info@resumecroc.com

5 CV examples · UK · Updated October 2026

Care Assistant CV Examples and Templates (UK)

A strong care assistant CV shows you give safe, kind, person-centred care. Name your setting and the people you support, state your care training and DBS (or PVG/AccessNI) check, then prove it with examples of personal care, moving and handling, recording and escalating concerns.

Care Assistant CV at a glance

Best format
Reverse-chronological, single column, personal profile first
Length
One page up to five years; two for senior or longer-serving carers
Top skills
Person-centred personal care, Safe moving and handling, Accurate care recording, Spotting and escalating deterioration
Key qualifications
Care Certificate (England, 16 standards), Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, Enhanced DBS, PVG or AccessNI check
Average salary
£20,000 to £25,000 a yearstarter to experienced, National Careers Service
Typical hours
35 to 45 a weekevenings, weekends on shifts

5 care assistant CV examples for 2026

Below are 5 UK care assistant CV examples, from no experience to senior carer, each with a free Word template. You will also find personal profile examples, bullet points, skills, keywords and answers to the questions care home and home care managers ask most. Each one is shown at true A4 size and comes with a free single-column Word template. Open any example to read it in full.

Swipe to see all 5 examples →

Zainab Hussain

Care Assistant

Oldham · zainab.hussain@email.com · 07700 900184

Skills & Tools

Person-centred careDignity in personal careDementia awarenessFood and fluid supportCalm, patient communicationReporting concernsInfection controlHandheld devices

Personal Profile

Patient, dependable customer assistant moving into adult social care after nearly three years helping to care for a grandparent and a year volunteering weekly in a care home for older people. Comfortable supporting people living with dementia, encouraging food and fluids and protecting privacy and dignity. Enhanced DBS on the Update Service; available for early, late, weekend and night shifts.

Employment History

Volunteer Activities Helper, Tamberley House Care Home, Oldham Oct 2025 – Present

  • Co-run weekly reminiscence and music sessions for up to 12 residents, many of them living with dementia.
  • Accompany residents who walk independently to the lounge and garden, fetching staff whenever more support is needed.
  • Serve afternoon drinks and snacks, chatting with residents and telling staff straight away if anyone drinks less than usual.

Unpaid Family Carer, Caring for a grandparent at home, Oldham Jan 2024 – Present

  • Help a grandparent living with Parkinson’s with washing, dressing and evening meals four nights a week.
  • Prompt medicines from pharmacy blister packs at set times and keep a log the district nurse checks.
  • Noticed new confusion and reduced drinking in spring 2025 and called NHS 111; an infection was treated early at home.

Customer Assistant, Pennant Foodstores, Oldham Jul 2021 – Present

  • Serve 300+ customers a shift, giving older and disabled customers extra time and help with packing.
  • Trained 4 new starters on tills and Challenge 25, and cover short-notice early, late and weekend shifts.
  • Follow cleaning, food safety and date-check routines that helped the store pass its last two internal audits.

Education & Qualifications

NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Dementia Care (distance learning), 2025
A-levels: Sociology (B), Psychology (C), English Literature (C), 2021
8 GCSEs grades 9-4 including English (6) and Maths (5), 2019

Registration & Training

Enhanced DBS (2025), on the DBS Update Service · Emergency First Aid at Work, 2025 · Dementia Friend, 2025

Languages

  • English (fluent), Urdu and Punjabi (fluent speaking)
View full size
No experience

Care Assistant CV with No Experience CV example

Career changers and school leavers applying for a first care assistant job who can show caring experience from family life, volunteering or customer-facing work.

Template: Skills first · 1 page

Why this example works

  • Counts unpaid caring and volunteering as experience, with medicine prompting and an infection spotted early, exactly what care managers recruit for.
  • The profile states DBS status and shift availability, the first two things a care home manager checks for a new starter.
  • Retail bullets show patience with older customers, training and audits, so they read as transferable instead of off-topic.

Grace Mensah

Care Assistant

Nottingham · grace.mensah@email.com · 07700 900652 · linkedin.com/in/gracemensah

Personal Profile

Care assistant with five years in residential care for older adults, currently on a 38-bed home rated Good by CQC. Confident with hoists, stand aids and slide sheets, continence and skin care, and recording care in real time on a digital care planning system. Level 2 Diploma in Care. Seeking a permanent day post with medication training.

