Social Care Apprentice within the Adult Mental Health Team in Oldbury

Do you have an interest in Social Care and are aged 18 years or over (due to the nature of the role)? If so, we have an exciting apprenticeship where you can assist our Adult Mental Health Social Care Team to support customers in and around the Sandwell borough.

Responsibilities

• You will learn what the various teams within Sandwell Council Social Care Services do, as you assist Social Workers and other professionals in assessing, safeguarding, supporting and advocating for service users.
• During the apprenticeship, you will contribute to the delivery of services that enable the best outcome for service users and their families.
• Undertake a wide range of duties, including:

• Provide an immediate response when receiving information or awareness of situations concerning risks to service users.
• Assist others when working with service users to improve their quality of life.
• Actively undertake training to improve your performance, including shadowing social workers.
• Support others to advocate on behalf of others to obtain the best outcomes.
• Gather and share information from service users with all relevant parties/professionals involved.
• Support the team by carrying out follow-up calls and taking actions as authorised.
• Promote service users' cultural needs and challenge any discrimination and racism.
• Assist with care planning for service users in collaboration with individuals and other professionals, in family homes or elsewhere, using a range of therapeutic interventions.
• Be accountable for the quality of your work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills.
• Meet relevant standards of practice and work in a lawful, safe and effective way.
• Maintain clear and accurate records as required by procedures established for your work.
• Work openly and cooperatively with colleagues, and treat them with respect.
• Recognise responsibility for the work you have been asked to undertake.
• Recognise and respect the roles and expertise of workers from other agencies and work in effective partnerships with them.
• Work flexibly to support the department, including occasional evenings, and support individuals according to their personal care/support plan.
• Take the initiative when working outside normal duties and responsibilities.
• Recognise when to access help if not confident or skilled in any aspect of the role.
• Implement/facilitate specialist assessment of social, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of individuals with cognitive, sensory and physical impairments.
• Contribute to the development and ongoing review of care/support plans for the individuals supported.
• Provide individuals with information to enable them to exercise choice on how they are supported.
• Encourage individuals to actively participate in how their care and support is delivered.
• Ensure individuals know what they are agreeing to regarding the way they are supported.
• Lead and support colleagues to understand how to establish informed consent when providing care and support.
• Guide, mentor and contribute to the development of colleagues in their duties and responsibilities.
• Demonstrate dignity in working with individuals, families, carers and other professionals.
• Support others to understand the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in social care.
• Exhibit empathy and compassion for individuals supported.
• Exhibit courage in supporting individuals in ways that may challenge personal beliefs.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills with individuals, families, carers and professionals, including confirming understanding.
• Use and facilitate communication methods preferred by the individual, according to language, culture and sensory needs, wishes and preferences.
• Take initiative to reduce environmental barriers to communication.
• Ensure records and reports are written clearly and concisely.
• Lead and support others to keep information safe and preserve confidentiality according to agreed ways of working.
• Support others to recognise and respond to potential signs of abuse according to agreed ways of working.
• Work in partnership with external agencies to respond to concerns of abuse.
• Address conflicts or dilemmas between an individual's rights and duty of care.
• Recognise, report, respond to and record unsafe practices and encourage others to do so.
• Promote the wellbeing of the individuals supported through mentoring and supervision where appropriate.
• Demonstrate infection control practices, including hand hygiene.
• Promote healthy eating and wellbeing by supporting access to fluids, food and nutrition.
• Carry out fire safety procedures and guide others to do so.
• Develop risk assessments and apply them in a person-centred way to support individuals safely (including moving and assisting people and objects).
• Manage, monitor, report and respond to changes in health and wellbeing of the individuals supported.
• Identify and form professional relationships with other people and organisations.
• Work within safe, clear professional boundaries and demonstrate ongoing professional development.
• Engage in reflective practice, supervision, feedback and learning opportunities to improve skills and knowledge.
• Demonstrate continuous professional development.
• Contribute to robust recruitment and induction processes.

Training schedule and qualifications

You will undertake a Level 3 Adult Care Worker Qualification. The apprenticeship training will be delivered in the workplace, with regular visits from a college assessor. The apprenticeship includes 20% off-the-job training and a robust programme of Mandatory Apprentice Training provided by Sandwell Council, including:

• Fire Awareness
• Prevent
• Safeguarding
• Data Protection & Cyber Security
• Equality & Diversity

GCSEs in English (grade 9-4/A-C) and Maths (grade 9-4/A-C). Other qualifications: Adult Care (level 2), Care Certificate, English (level 2), Health & Social Care (level 2), Maths (level 2). Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills and attributes

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Presentation skills
• Administrative skills
• Number skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Non-judgemental
• Patience
• Physical fitness
• Empathy
• Safeguarding
• Data Protection
• Confidentiality
• Equality
• Flexibility
• Professionalism
• Respect for others

Salary and start date

£14,526.20 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age. National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices. Training course lead adult care worker (level 3). Hours: Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm. 37 hours a week. Start date: Monday 27 April 2026. Duration: 1 year 6 months.