Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Adult Support Worker

🎯 Role Definition

An Adult Support Worker provides compassionate, person‑centred care and practical support to adults who require assistance to live independently and safely. This role supports individuals across a variety of settings — including supported living, residential homes, day centres and clients' own homes — and focuses on promoting dignity, independence and wellbeing. Responsibilities include personal care, medication support, daily living assistance, risk management, documentation, safeguarding and co‑ordination with health and social care professionals.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Care Assistant or Home Care Support Worker
Volunteer or Support Worker in community services
Healthcare Assistant / Nursing Assistant

Advancement To:

Senior Support Worker / Team Leader
Care Coordinator or Support Planner
Registered Manager or Service Manager

Lateral Moves:

Community Outreach Worker
Mental Health Support Worker
Specialist Support Worker (e.g., Autism, Dementia, Complex Needs)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide personal care with respect and empathy, including assistance with washing, dressing, toileting, incontinence support, and oral hygiene, ensuring client dignity and privacy at all times.
Administer and support with medication in line with care plans and organisational policies, including accurate recording of MAR charts and reporting any medication errors or side effects to line management and health professionals.
Support clients with mobility and transfers, using safe moving and handling techniques and appropriate assistive equipment to minimise risk and promote independence.
Implement person‑centred care plans developed in collaboration with clients, families and multidisciplinary teams; regularly review and update plans based on changing needs and observed outcomes.
Conduct risk assessments for daily activities and environments; implement control measures to reduce risks and document changes in risk status promptly.
Monitor physical and mental health indicators, observe changes in behaviour or condition, and escalate concerns to nurses, GPs or social workers as required.
Provide emotional support, active listening and crisis de‑escalation to clients experiencing anxiety, distress or mental health episodes, encouraging coping skills and positive routines.
Support clients with meals and nutrition, including planning, preparing, and assisting with feeding where needed, while recording food intake and reporting concerns about weight loss or swallowing difficulties.
Facilitate social inclusion by supporting participation in community activities, appointments, education, volunteering and employment opportunities to build confidence and social networks.
Assist with household tasks and independent living skills such as budgeting, shopping, cooking, laundry and routine home maintenance to increase daily living independence.
Maintain accurate, legible and timely records of care delivered, incident reports, behaviour logs and daily notes in line with confidentiality, GDPR and organisational documentation standards.
Work collaboratively with families, carers, health professionals and external agencies to co‑ordinate care, attend reviews and contribute to multi‑disciplinary meetings.
Deliver specialist support interventions where appropriate (e.g., positive behaviour support, sensory strategies, autism‑specific approaches) following training and documented plans.
Support end‑of‑life care by providing compassionate personal care, pain and symptom observations, communicating with family members and following advanced care plans and DNAR orders where applicable.
Apply safeguarding procedures to protect adults at risk, recognising signs of abuse or neglect, reporting concerns immediately and contributing to safeguarding enquiries.
Provide escort and transport support to appointments, activities and social outings, ensuring client safety and complying with vehicle and safeguarding policies.
Promote and maintain infection prevention and control standards in line with organisational and public health guidance, including PPE use, cleaning and waste disposal.
Contribute to training, induction and mentoring of new colleagues, sharing best practice and supporting continuity of care across shifts.
Participate in medication, behaviour or health‑related audits and quality improvement initiatives to improve service delivery and client outcomes.
Support with specialist equipment or medical tasks as trained and deemed competent (e.g., PEG feeding, catheter care, insulin administration), following clinical guidance and supervision.

Secondary Functions

Help coordinate respite or short‑term placements by preparing documentation, liaising with families and arranging transport as needed.
Support service user involvement initiatives and feedback mechanisms, facilitating resident meetings and acting on suggestions to improve service quality.
Maintain inventory and stock levels of care supplies, liaising with procurement or managers to request replacements or equipment repairs.
Assist with digital record systems and basic data entry, ensuring accuracy for funding, audit and reporting purposes.
Contribute to personalised activity plans, creative therapy sessions and recreational programming to support cognitive and emotional wellbeing.
Attend professional development sessions, mandatory training and team meetings; share learning and adopt new care approaches in everyday practice.
Provide cover for colleagues or short‑term team gaps, adapting work patterns to meet service needs while maintaining high standards of care.
Support quality assurance processes by participating in care plan reviews, observational checks and client satisfaction surveys.
Maintain clear communication with shift handovers, providing detailed briefings to ensure continuity and safety for clients.
Assist in emergency situations (e.g., medical emergencies, fire evacuations) by following service emergency plans, providing first aid if trained and supporting client safety.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Medication administration and record keeping (MAR) — safe handling, storage and documentation in line with organisational policy.
Moving & handling competency — safe transfer techniques and use of hoists, slings and mobility aids.
Person‑centred care planning — developing, following and reviewing care plans and support plans tailored to individual goals.
Safeguarding adults — recognising signs of abuse/neglect, reporting procedures and contribution to safeguarding enquiries.
Clinical support skills (where applicable) — PEG care, catheter care, insulin support, stoma care and basic wound observation after competency sign‑off.
Basic life support and first aid — certified ability to respond to emergencies until clinicians arrive.
Behaviour support techniques — de‑escalation, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) frameworks and behaviour monitoring.
Records management and GDPR awareness — accurate daily notes, incident reporting and confidentiality.
IT literacy — confident use of electronic care record systems, email communications and basic office software.
Nutrition and dietary support — planning meals, monitoring intake and following special diets for medical or cultural needs.

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills for interacting with clients, families and professionals.
Empathy, patience and cultural sensitivity when supporting diverse client groups.
Observational acuity — noticing subtle changes in physical or mental state and taking appropriate action.
Resilience and the ability to work under pressure while maintaining professional boundaries.
Problem solving and adaptability — responding proactively to changing care needs and environments.
Time management and organisational skills to prioritise tasks across a shift.
Teamwork and collaboration — contributing positively in multi‑disciplinary teams and shift handovers.
Confidentiality and professional integrity in all client interactions and record keeping.
Motivation to support independence and promote positive outcomes for clients.
Coaching and mentoring ability to support junior colleagues or volunteers.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

GCSEs or equivalent (literacy and numeracy) or demonstrable relevant experience.
Completion of mandatory care qualifications (e.g., Care Certificate or equivalent induction training).

Preferred Education:

Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care (or equivalent).
Qualifications in specialist areas (e.g., Dementia Care, Positive Behaviour Support, Mental Health First Aid).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Health and Social Care
Mental Health, Psychology or Allied Health Studies
Adult Nursing or Community Care related courses

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

0–3 years for entry-level Adult Support Worker roles with appropriate induction and supervision.
2–5+ years for roles supporting complex needs or requiring clinical competencies.

Preferred:

Previous experience supporting adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health conditions or complex physical needs in home, community or residential settings.
Demonstrable experience of safe medication support, moving and handling, and delivering person‑centred support plans.
Experience working within regulated services (e.g., CQC‑regulated in the UK) or with multi‑disciplinary health and social care teams.