Check your support worker CV against the job advert
Support worker adverts, in supported living, learning disability or mental health services, look for people who help others live more independently. Here's how to show that on a CV.
Start with your advert
Every support worker advert is different. The list below is what adverts for this job usually ask for, not what yours does. So start with your advert:
- Read the advert and copy out every "must have" or "essential" line, then the "desirable" ones.
- For each one, find the line in your CV that proves it. If you can't point to a line, that's a gap.
- Fill the gap with something true: a duty, a setting, a qualification or a result you really have. If you don't have it, say what you have that's closest, or leave it out.
Our guide to matching your CV to a job description goes through this in more detail.
What support worker adverts usually ask for
Person-centred support
Why they askSupport work is about helping each person live the life they choose. Adverts use phrases like "person-centred" and "promoting independence".
How to show itDescribe who you supported and what they achieved with your help: cooking, budgeting, travel, activities, appointments.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Supported [number] people with [learning disabilities / mental health needs] in supported living to [cook, budget, travel independently].
- Helped a person I supported to [specific goal, such as using the bus alone], working to their support plan.
Behaviour support and de-escalation
Why they askSome services support people whose behaviour can be challenging. Adverts may ask for Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) or a named de-escalation course.
How to show itName the training you have, and give one line about how you use it calmly in practice.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Trained in [Positive Behaviour Support / named de-escalation course] ([year]); used agreed strategies to [outcome].
Medication and personal care
Why they askMany support roles include medication support and some personal care.
How to show itSay what you did and how you recorded it.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Supported people with their medication and recorded it on [MAR charts or system].
Records, reviews and teamwork
Why they askSupport workers keep daily notes, contribute to reviews and work with families and professionals.
How to show itMention notes, incident reports, and who you worked with.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Kept daily records and wrote incident reports; contributed to [support plan / review] meetings with families and [professionals].
Checks, availability and driving
Why they askAn enhanced DBS check is standard in England and Wales. In Scotland this is a PVG check (Disclosure Scotland), and in Northern Ireland an AccessNI check. Adverts may ask for shift flexibility, sleep-ins or a driving licence.
How to show itState your availability honestly and mention a licence if asked.
Example lines: fill the gaps with your own facts- Available for [days, nights, sleep-ins]; full UK driving licence.
Only use a line if it's true for you. Swap each [gap] for your own detail: the setting, the number, the tool or the result. If you can't fill a gap honestly, cut that part of the line.
Mistakes that cost support worker applications
- Describing what you did for people rather than what you helped them do themselves.
- Not naming the service type or the needs of the people you supported.
- Leaving out training such as PBS, autism awareness or mental health first aid.
- Over-sharing details about the people you supported. Keep examples general and confidential.
Questions
Is care work the same as support work?
They overlap. Support work focuses more on independence and goals, often in people's own homes. Care experience is very relevant; frame it around what people achieved.
Can I become a support worker without experience?
Yes, many employers train new starters. Show any experience of supporting people, your values, and your availability.