Employment History

Care Assistant, Calloway Court Care Home, Nottingham Apr 2023 – Present

  • Deliver personal care to 8 to 10 residents on each early shift, following care plans and each person’s preferred routines.
  • Take NEWS2 observations and report RESTORE2 soft signs at once, helping seniors arrange GP reviews before infections led to hospital admission.
  • Reposition high-risk residents 2-hourly and check skin daily, contributing to zero new category 3 or 4 pressure ulcers in 2025.
  • Record care on a handheld device at the time it is given, keeping food, fluid and turning charts complete for audits and CQC inspection.

Care Assistant, Marrowgate House Residential Home, Beeston Aug 2021 – Mar 2023

  • Completed the Care Certificate within 10 weeks of starting, with practical skills observed on shift by the home’s workplace assessor.
  • Supported 22 residents at mealtimes, serving IDDSI texture-modified meals and thickened drinks exactly as speech and language therapy plans set out.
  • Took on weekend activities, running chair exercise and baking sessions that lifted regular attendance from about 6 residents to 14.

Café Team Member, Brindle & Bean, Nottingham Sep 2018 – Jul 2021

  • Served up to 200 customers a day, staying calm and polite with complaints and remembering regulars’ names and usual orders.
  • Prepared food to Level 2 Food Hygiene standards and checked allergen information on every order before it left the counter.
  • Opened and closed alone on Sundays, completing cash-up, cleaning schedules and fridge temperature logs without supervision.

Languages

  • English (fluent) and Twi (conversational)
View full size
Care home

Residential Care Assistant CV CV example

Care assistants with 2 to 5 years in residential or nursing homes who want a better-rated home, a permanent contract or more responsibility.

Template: Side panel · 1 page

Why this example works

  • Names the setting, bed numbers and CQC rating, so a manager instantly sees the size and standard of home the candidate knows.
  • Each bullet pairs a care task with a result, such as no new pressure ulcers or earlier GP reviews.
  • The profile asks for medication training, which signals ambition and tells the employer exactly how to develop this carer.

Applying through an online portal? Use the Word download: it is the same CV in a single-column, ATS-safe layout. Keep this two-column design for emailing and networking.

Tomasz Kowalczyk

Domiciliary Care Assistant

Peterborough · tomasz.kowalczyk@email.com · 07700 900327

Profile

Domiciliary care assistant with nearly four years of home care visits across Peterborough, supporting older adults and people returning home from hospital. Confident working alone on city and rural rounds and recording every visit on a care app. Full UK driving licence, own car with business insurance and a Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate.

Employment History

Domiciliary Care Assistant, Quillfield Home Care, Peterborough Feb 2023 – Present

  • Complete 12 to 16 calls a day across the city and nearby villages, arriving within the agreed 15-minute window on 98% of visits.
  • Administer and prompt medicines on eMAR on medication calls, with no errors at the last two audits.
  • Support clients on 6-week reablement packages after hospital discharge until they can wash, dress and cook again with less help.
  • Found a client who had fallen overnight, called 999, stayed until paramedics arrived and completed the incident report that day.

Warehouse Operative to Team Leader, Larchmere Distribution, Peterborough Mar 2019 – Jan 2023

  • Promoted to team leader in 2021 after picking up to 180 items an hour at 99.8% accuracy.
  • Led a shift of 14 pickers and packers, briefing safety points at every start and covering absences so dispatch deadlines were met.
  • Coached new starters in manual handling and near-miss reporting as the site reached 400 days without a lost-time injury.
  • Worked rotating day, night and weekend shifts with no unplanned absence, handing over clearly at every shift change.

Education & Qualifications

Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, 2025
Functional Skills English Level 2, 2020

Registration & Training

Care Certificate, 2023 · Basic Life Support and First Aid, 2026 · Enhanced DBS on the DBS Update Service

Core Skills

Lone working · Personal care at home · eMAR medication · Reablement · Catheter and stoma care · Double-up hoist calls · Safeguarding adults · Fluent Polish speaker

View full size
Home care

Domiciliary Care Assistant CV CV example

Home care workers who visit clients in their own homes and need to show lone working, safe driving, punctual calls and accurate digital records.

