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.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Documenting/Recording Information Entering, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Handling and Moving Objects Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.

The Work

Home Help is there to ensure that some of the people who might otherwise be admitted to institutional care for social reasons could continue to live at home.  
 
Home help organisers receive requests from care managers for assistance with a variety of personal and practical care tasks. Together, they agree how services can be delivered to meet the client's needs. To do this, home help organisers have to maintain accurate information about the availability of home help assistants and their personal strengths and skills.  
 
Home help organisers are usually responsible for the recruitment, selection, induction and ongoing training of their team of home help assistants. They have to keep a regular monitoring programme to make sure the quality of the service given is maintained at the highest level.  
 
Home help organisers work closely with other professionals, for example, doctors and social workers, to assess and review client's needs.  
 
They need to manage the service's budget, perhaps buying some types of service from private agencies.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Maintain records of patient care, condition, progress, or problems to report and discuss observations with supervisor or case manager.
• Provide patients with help moving in and out of beds, baths, wheelchairs, or automobiles and with dressing and grooming.
• Bathe patients.
• Care for patients by changing bed linens, washing and ironing laundry, cleaning, or assisting with their personal care.
• Entertain, converse with, or read aloud to patients to keep them mentally healthy and alert.
• Plan, purchase, prepare, or serve meals to patients or other family members, according to prescribed diets.
• Check patients' pulse, temperature, and respiration.
• Provide patients and families with emotional support and instruction in areas such as caring for infants, preparing healthy meals, living independently, or adapting to disability or illness.
• Perform a variety of duties as requested by client, such as obtaining household supplies or running errands.
• Direct patients in simple prescribed exercises or in the use of braces or artificial limbs.

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.

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.

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

Most home help organisers have at least one or two years' management or supervisory experience in a caring profession or voluntary organisation.  
 
Qualifications in Care and Management are desirable. A number of relevant diploma and certificate courses are available, with titles such as Care Management, Caring Services and Social Care. It is important to check your qualifications with the leading quality body in Care CORU.

Training & Development

FET Centre Traineeship Healthcare, Supervisory Management NFQ levels 5-6 Search our FET coursefinder 

FET Centre PLC Healthcare, Supervisory management, Nursing NFQ levels 5-6 Search our FET PLC Coursefinder 

Apprenticeship Advanced Health care practitioner NFQ level 6 Search apprenticeship

Higher Education CAO entry Healthcare, Supervisory management, Nursing NFQ levels 6-8 Search our CAO coursefinder  

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €30k - €57k

Salaries vary by employer (Public/ Private), location, duties, and experience.

Data Source(s):
HSE/ Indeed/ Payscale/ Glassdoor/ Excel/ Forsa

Last Updated: March, 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 information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Although the annual average employment growth rate for this occupation was below average, employment has been growing since 2020. Those employed in this occupation are primarily female, a high share are employed in part-time roles (41%), and more than a quarter are aged 55 years or older. Recent job hires in 2022 exceeded employment growth indicating a level of job churn. There was a large volume of vacancies advertised through DSP and over 200 new employment permits were issued in 2022; in addition, in December 2022, a quota of 1,000 general employment permits was announced for carers and home carers.

The high number of persons employed in this occupation, and the older age profile, indicates that replacement demand alone will create a high number of job opportunities for these roles; the increased demand for these services with our ageing demographics suggest that shortages are likely to continue in the short-medium term at least. Issues with the attractiveness of the job and job churn are further exacerbating the shortage.

• Public Appointments Service

  • Chapter House, 26/30 Abbey Street Upper, Dublin 1, D01 C7W6
  • (01) 858 7400 or Local: 1890 44 9999
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here

• Health Service Executive (HSE)

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

• Home Help in Ireland

  • Belfield Innovation Park, UCD, Fosters Avenue, Dublin 4
  • 1890 930 847
  • Click Here

• CORU - Regulating Health & Social Care Professionals

  • Infinity Building, George’s Court, George’s Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 E98Y
  • (01) 293 3160
  • [email protected]/ [email protected]/ [email protected]
  • Click Here