Working with Children

“Being a part of children’s development, seeing them at play and helping them explore the world makes you feel quite special.”
Jane Alexander, Chief Executive Officer

Whether you want to lead a team or work for yourself from home, there’s a role for you. There are a variety of careers available working with children.

Help inspire the next generation to reach their full potential.

Working with children

There are many different opportunities and places where you can work in care.

Scroll left and right to find out more about these opportunities.

Home-based Childcare

Homebased childcare is where a child is cared for within a home environment. This could be their own home, such as a nanny, or the childminder’s home.

Playgroup and Cylch Meithrin

Playgroups/ Cylchoedd Meithrin are also referred to as ‘Sessional Care’. Each session is usually provided for up to four hours a day and children who attend are supported to learn through play and active involvement.

Day Nursery and Crèche facilities

Day nurseries and crèches provide an essential service to working parents by offering childcare to children from birth.

Flying Start

Flying Start is a funded programme that supports families with children under the age of four in some of the most deprived areas in Wales.

Social Services

Social Services provide a wide range of support that seeks to improve the well-being of children, families and carers.

Foster Care

Foster care is a way of providing a secure family environment for children who are unable live with their own parents.

Residential Children’s Homes

A ‘residential children’s home’ or ‘children's home’ is a place where children that cannot live with their own family live.

Home Care

Home care is also known as domiciliary care. These services provide essential care and support for children and young people who live at home. This support is built around children and young people’s needs and routines to helps them remain in their home in a safe and supported way.

Home-based Childcare

Homebased childcare is where a child is cared for within a home environment. This could be their own home, such as a nanny, or the childminder’s home.

Playgroup and Cylch Meithrin

Playgroups/ Cylchoedd Meithrin are also referred to as ‘Sessional Care’. Each session is usually provided for up to four hours a day and children who attend are supported to learn through play and active involvement.

Day Nursery and Crèche facilities

Day nurseries and crèches provide an essential service to working parents by offering childcare to children from birth.

Flying Start

Flying Start is a funded programme that supports families with children under the age of four in some of the most deprived areas in Wales.

Social Services

Social Services provide a wide range of support that seeks to improve the well-being of children, families and carers.

Foster Care

Foster care is a way of providing a secure family environment for children who are unable live with their own parents.

Residential Children’s Homes

A ‘residential children’s home’ or ‘children's home’ is a place where children that cannot live with their own family live.

Home Care

Home care is also known as domiciliary care. These services provide essential care and support for children and young people who live at home. This support is built around children and young people’s needs and routines to helps them remain in their home in a safe and supported way.

Home-based Childcare

Homebased childcare is where a child is cared for within a home environment. This could be their own home, such as a nanny, or the childminder’s home.

Playgroup and Cylch Meithrin

Playgroups/ Cylchoedd Meithrin are also referred to as ‘Sessional Care’. Each session is usually provided for up to four hours a day and children who attend are supported to learn through play and active involvement.

Day Nursery and Crèche facilities

Day nurseries and crèches provide an essential service to working parents by offering childcare to children from birth.

Flying Start

Flying Start is a funded programme that supports families with children under the age of four in some of the most deprived areas in Wales.

Social Services

Social Services provide a wide range of support that seeks to improve the well-being of children, families and carers.

Foster Care

Foster care is a way of providing a secure family environment for children who are unable live with their own parents.

Residential Children’s Homes

A ‘residential children’s home’ or ‘children's home’ is a place where children that cannot live with their own family live.

Home Care

Home care is also known as domiciliary care. These services provide essential care and support for children and young people who live at home. This support is built around children and young people’s needs and routines to helps them remain in their home in a safe and supported way.

Home-based Childcare

Homebased childcare is where a child is cared for within a home environment. This could be their own home, such as a nanny, or the childminder’s home.

Playgroup and Cylch Meithrin

Playgroups/ Cylchoedd Meithrin are also referred to as ‘Sessional Care’. Each session is usually provided for up to four hours a day and children who attend are supported to learn through play and active involvement.

Day Nursery and Crèche facilities

Day nurseries and crèches provide an essential service to working parents by offering childcare to children from birth.

Flying Start

Flying Start is a funded programme that supports families with children under the age of four in some of the most deprived areas in Wales.

Social Services

Social Services provide a wide range of support that seeks to improve the well-being of children, families and carers.

Foster Care

Foster care is a way of providing a secure family environment for children who are unable live with their own parents.

Residential Children’s Homes

A ‘residential children’s home’ or ‘children's home’ is a place where children that cannot live with their own family live.

Home Care

Home care is also known as domiciliary care. These services provide essential care and support for children and young people who live at home. This support is built around children and young people’s needs and routines to helps them remain in their home in a safe and supported way.

Home-based Childcare

Homebased childcare is where a child is cared for within a home environment. This could be their own home, such as a nanny, or the childminder’s home.

Playgroup and Cylch Meithrin

Playgroups/ Cylchoedd Meithrin are also referred to as ‘Sessional Care’. Each session is usually provided for up to four hours a day and children who attend are supported to learn through play and active involvement.

Day Nursery and Crèche facilities

Day nurseries and crèches provide an essential service to working parents by offering childcare to children from birth.

Flying Start

Flying Start is a funded programme that supports families with children under the age of four in some of the most deprived areas in Wales.

Social Services

Social Services provide a wide range of support that seeks to improve the well-being of children, families and carers.

Foster Care

Foster care is a way of providing a secure family environment for children who are unable live with their own parents.