Template: Timeline · 1 page

Why this example works

  • Puts the driving licence, car and business insurance in the profile, because home care managers cannot offer a round without them.
  • Punctuality and eMAR accuracy are measured, the two things home care managers track most closely every week.
  • Warehouse leadership is reframed around safety, handover and reliability, which transfer straight into lone working.

Aisha Patel

Dementia Care Assistant

Leicester · aisha.patel@email.com · 07700 900538 · linkedin.com/in/aishapatel

Personal Profile

Dementia care assistant with seven years in residential and nursing care, the last five on a 30-bed dementia unit in a nursing home. Reads distressed behaviour as communication and uses life-story work, music and calm redirection to reduce reliance on as-required medicines. Unit dementia champion with a Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care and strong links with families. Seeking a dementia lead or senior care role in Leicester.

Core Skills

Person-centred dementia careLife-story and reminiscence workResponding to distressABC behaviour chartsNon-verbal communicationMental Capacity Act in practiceSafe moving and handlingIDDSI diets and thickened fluidsFalls preventionEnd of life careWorking with familiesDigital care records

Employment History

Dementia Care Assistant and Unit Dementia Champion, Fennimore House Nursing Home, Leicester Jan 2024 – Present

  • Care for 8 to 10 residents with moderate to advanced dementia each shift, working alongside 2 nurses and 5 carers.
  • Build a life-story book with the family of every new admission, so staff use the names, routines and memories that settle each person.
  • Run monthly 15-minute dementia huddles for day and night staff, covering communication, distress triggers and lessons from recent incidents.
  • Introduced a 4pm music and hand-massage session for residents who become restless in the late afternoon, now part of the unit’s daily routine.
  • Share behaviour records with nurses at medication reviews, supporting a GP-led reduction in as-required antipsychotic use for 3 residents.

Care Assistant (Dementia Unit), Fennimore House Nursing Home, Leicester Jan 2022 – Dec 2023

  • Recorded distress on ABC charts and shared patterns at handover; a revised evening routine for one resident cut incidents from daily to weekly.
  • Supported residents at the end of life with mouth care, repositioning and company, so nobody was alone when family could not be there.
  • Used two-carer hoist transfers, stand aids and specialist seating safely, following each resident’s moving and handling plan.
  • Encouraged eating and drinking with finger foods, coloured plates and unhurried prompting, and kept fluid charts accurate for the nurses.
  • Welcomed families at admission and on visits, explaining routines and inviting them to join meals and activities whenever they wished.

Care Assistant, Saxonby Court Care Home, Loughborough Mar 2019 – Dec 2021

  • Supported 24 residents in a residential home with personal care, continence and night-time checks across early, late and night rotas.
  • Worked through Covid-19 outbreaks, following isolation, PPE and testing guidance and arranging video calls so residents stayed in touch with families.
  • Weighed residents monthly and kept food and fluid charts that seniors used for MUST screening and dietitian referrals.
  • Helped colleagues understand the food, faith and personal care preferences of Gujarati-speaking residents and their families at care plan reviews.
  • Buddied 6 new starters through their first fortnight of shifts while they worked towards the Care Certificate.

Medicines Counter Assistant, Independent community pharmacy, Leicester Sep 2016 – Feb 2019

  • Served up to 150 customers a day, many of them older people or carers, answering questions within the limits of the counter role.
  • Used WWHAM questions and the pharmacy’s sales protocol for every pharmacy-only medicine, referring customers to the pharmacist when needed.
  • Packed and labelled home delivery bags for housebound patients, checking names and addresses before every driver run.
  • Got to know regular older customers and carers, noticing when someone seemed confused or unwell and alerting the pharmacist straight away.

Education & Qualifications

Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care (RQF), 2023
NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Dementia Care, 2020
A-levels: Psychology (B), Biology (C), Sociology (C), 2016
9 GCSEs grades A*-C including English and Maths, 2014

Registration & Training

Care Certificate, 2019 · Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, Tier 2, 2025 · Safeguarding Adults, 2025 · Moving and handling (practical), renewed 2026 · Basic Life Support, 2026 · Enhanced DBS on the DBS Update Service

Languages

  • English (fluent), Gujarati and Hindi (fluent speaking)

Volunteering

  • Memory café helper at a Leicester community centre, monthly since 2023: welcomes people living with dementia and their carers, sets up music and activity tables and serves refreshments

Recognition

  • Fennimore House Carer of the Year 2024, nominated by residents’ families
View full size
Dementia care

Dementia Care Assistant CV CV example

Experienced care assistants applying to dementia or EMI units who need to show distress support, life-story work, end of life care and dementia training.

