Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Performing General Physical Activities Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

The Work

Some care assistant's work in residential homes for children who are unable to live with a family for a variety of reasons. Most children in residential care are aged between ten and 18 years, with younger children usually being cared for by foster parents.  
 
Some care assistants provide care for children and young people with special needs, either in residential homes or in day centres and special schools. These special needs may result from a physical disability or severe learning disability. In these settings, basic personal care could mean enabling someone to wash, dress, eat meals, take medication or go to the toilet.  
 
In all care settings, social care is also very important. Care assistants observe and monitor children and young persons' needs, encouraging development in a safe, stimulating environment. Usually working in a team, assistants may also plan and supervise a structured programme of social, educational and recreational activities, encouraging the children to form relationships with each other and to learn new skills. Care assistants may keep progress records and take part in care reviews and meetings. Another aspect of social care might be helping children and young people to keep in contact with their families.  
 
Care assistants must be aware of changes in young people's health. This includes watching out for changes in their emotional and mental well being, such as the appearance of depression, anxiety or behavioural problems. Care assistants must report their concerns to a nurse or doctor, or the care officer on duty at the time. Assistants are also responsible for health and safety, looking out for hasards in homes and day centres like slippery floors, damaged furniture, inadequate lighting and unsafe electrical appliances.  
 
Care assistants in residential homes are likely to have a number of domestic tasks, such as making beds, washing up, ironing and mending clothes. They may help or make arrangements with practical things like shopping, cutting hair or taking children to medical and dental appointments.  
 
A care assistant is likely to work alongside professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers and educational psychologists. They can be found in nursing homes, day care centres and hospitals and may do house visits.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Maintain a safe play environment.
• Observe and monitor children's play activities.
• Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues.
• Support children's emotional and social development, encouraging understanding of others and positive self-concepts.
• Care for children in institutional setting, such as group homes, nursery schools, private businesses, or schools for the handicapped.
• Sanitise toys and play equipment.
• Dress children and change diapers.
• Keep records on individual children, including daily observations and information about activities, meals served, and medications administered.
• Identify signs of emotional or developmental problems in children and bring them to parents' or guardians' attention.
• Instruct children in health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toilet habits.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

The minimum entry age is usually 18 years, and many employers will require garda vetting & security check, childrens first aid. 

From September 2015*, childcare staff at registered pre-school services participating in the ECCE scheme must meet the minimum qualification requirements:

• Pre-school assistants must hold a Level 5 qualification.
• Pre-school leaders must hold a Level 6 qualification

Training & Development 

FET Centre traineeship Childcare, Social care, and Youthwork NFQ level 5 Search our FET coursefinder

FET Centre PLC Courses: Childcare & Social care NFQ level 5-6 Search our FET PLC Coursefinder  

Last Updated: March, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €27k - €37k

Salaries vary based on employer, duties, role, location, and experience. 

Data Source(s):
Payscale/ Salary Band/ Indeed.ie

Last Updated: February, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This occupation has been identified as a Job in Demand by the most recent National Skills Bulletin.

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Employment growth was strong for this occupation, with an additional 2,800 persons employed between 2021 and 2022. There was a large volume of new employment permits issued in 2022, primarily for healthcare assistants, with a number of mentions of difficult-to-fill vacancies in the Recruitment Agency Survey also for healthcare assistants.

There has been a decline in the number of healthcare awards in FET over the period 2017-2021, falling from 3,081 to 2,159. A recent report by SOLAS indicates that approximately half of FET graduates from healthcare courses who were in substantial employment were employed in the health sector.58 The fall in the supply from FET, along with increased demand across the hospital and nursing home sectors for healthcare assistants given the ageing demographics in Ireland, is resulting in shortages.

• Childminding Ireland, The National Childminding Association of Ireland Ltd

  • 9 Bulford Business Campus, Kilcoole, Co Wicklow.
  • (01) 287 8466
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Irish Association of Social Care Workers

  • (0)1 677 4838
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

  • 43-49 Mespil Rd, Dublin 4.
  • (01) 647 3000
  • Click Here

• Health Service Executive (HSE)

  • Dr Steevens' Hospital, Steevens Lane, Dublin, 8
  • 041 685 0300
  • Click Here