Residential Children’s Homes

A ‘residential children’s home’ or ‘children's home’ is a place where children that cannot live with their own family live.

Home Care

Home care is also known as domiciliary care. These services provide essential care and support for children and young people who live at home. This support is built around children and young people’s needs and routines to helps them remain in their home in a safe and supported way.

Home-based Childcare

Homebased childcare is where a child is cared for within a home environment. This could be their own home, such as a nanny, or the childminder’s home.

Playgroup and Cylch Meithrin

Playgroups/ Cylchoedd Meithrin are also referred to as ‘Sessional Care’. Each session is usually provided for up to four hours a day and children who attend are supported to learn through play and active involvement.

Day Nursery and Crèche facilities

Day nurseries and crèches provide an essential service to working parents by offering childcare to children from birth.

Flying Start

Flying Start is a funded programme that supports families with children under the age of four in some of the most deprived areas in Wales.

Social Services

Social Services provide a wide range of support that seeks to improve the well-being of children, families and carers.

Foster Care

Foster care is a way of providing a secure family environment for children who are unable live with their own parents.

Residential Children’s Homes

A ‘residential children’s home’ or ‘children's home’ is a place where children that cannot live with their own family live.

Home Care

Home care is also known as domiciliary care. These services provide essential care and support for children and young people who live at home. This support is built around children and young people’s needs and routines to helps them remain in their home in a safe and supported way.

Home-based Childcare

Homebased childcare is where a child is cared for within a home environment. This could be their own home, such as a nanny, or the childminder’s home.

Playgroup and Cylch Meithrin

Playgroups/ Cylchoedd Meithrin are also referred to as ‘Sessional Care’. Each session is usually provided for up to four hours a day and children who attend are supported to learn through play and active involvement.

Day Nursery and Crèche facilities

Day nurseries and crèches provide an essential service to working parents by offering childcare to children from birth.

Flying Start

Flying Start is a funded programme that supports families with children under the age of four in some of the most deprived areas in Wales.

Social Services

Social Services provide a wide range of support that seeks to improve the well-being of children, families and carers.

Foster Care

Foster care is a way of providing a secure family environment for children who are unable live with their own parents.

Residential Children’s Homes

A ‘residential children’s home’ or ‘children's home’ is a place where children that cannot live with their own family live.

Home Care

Home care is also known as domiciliary care. These services provide essential care and support for children and young people who live at home. This support is built around children and young people’s needs and routines to helps them remain in their home in a safe and supported way.

Home-based Childcare

Homebased childcare is where a child is cared for within a home environment. This could be their own home, such as a nanny, or the childminder’s home.

Playgroup and Cylch Meithrin

Playgroups/ Cylchoedd Meithrin are also referred to as ‘Sessional Care’. Each session is usually provided for up to four hours a day and children who attend are supported to learn through play and active involvement.

Day Nursery and Crèche facilities

Day nurseries and crèches provide an essential service to working parents by offering childcare to children from birth.

Flying Start

Flying Start is a funded programme that supports families with children under the age of four in some of the most deprived areas in Wales.

Social Services

Social Services provide a wide range of support that seeks to improve the well-being of children, families and carers.

Foster Care

Foster care is a way of providing a secure family environment for children who are unable live with their own parents.

Residential Children’s Homes

A ‘residential children’s home’ or ‘children's home’ is a place where children that cannot live with their own family live.

Home Care

Home care is also known as domiciliary care. These services provide essential care and support for children and young people who live at home. This support is built around children and young people’s needs and routines to helps them remain in their home in a safe and supported way.

Real stories from real people

There is no better way know if you have what it takes to work with children than hearing from people who are currently doing the job. Below are a selection of films for you to view.

Featured

Naomi Frere
Student Social Worker (former Apprentice)

Naomi experienced the care system first hand growing up in foster care and wanted to use her experiences to help other young people in similar situations.

While working for her local council’s finance department, the apprenticeship provided Naomi with the perfect opportunity to begin a career in social care while crucially allowing her to continue to earn a wage.

The qualification Naomi gained from her apprenticeship gave her the additional UCAS points she required to apply for an undergraduate place at University of South Wales where she is now a third year Student Social Worker.

Gareth John
Youth Worker (former Apprentice)

Gareth always had a passion for working with young people and found his calling as a Youth Worker thanks to his apprenticeship with Ceredigion County Council.

It wasn’t long after joining the scheme that Gareth realised how important the role of Youth Workers play in the lives of many vulnerable young people.

Gareth believes the experience he gained during his apprenticeship was a crucial stepping stone to begin his career in social care.

Sue John-Evams
Assistant Team Manager Fostering

Sue left school at sixteen to become a nursery nurse and worked both in mainstream and special needs education for a local authority. Sue then decided she wanted to go into social work, so spent time working as an assistant social worker for several years in a child protection team. She then undertook a social work degree and a masters’ degree while working and is now an Assistant Team Manager for a local authority Fostering Service. Managing a small team who support recruitment, retention and training for local foster carers.

Q1. What qualities do you think you need to work in care?

Empathy is a key quality and having a genuine interest in people and wanting them to achieve in life. Also caring about people and wanting to make a difference to people’s lives is so important.

Q2. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Definitely working with the children and families, especially foster children and foster families and foster sons and daughters. Equally so working with a wide range of professionals. It is a very interesting and rewarding role.

View more case studies

Job vacancies in care

Wales needs more social care workers.

Many people working in social care have made the jump from jobs such as hospitality or retail. Use your transferable skills and apply for roles in your area now.

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