Template: Bold header · 2 pages

Why this example works

  • Shows dementia skill through outcomes (fewer distress incidents, reduced antipsychotic use) instead of simply claiming patience and compassion.
  • Listing the two Fennimore House roles separately shows the internal step up to dementia champion at a glance.
  • Languages and memory café volunteering add new information, which is what a second page should do.

Joseph Adeyemi

Senior Care Assistant

Coventry · joseph.adeyemi@email.com · 07700 900761 · linkedin.com/in/josephadeyemi

Personal Profile

Senior care assistant with ten years in adult social care, the last five leading shifts in a 52-bed residential and dementia home rated Good by CQC. Runs medication rounds on eMAR, leads the care team on every shift, carries out supervisions and keeps care plans and risk assessments current. Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care, now working towards the Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care to progress to deputy manager.

Core Competencies

Shift leadership and allocation · Medication rounds (eMAR) · Controlled drugs procedures · Care planning and risk assessment · Staff supervision · Care Certificate assessment · RESTORE2 and NEWS2 escalation · Safeguarding referrals · GP and district nurse liaison · CQC inspection readiness · Infection prevention audits · Rota and agency cover

Employment History

Senior Care Assistant, Harrowfield Lodge Care Home, Coventry May 2021 – Present

  • Lead day shifts of up to 7 care assistants, allocating work by residents’ needs and checking care is given and recorded on time.
  • Run morning and teatime medication rounds on eMAR, including controlled drugs with a witness signature, with no reportable errors in 2025 audits.
  • Review 12 residents’ care plans and risk assessments every month with residents and families, so preferences are recorded in their own words.
  • Supervise 9 care assistants every 8 weeks and have assessed 14 new starters against the Care Certificate standards since 2023.
  • Introduced RESTORE2 on the residential floor and trained 20 staff, contributing to fewer avoidable admissions for chest and urine infections the following year.

Care Assistant (Nights), Templeford Care Home, Nuneaton Feb 2018 – Apr 2021

  • Worked 12-hour nights for 40 residents, completing 2-hourly checks, continence care and repositioning with as little disturbance to sleep as possible.
  • Gained medication competency in 2019 and gave night-time medicines, checking stock, returns and the MAR chart at each weekly count.
  • Acted up as night senior during Covid-19 staff shortages, coordinating 4 carers and giving clear, structured handovers to the day team.
  • Kept the night falls log and recommended sensor mats and low beds for 5 residents, after which night-time falls on the unit dropped.
  • Arranged weekly video calls and window visits during visiting restrictions, helping residents with dementia stay connected to their families.

Home Carer, Brightlea Home Care, Coventry Jul 2016 – Jan 2018

  • Visited 10 to 14 clients a day for personal care, meals and medication prompts, working alone to time-critical rotas across the city.
  • Completed the Care Certificate in 9 weeks and shadowed experienced carers before taking on double-up hoist calls.
  • Reported unexplained bruising and missing cash at a client’s home to the office, starting a safeguarding referral that stopped financial abuse.
  • Kept a clean punctuality record and accurate visit notes, and was chosen to take new carers on shadow shifts within a year.

Ward Host, NHS acute trust, Coventry Sep 2013 – Jun 2016

  • Served meals and drinks to 28 patients on a medical ward, following protected mealtimes, red tray alerts and fluid chart instructions.
  • Followed strict infection control and food hygiene rules, including during norovirus bay closures, with no issues raised at ward audits.
  • Spent time talking with lonely or confused patients and told the nurse in charge about any change in eating, drinking or mood.

