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Career Guidance

Do you want a rewarding career that makes a difference and improves the lives of others? If so, a career in social care or social work could be the right choice for you.

Did you know that there are almost 47,000 people working in social work or social care in Northern Ireland and registered with the Social Care Council? That's almost 5% of the working population.

There are a number of career opportunities in both social work and social care working with children, young people, adults and families across a diverse range of settings and roles.


A Career in Social Care


When you choose a career in Social Care you will be part of the largest workforce within the NI Health and Social Care sector. There are a range of job opportunities working in the Health and Social Care Trusts, private organisations and voluntary sectors.

As a social care professional you will be registered and working to the Standards of Conduct and Practice for Social Care Workers set by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Click here to find out more about a career in Social Care

A Career in Social Work

When you choose a career in Social Work you will make a positive difference in the lives of children, young people, adults and older people. You will promote social justice in health and social care settings, in education, criminal justice and the voluntary sector.

As a social worker you will be registered and working to the Standards of Conduct and Practice for Social Workers set by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Click here to find out more about a career in Social Work

Career Information Pack

We developed an information pack for teachers, students, parents and anyone pursuing a career in Social Work or Social Care.

The pack is filled with as much useful information about careers in both Social Work and Social Care as possible with more resources still to come.



Visit our Careers Information Pack here.

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Scheduled maintenance

Due to scheduled maintenance on our online services ‘My Portal’ – anyone who wishes to start, progress or submit an application for registration will not be able to. These services will resume Wednesday 16 October 2024. Thank you for your patience.