An attractive shire county on the southern coast of England, Hampshire is popular with the retired, guaranteeing a thriving social care sector. Employment in this sector is mainly based within Winchester, Southampton and Basingstoke or in the seafront towns and villages, where sheltered accommodation is common.
The largest employer in the sector, Hampshire County Council, provides around 26,000 care packages per year, while over 13,000 people contract care privately. Agencies like Porter Moore, Avery Healthcare and Consensus Support Services are among the largest private employers of social care staff in the area.
Salaries within the sector start at around £14,000 for a newly qualified support worker, averaging around £28,000 for an experienced professional. There are also openings in social care management starting at around £40,000 and rising to £100,000.
Recruitment agencies are constantly on the lookout for skilled nursing staff and occupational therapists capable of adapting to work with clients in their homes or in residential support settings. Hampshire has an ageing population so the social care sector is expected to expand over the coming years. It also has an increasing focus on supported independent living as an alternative to hospital care, creating more employment for care assistants in home environments.