Education & Qualifications

Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care, in progress (due 2027)
Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care (RQF), 2020
Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults), 2017
5 GCSEs grades A*-C including English and Maths, 2012

Registration & Training

Medication administration competency, reassessed annually (latest 2026) · Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, Tier 2, 2025 · RESTORE2 train-the-trainer, 2024 · Moving and handling key trainer, 2023 · Safeguarding Adults for senior staff, 2025 · Enhanced DBS with adults’ barred list check, on the Update Service

Champion Roles

  • Infection prevention and control champion, 2022 – Present: runs monthly hand hygiene, commode and mattress audits and feeds results back at team meetings
  • Dignity champion, 2021 – Present: observes mealtimes and personal care each quarter and shares practical, kind feedback with each team so good habits spread

Languages

  • English (fluent) and Yoruba (fluent)

Volunteering

  • Volunteer driver for a Coventry food bank, one Saturday a month since 2019, collecting donations from local supermarkets
View full size
Senior carer

Senior Care Assistant CV CV example

Senior carers and team leaders who run shifts, give medicines and supervise care staff, applying for senior, team leader or deputy manager roles.

Template: Classic · 2 pages

Why this example works

  • Leadership is measured: team size, supervisions, Care Certificate assessments and care plan reviews show the scope of a senior role.
  • Medication is described precisely (eMAR, controlled drugs, witness signatures, audits), which is the first thing a registered manager checks.
  • Champion roles and the Level 4 in progress show a clear path towards deputy manager without overstating current responsibility.

Care Assistant personal profile examples

Copy the personal profile that matches your level, then swap in your own experience, settings and results.

No experience (school leaver)
Caring, reliable school leaver with 9 GCSEs including English and Maths and a year of Saturday volunteering at a local care home, helping with drinks, activities and friendly conversation. Patient with people living with dementia and quick to ask for help when unsure. Keen to complete the Care Certificate and build a career in adult social care.
Career changer
Former hospitality supervisor bringing six years of customer care, food hygiene and calm problem-solving to a first care assistant role. Supported a parent through stroke recovery at home, including washing, dressing and the mobility exercises set by the physiotherapist. Full UK driving licence, happy to complete an enhanced DBS check and available for evening and weekend shifts.
Experienced care home care assistant
Care assistant with four years in a 60-bed nursing home, supporting residents with complex physical needs, dementia and end of life care. Skilled in hoist transfers, catheter care, pressure area care and real-time digital recording. Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate. Looking for a permanent role in a home that values continuity, training and time to care.
Domiciliary care assistant
Home care assistant with two years of solo and double-up calls for older adults and people with physical disabilities in rural North Yorkshire. Punctual, organised and confident with eMAR, catheter care and reablement. Full UK driving licence, own car with business insurance and comfortable working alone in all weathers.
Night care assistant
Night care assistant with three years of 12-hour nights in a residential dementia home, completing 2-hourly checks, continence care and repositioning while protecting sleep. Calm with residents who wake distressed, alert to soft signs of deterioration and confident escalating to the on-call senior. Seeking permanent nights or bank work.
Senior care assistant
Senior care assistant with eight years in residential care, leading shifts of six carers, running eMAR medication rounds and completing care plan reviews and supervisions. Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care and in-house moving and handling trainer. Seeking a team leader or senior role with a provider rated Good or Outstanding by CQC.

Best skills for a care assistant CV

List the skills the job advert and person specification name, in the same wording, and prove the important ones in your employment history.

Hard skills

  • Personal care and continence support
  • Moving and handling with hoists, stand aids and slide sheets
  • Pressure area care and repositioning
  • Food and fluid monitoring
  • Supporting IDDSI texture-modified diets
  • Medication prompting and administration (MAR or eMAR)
  • Recognising deterioration with RESTORE2 and NEWS2
  • Routine checks of weight, temperature and blood pressure
  • Dementia care and distress reduction
  • End of life comfort care
  • Infection prevention and control
  • Safeguarding adults and reporting concerns
  • Writing care plans and daily notes

Soft skills

  • Patience and calm under pressure
  • Kindness and respect for dignity
  • Clear verbal communication
  • Teamwork across shifts
  • Reliability and punctuality
  • Observation and attention to detail
  • Accepting feedback and learning quickly

Systems and equipment

  • Digital care record systems (for example Nourish, Birdie or Person Centred Software)
  • eMAR medication systems
  • Hoists, slings and stand aids
  • Sensor mats and call bell systems
  • Blood pressure monitors, thermometers and pulse oximeters
  • Call monitoring apps (home care)

Qualifications and training

  • Care Certificate (Skills for Care, 16 standards)
  • Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate
  • Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care
  • Adult Care Worker (Level 2) or Lead Adult Care Worker (Level 3) apprenticeship
  • Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism
  • Enhanced DBS with adults’ barred list check (PVG in Scotland, AccessNI in Northern Ireland)
  • Basic Life Support or Emergency First Aid at Work
  • Level 2 Food Hygiene

Care Assistant CV bullet point examples

Strong bullets pair an action verb with a specific task and a measurable result. Adapt these to your own numbers.

