Routes Healthcare
Care Assistant
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Care Assistant - Care Cadet Programme
Location: Preston - PR2 - PR7 and Chorley
Pay Rate: £14.24 per hour (including holiday pay) + 30p per mile
Fully funded Enhanced DBS
Your First Step Into A Real Career
Role
Still working out what comes next? If you leave college without a job lined up, you're not alone and you've got options. Starting in social care isn't a plan B. It's a genuine pathway into roles that matter:
- You'll build real skills
- Support real people
- Genuinely change things
We're looking for college leavers (18+) who want to try something different. No experience needed. You'll be paired with our team, learn as you go, and get paid properly from day one, the same as everyone else.
What You'll Actually Be Doing
This is a homecare position, you're out in the community visiting clients in their own homes. It's not office-based or in a care home.
You'll Be Supporting People With
- Personal care delivered with dignity
- Help with medication and daily routines
- Support with meals, nutrition, and household tasks
- Working alongside clients who have complex healthcare needs
- Travelling between visits throughout your shift
You'll work solo or as part of a two-person team, depending on what each client needs. You'll need a full driving licence and access to your own car — this is community care, so transport is essential. It's real responsibility, real people, and real impact.
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No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Why Start With Routes
We're a care company, not an agency. That means you work directly for Routes, with the same team, the same clients, and proper support.
What We Offer
- Fully funded Enhanced DBS (we cover it)
- Training and ongoing development through Routes Academy
- Shift flexibility that fits around your life
- Full-time or part-time options
- £14.24 per hour (including holiday pay) + 30p per mile travel
- Staff referral scheme (earn up to £250 for each friend you bring in)
- A 24/7 on-call team when you need support
- Wellbeing and mental health support
- No agency staff here — just employed Routes care workers
Where This Takes You
Starting as a care assistant isn't a dead-end job. It's a foundation. People from this role move into:
- Healthcare roles: senior care positions, team leadership, specialist services (complex care, end-of-life support), nursing, therapy, or other clinical specialisms
- Operations and management: training, compliance, recruitment, operations management, or business-facing roles
- Inside Routes or beyond: many move into different healthcare organisations too — this role gives you genuine, transferable experience
Your first year is about learning what you're good at and what direction interests you. The Routes Academy and mentoring support you through the Care Cadet pathway, and after that you can chart your own course.
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Essential
What We Need From You
- Right to work in the UK (no sponsorship available)
- Full valid UK driving licence and access to your own car (this is a community role — you'll be travelling between visits)
- Reliable, honest, and genuinely interested in supporting people
Nice To Have
Any paid care experience in the UK — but if you've never tried care before, the structured Care Cadet pathway is designed for exactly this.
Your Support Structure
You won't be dropped in at the deep end. New starters like you follow the Care Cadet pathway: structured workshops, mandatory training, mentoring from an experienced team member, and observation-based learning over your first few weeks. You'll have a mentor alongside you and a clear plan. It's proper development, not just a job.
Ready?
If this sounds like something you want to try, apply now.
We'll get back to you fast, answer any questions honestly, and tell you exactly what shifts look like in your area.
Routes Healthcare is part of your journey. Let's see where this takes you.
Routes Healthcare is committed to making lives better through exceptional homecare services.
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