98 care employers in Isle of Wight could find you

Working in care in Isle of Wight

What is it like to work in care on the Isle of Wight?

Being an island shapes everything about care work here. Staff cannot easily be drafted in from the next town over, so services rely on people who live on the Isle of Wight, and a carer who is reliable and local is valued. Ryde leads for care employers, ahead of Newport in the middle of the island and then Sandown on the east coast, with smaller clusters in towns such as Shanklin, Cowes and Ventnor.

The island's population is old and getting older. The 2021 Census put the median age at 51, up five years in a decade and the joint second highest in the South East, while the total population barely grew to around 140,500. Care homes outnumber home care agencies, which suits carers who prefer shifts in one building, but home care is spread across rural lanes and small villages, where you will struggle without your own transport.

The Isle of Wight Council has a dedicated Direct Payment Team that helps people with recruitment, employment advice and setting up payroll. Funds reach people on a Pre-Paid Card, reloaded at four week intervals. The council's own example describes a man who swapped changing agency carers for one personal assistant he recruited himself, which is exactly the kind of role a local carer can fill.

St Mary's Hospital in Newport is run by the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, which also runs the island's ambulance service. Community and mental health services have moved to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare. Isle of Wight College lists health, social and child care among its subject areas and offers apprenticeships.

84% of the inspected care employers in Isle of Wight are rated Good or Outstanding by the CQC, close to the 84% across the South East and in line with England as a whole (85%).