Personal care and dignity

  • Supported 6 residents each morning with washing, dressing and oral care, offering choices of clothes and timing to protect independence and dignity.
  • Introduced a ‘what matters to me’ card in every bedroom, so agency staff knew each resident’s preferences before giving personal care.
  • Managed continence care discreetly for residents with catheters and pads, reporting skin changes promptly and keeping records complete.

Health monitoring and escalation

  • Took weekly weights, temperatures and blood pressures for 20 residents and flagged a 3kg weight loss that led to a dietitian referral.
  • Used RESTORE2 soft signs to report a resident’s new drowsiness, prompting a NEWS2 score and a same-day GP visit for a chest infection.
  • Checked fluid intake hourly during a heatwave and offered ice lollies and jelly, keeping every resident on the unit well hydrated.

Dementia care and wellbeing

  • Calmed a resident who became distressed at dusk by walking the garden with him and playing his favourite brass band music.
  • Created memory boxes with 8 families, giving staff conversation starters and helping new residents settle within their first fortnight.
  • Led a weekly chair-based exercise group that built residents’ confidence on their feet and reduced falls in the lounge.

Medication, recording and teamwork

  • Administered medicines on eMAR to 14 residents per round after competency sign-off, querying any missed doses with the senior straight away.
  • Wrote clear, factual daily notes for every resident before handover, so the next shift could act without needing to ask.
  • Mentored 3 new care assistants through shadow shifts, explaining the home’s routines and checking they were confident before working alone.

Home care and lone working

  • Managed a rota of 14 calls across 3 villages, planning routes so every client received their full allocated visit time.
  • Followed key safe and lone working procedures on every call, logging in and out through the call monitoring app.
  • Noticed a client’s fridge had been empty for two days and arranged an urgent food delivery and a care package review.

Action verbs for a care assistant CV

Start each bullet with a precise verb instead of “responsible for”.

  • Supported
  • Assisted
  • Encouraged
  • Promoted
  • Prompted
  • Administered
  • Recorded
  • Monitored
  • Observed
  • Escalated
  • Reported
  • Repositioned
  • Reassured
  • Comforted
  • Communicated
  • Advocated
  • Safeguarded
  • Mentored
  • Supervised
  • Coordinated
  • Prioritised
  • Organised
  • Personalised
  • Adapted
  • Introduced
  • Reviewed
  • Liaised
  • Trained
  • Delivered
  • Maintained

Find more by category with the free action verb finder.

Best CV format for a care assistant

Use a reverse-chronological care assistant CV: personal profile, key skills, employment history, then training and qualifications. Keep it single column so online application systems can read it. Use one side of A4 for up to five years in care; senior and longer-serving carers can use two.

Your situationFormatLengthLead with
No experience or school leaverSkills-led profile, then caring, volunteering or part-time work1 pageCaring values, unpaid caring or volunteering, availability, DBS
Career changer (retail, hospitality, warehouse)Reverse-chronological with transferable bullets1 pageWhy care, people skills, reliability, any care training started
Care home care assistant (up to 5 years)Reverse-chronological1 pageSetting, residents’ needs, moving and handling, recording, qualifications
Domiciliary (home care) assistant (up to 5 years)Reverse-chronological1 pageDriving licence and car, lone working, calls per day, eMAR
Dementia, nursing home or night carer (over 5 years)Reverse-chronological with specialist training2 pagesUnit type, distress support, end of life care, dementia training
Senior care assistant or team leaderReverse-chronological2 pagesShift leadership, medication, supervisions, care planning, Level 3

Every example above follows these rules, on A4 and without a photo, date of birth or full address.

How to write a care assistant CV that care managers shortlist

Care managers shortlist CVs that prove two things quickly: you have the right values, and you can be trusted on shift. Your personal profile, key skills and most recent role should answer both before the reader reaches page two.

Name your setting (residential home, nursing home, home care, supported living), who you support (older adults, people living with dementia, people at the end of life) and how many. Then show the work: personal care, hoisting, food and fluid charts, observations and what you reported.

