153 care employers in Southampton could find you

Working in care in Southampton

Either side of the Itchen: finding care work in Southampton

Southampton is a port city split by its rivers. The Itchen separates Bitterne, Sholing and Woolston on the east side from the city centre, Shirley and Portswood, and the Test runs along the western edge. That matters on a home care round, because a bridge crossing at the wrong time of day can turn a short hop into a long one. Most carers here end up working the side of the river they live on.

Home care agencies are the biggest group of employers in the city, outnumbering care homes by more than two to one, with a small number of nursing homes. Southampton is also one of the youngest cities in the South East: at the 2021 census its median age was 34, joint second lowest in the region with Slough. With two universities in the city, including students on nursing and other health courses, plenty of people here are looking for flexible hours that care work can offer.

Southampton City Council's direct payments let people employ their own carers, known as personal assistants. The payments are managed through a support provider, People Places Lives, which sets up an online virtual wallet for the person, so if you work as a PA here your wages will usually be paid that way.

For NHS work, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust runs Southampton General Hospital on Tremona Road, the Princess Anne Hospital and the Royal South Hants. South Hampshire College Group runs Health and Social Care courses at its Eastleigh and Fareham colleges, a Level 3 course in Preparing to Work in Adult Social Care at Eastleigh, and an online Level 2 version you can do from home.

83% of the inspected care employers in Southampton 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%).