Learning Disabilities Support Worker

Learning Disabilities Support workers work with people with a learning disability to promote independence and wellbeing. Your support worker role will vary depending on the person you’re supporting, but generally speaking you will be supporting vulnerable people with many aspects of their day-to-day living, helping them to take care of themselves and live a fulfilled life. Different people will need support for different reasons.

You could be supporting someone with their day-to-day living, including personal care, recreational activities, accessing education or supporting them in their place of work.

Learning Disabilities Support Worker is also known as Support Worker, Learning Disabilities Practitioner, learning disability support worker.

Role Characteristics

Provide hands-on care and assistance to people with learning disabilities in various settings
Assist with daily living activities while promoting independence and dignity
Support people in managing challenging behaviours using positive strategies
Coordinate with other support services to meet people's needs
Coordinate with other support services to meet people's needs including working with GPs, councils, hospitals and financial support
Build relationships and trust with vulnerable people

Skills

Active listening
Communication
Creative thinking
Empathy
Problem-solving
Resilience
Collaboration
Team work

Day in the life

Watch this video to find out more about being a Learning Disabilities Support Worker.

These are all videos created to help you understand support in a specialised supported living service:

Become an Apprentice - Specialised Supported Living Service at LYPFT

Become a Support Worker with our Specialised Supported Living Service

Specialised Supported Living Service Users share how support workers help them

Routes into this role

Here are some example routes that can lead into this role.

Volunteering or work experience

Apply directly

GCSEs

An apprenticeship

BTEC, T-Level or A-Levels

How to become

There are no set entry requirements to become a learning disability support worker, but employers will expect a good standard ot literacy, numeracy and IT skills. It could help your application if you have 5 GCSEs including English and maths. You may find it helpful to have some care experience, including volunteering, before applying for a job.

Employers often recruit based on values and qualifications (where required) and believe lived experience is an advantage. They are looking for colleagues who share these principles, mainly people who find empathy comes easily and who treat everyone with respect without thinking. Make sure you do your research on each organisation to see what their values are and how you can demonstrate them.

It is important to check your preferred employer's entry requirements for guidance.

Where can this role lead

No matter what role you start in or where you are in your career path, there are always opportunities to develop and progress in health and care.

Once you have gained experience and completed on the job training such as the Care Certificate you could progress to Senior Support Worker. This role combines support work with managing a team. As well as carrying out the same tasks as a support worker, you will have responsibility for supervising staff and volunteers encouraging and inspiring them to offer the highest standards of support.