In England, CQC expects providers to show that staff new to care have completed, or are working towards, the Care Certificate standards. List your Care Certificate, diploma or Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, plus mandatory training such as moving and handling, safeguarding, infection control and basic life support.

Care assistant CV with no experience

You can write a care assistant CV with no paid care experience. Many employers train new starters on the job and take people with the right personal qualities, so your CV needs to show values, reliability and transferable skills.

Count everything relevant: caring for a relative, volunteering in a care home, hospice or charity, babysitting, or customer work with older and disabled people. Describe what you did and what you noticed, such as prompting medicines or reporting a change in someone’s health.

Show you are ready to learn: a dementia awareness course, Dementia Friends or a first aid certificate helps. In England, once you work in care and are over 19, your employer may claim funding for the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, which typically takes 6 to 8 months.

Personal statement for a care assistant CV

The short introduction at the top of a UK CV is often called a personal profile (or personal statement). For a care assistant it should run 3 to 5 lines: your experience or caring background, your setting and strongest skills, one qualification and the role you want.

Write it fresh for each advert. A care home profile mentions residents, hoists and dementia; a home care profile leads with your driving licence, lone working and punctuality. Skip empty phrases such as ‘hardworking team player’ and show care through specific detail instead.

Keywords to include on a care assistant CV

Large care groups, home care agencies and the NHS screen applications online, so mirror the words in the advert. If it says care worker, support worker or carer, use that title alongside care assistant, and include the skills below that you can genuinely evidence.

  • Personal care, continence care and dignity
  • Person-centred care and care plans
  • Moving and handling, hoist, stand aid, slide sheets
  • Dementia care and distress reduction
  • Food and fluid charts, IDDSI, pressure area care
  • Medication prompting, MAR chart, eMAR
  • Safeguarding adults, Mental Capacity Act (England and Wales)
  • Infection prevention and control, PPE
  • RESTORE2, NEWS2, recognising deterioration
  • Care Certificate, Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care
  • Enhanced DBS, PVG or AccessNI, full UK driving licence (home care)

Care assistant, care worker or support worker: which title should you use?

The National Careers Service lists care assistant, support worker and nursing home assistant as other titles for a care worker, and employers use them interchangeably. Use the exact title from the advert in your profile, but keep your real job titles in your employment history.

Healthcare assistant usually means an NHS hospital or clinic role, while support worker often means supported living or learning disability services. If you are applying across settings, see our healthcare assistant CV examples to adjust your wording.

What to include and leave off a UK care assistant CV

✓ Include✗ Avoid
A personal profile naming your setting, experience and the role you wantPhoto, date of birth, age, marital status or full home address
Your care setting, the people you supported and typical numbers per shiftNational Insurance number or DBS certificate number
Care Certificate, Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate or diploma, with datesResidents’ or clients’ names, or any detail that could identify them
Mandatory training: moving and handling, safeguarding, infection control, basic life supportNamed referees (write ‘References available on request’ or leave it off)
DBS status, such as an enhanced DBS on the Update Service (PVG in Scotland, AccessNI in Northern Ireland)Generic claims such as ‘very caring person’ with no evidence
Shift availability, plus a full UK driving licence for home careEvery mandatory e-learning module listed separately; group them on one line
Specific examples of reporting concerns or changes in someone’s healthDuty lists copied from the job description
Languages you speak, which help residents and familiesUnexplained gaps (one line on caring for family is enough)

How to write a care assistant CV

  1. Read the advert and person specification. Highlight the setting, client group, shift pattern and must-have training. Note the job title they use (care assistant, care worker or carer) and essentials such as a driving licence or night availability, so your CV answers each one.
  2. Write a 3 to 5 line personal profile. Open with your experience or caring background, your setting, two or three strongest skills, one qualification and the role you want. Use the advert’s wording and keep it under 75 words so busy care managers read every line.
  3. Add 8 to 12 key skills. List practical care skills (personal care, hoisting, food and fluid charts, medication support, dementia care) and the qualities managers value, such as calm communication and reliability. Choose only skills you can prove in your employment history.
  4. Show your employment history with evidence. List roles newest first with job title, employer, town and dates. Write 3 to 5 bullets per care role showing what you did, for how many people and what changed as a result. Reframe non-care jobs around transferable skills.
  5. List training, qualifications and checks. Add your Care Certificate, Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate or diploma, mandatory training with years, and DBS (or PVG/AccessNI) status. Summarise school results in one line, such as 5 GCSEs grades 9-4 including English and Maths.
  6. Check, save and tailor. Keep it to one side of A4 (two if you are senior or have over five years in care) in a plain single-column layout, saved as Word or PDF. Remove photos and personal details, check spelling, then adjust the profile and skills for every application.

