearby. And it can be emotional, because you grow close to the people you look after, and some of the work, like supporting a family through palliative care, asks a lot of you.
But the other side is just as real. You finish most shifts knowing you genuinely helped someone. You get proper, unhurried time with people, whether that’s companionship, a hand with elderly care or dementia care, or simply being the reassuring face someone looks forward to. Care here is about connection, not ticking off a checklist, and there’s real time for it. You’re out and about, not stuck at a desk. And plenty of people who had never worked in care before tell us it’s the most meaningful job they’ve ever had.
Hours and pay
Care work can fit around your life more than you might expect. We offer full-time, part-time and variable-hours contracts, so whether you want a full week, a few shifts around the school run, or term-time only, it’s worth telling us what you’re after and we’ll do our best to make it work.
Pay is £14.06 an hour, and we also pay for your travel time and mileage, with enhanced rates on bank holidays. Just as important, you’re trained and supported from day one, so you’re not expected to arrive job-ready. We’re a Hexham-based, CQC-regulated team, proud to have been named a Top 20 Home Care Provider in the North East for 2025. In the last year that has meant more than 12,500 care visits and over 300 community outings across the Tyne Valley, all delivered by local people who, at some point, started exactly where you are now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your first step
You don’t need to have it all worked out. If something here struck a chord, that’s usually the sign worth trusting.
The easiest first step is simply a chat. No pressure, no formal interview, just a conversation about whether care might be for you. Have a look at our current care jobs, drop us a message, or pop in for a cuppa at our office in Hexham, and we’ll take it from there.
- WhatsApp: 07312 863387
- Call: 01434 614 030
- Email: info@unityhealthcaresolutions.co.uk
- Pop in: Mallan House, Bridge End Industrial Estate, Hexham, NE46 4DQ
Wherever you are in the Tyne valley, Hexham, Prudhoe, Corbridge, Haltwhistle or the villages in between, we’d love to hear from you. Everyone in care started somewhere. This could be your somewhere.
