Carers are responsible for looking after people who need help due to disability, illness or frailty. They work with both young and old people meeting various needs in their day to day life. These workers help with shopping, making meals, laundry, dressing, cleaning, washing, and other duties. They may work at people´s homes or in local communities.

Carers usually perform many of the following tasks:
• Cooking meals.
• Dressing disable people.
• Cleaning house rooms.
• Administering medication.
• Providing emotional support.

• Being reliable and trustworthy.
• Having good stamina.
• Being patient and tactful.
• Having good knowledge about hygiene standards and basis health care.
• Being able to deal with people from different backgrounds.
• Having interpersonal abilities.
• Being able to solve different types of problems.
• Having manual dexterity.
• Having a desire to help people.
• Being a good listener.

Applicants for Carer jobs need to have understanding of the law and a good knowledge of the social welfare system. Experience and skills can be obtained through voluntary jobs, because this area does not require specific academic qualifications. People working on this sector can have full time courses in order to obtain a National Vocational Qualification in Care and Management or other relevant degrees.

There are online courses offered by institutions such as City and Guilds. One of these courses is called Learning for Living and it is designed for carer and former carers in order to build on their skills.