134 care employers in Northumberland could find you

Working in care in Northumberland

How far will you go for care work in Northumberland?

Northumberland is the biggest council area in the North East and one of the emptiest. The CQC's assessment describes 97% of the county as rural, running from the Scottish Borders down a 100km coastline to the edge of Tyneside, and west into the hills. Most people, and most jobs, sit in the south east around Ashington, Blyth and Cramlington, with market towns such as Morpeth, Hexham, Alnwick and Berwick serving wide stretches of countryside.

The care employers follow that pattern. Morpeth and Blyth have the most, Cramlington is just behind, then Hexham, Ashington, Berwick and Bedlington. Care homes are the largest group in the county. It is also the oldest area in the region: the median age rose from 45 to 48 between the last two censuses, and the number of people aged 85 and over is expected to climb by around 80% by 2043. Outside the towns, home care almost always means driving, sometimes a long way between calls.

For carers in the south east, getting about has become easier. The Northumberland Line, which opened in December 2024 and was completed with Bedlington station in March 2026, links Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth and Seghill to Newcastle by train.

Northumberland County Council has its own page for people thinking of becoming a personal assistant, explaining that PAs are employed directly by the person they support, or a family member or friend acting for them, and that qualifications are not always needed because training is provided. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust runs Wansbeck General and Hexham General hospitals, the emergency care hospital at Cramlington and community hospitals including Alnwick, Berwick and Haltwhistle. Northumberland College teaches health and social care at its Ashington and Berwick campuses, with a simulation ward and placements with the trust and local care homes.

92% of the inspected care employers in Northumberland are rated Good or Outstanding by the CQC, close to the 93% across the North East and above England as a whole (85%).