Care Assistant salary in the UK

National averages for England. Use them to benchmark offers, not as a promise for any single job.

£20,000average starting salary
£25,000average with experience
35 to 45typical hours a week

The National Careers Service puts average pay for a care worker at £20,000 a year for new starters, rising to around £25,000 with experience. Typical hours are 35 to 45 a week, with evenings, weekends on shifts.

Source: National Careers Service, Care worker job profile (Department for Education), contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are averages; pay varies by region, employer and experience.

Covering letter tip for a care assistant

Keep your care assistant cover letter to three short paragraphs: why you want to work in care, one real example that shows your values (comforting a resident, spotting a change, supporting a relative), and your availability, DBS status and training. Name the home or agency and its client group so it reads as written for them.

Start from our cover letter templates or draft one in seconds with the cover letter generator.

Care Assistant CV FAQ

How long should a care assistant CV be?
Use one side of A4 if you have up to about five years in care, including new carers and career changers. Senior care assistants and those with more than five years, often in dementia or nursing roles, can use two sides. Keep the focus on recent care work and cut older jobs to a line or two if you need space.
What should I put in a personal statement for a care assistant CV?
Write 3 to 5 lines covering your care experience or caring background, your setting, your strongest skills, one key qualification and the role you want. For example: ‘Care assistant with three years in a 40-bed dementia home, skilled in hoisting, end of life care and digital care records, seeking a permanent nights role.’
How do I write a care assistant CV with no experience?
Lead with a personal profile about why you want to work in care, then show any caring you have done: looking after a relative, volunteering, babysitting or helping older customers at work. Add short courses, your availability and your DBS (or PVG/AccessNI) status. Employers give new starters on-the-job training, such as the Care Certificate in England.
What skills should I put on a care assistant CV?
Combine practical care skills with personal qualities. Practical skills include personal care, moving and handling, food and fluid monitoring, pressure area care, medication support and recording. The National Careers Service also highlights patience, sensitivity, verbal communication, attention to detail and basic computer skills, which matter now that many homes use digital care records.
What qualifications do I need to be a care assistant in the UK?
You usually do not need formal qualifications to start, although some employers ask for GCSEs in English and Maths at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C). In England, new starters work through the Care Certificate, then can progress to the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, an apprenticeship or the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care. In Wales and Scotland, carers follow the All Wales Induction Framework or SSSC rules and must gain a set qualification to stay registered; in Northern Ireland, NISCC registrants complete ongoing training.
Should I put my DBS check on my care assistant CV?
Yes, a short line helps, because care assistants giving personal care need a criminal record check. In England and Wales that is an enhanced DBS with an adults’ barred list check; in Scotland, PVG scheme membership; in Northern Ireland, an AccessNI enhanced check. Write ‘Enhanced DBS (2025), on the DBS Update Service’ if that applies, but never include your certificate number.
Should I put references on my care assistant CV?
No, leave referees off your CV and add ‘References available on request’ only if you have space. Care employers must check your conduct in previous health and care jobs before you start, so have contact details for recent employers ready for the application form.
Do I need a cover letter for a care assistant job?
Send a short cover letter whenever you can, and write a supporting statement if the application form asks for one. Use it to explain why you want to work in care, give one real example of care you have given, and confirm your availability and DBS status.
How do I show the Care Certificate on my CV?
List it under training with the year you completed it, for example ‘Care Certificate, completed 2026’, or ‘working towards the Care Certificate’ if you are still on induction. The Care Certificate is a set of induction standards; the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate is the Ofqual-regulated qualification built on those same 16 standards.
Do care assistants need to register with a regulator?
Care assistants in England do not register individually: CQC registers and inspects the care provider instead. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, care workers register with Social Care Wales, the SSSC or NISCC, so if you work there, add your registration to your CV.