The public are being urged to consider a career in care as celebrities pledge their support for the sector, as part of a new Department for Health and Social Care recruitment campaign.

Taking to social media, the celebrities, including Paralympian Ade Adepitan, influencer Toni Tone and reality TV star Christine McGuiness, have united to help show a job in adult social care is a career like no other. They have written their own insights into the qualities, rather than qualifications, needed to be a care worker and to shine a light on the extraordinary parts of the job often not included in traditional job adverts.

Each of the celebrities has a direct, personal connection to care or a particular passion and desire to support the sector.

The ‘Made with Care’ campaign launched in November 2021 to help fill vacancies across the adult social care sector. With more than 105,000 vacancies, and almost half-a-million extra job opportunities in adult social care expected by 2035, the campaign aims to encourage people to apply for exciting and rewarding roles across the country.

To support this, the Department of Health and Social Care announced £5.4 billion of additional funding to reform social care over the next three years, including at least £500 million to support training and career development for the workforce. This is on top of £462.5million to support the recruitment and retention of staff.

Minister for Care Gillian Keegan said: “A role in care can provide a truly rewarding and fulfilling career. You need empathy, compassion and patience. For everything else there’s training. You don’t need qualifications to get started and there are many opportunities for professional development. Those already working in adult social care are doing an amazing job and we need more people to join them. I would urge anyone who thinks they might have something to offer to consider applying for a rewarding, fulfilling and varied career in adult social care.”