276 care employers in Croydon could find you

Working in care in Croydon

Thornton Heath, Purley or Coulsdon: where will you work in Croydon?

More people live in Croydon than in any other London borough, around 390,800 at the 2021 census, and the borough has a younger age profile than England as a whole. What stands out for care work is how many care homes there are: they make up about a third of local care employers, and they gather in the leafier south. South Croydon has the most care employers, then Purley, with Coulsdon further down, while Thornton Heath is the busiest area in the north.

Croydon has no Underground station, so trams, trains and buses do the work. The Tramlink network runs through the town centre to New Addington, Wimbledon, Beckenham and Elmers End, which helps if you are reaching a care home or round without a car.

Personal assistant work is well supported here. Croydon Council's direct payments can pay a PA, and its guidance says that can include family members or friends who do not live in the same household. The council pays for the PA's DBS check, and Kingston Centre for Independent Living helps people recruit and employ their PAs. The CQC heard that PAs fluent in community languages have helped people get the right support, which matters in a borough where more than 100 languages are spoken. If you would rather run something of your own, the council also supports Community Micro-Enterprises, small local care and support businesses with eight or fewer workers.

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust runs Croydon University Hospital on London Road, at the Thornton Heath end of the town and Purley War Memorial Hospital. Croydon College teaches a Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care and an online Level 2 course in Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care.

88% of the inspected care employers in Croydon are rated Good or Outstanding by the CQC, close to the 88% across London and above England as a whole (85%).