83 care employers in West Berkshire could find you

Working in care in West Berkshire

Newbury, Thatcham and the downland villages: is West Berkshire a good fit for a carer who drives?

West Berkshire is mostly countryside. The 2021 Census placed it in the lowest quarter of English council areas for population density, with about 161,000 people spread between the market towns and a large rural area stretching west towards Wiltshire and north to the Downs. Newbury is the main centre for care employers, with Thatcham just to the east and Hungerford out on the western edge each holding a smaller group, and the rest scattered through villages such as Pangbourne, Theale and Lambourn.

That spread makes driving important. The split between agencies and residential homes is fairly even here, but a home care round outside Newbury can involve long gaps between visits on country lanes. The population is getting older too: half the population was older than 43 by 2021, three years up on 2011 and above the South East figure.

West Berkshire Council lists a personal assistant among the things a direct payment can fund. Its Direct Payments Team supports people who become employers with job adverts and descriptions, DBS checks, insurance, contracts, payroll and access to training, so PA posts here tend to come with proper paperwork.

For NHS work, Berkshire Healthcare runs West Berkshire Community Hospital at Benham Hill near Thatcham, with rehabilitation, palliative care and a minor injuries unit, while the nearest large acute hospital is the Royal Berkshire in Reading. Newbury College has a Level 2 course in health and social care for beginners, alongside Access to HE diplomas in nursing, midwifery and health and social care.

94% of the inspected care employers in West Berkshire are rated Good or Outstanding by the CQC, above the 84% across the South East and above England as a whole (85%).