255 care employers in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole could find you

Working in care in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

One seaside conurbation, three towns: where are the care jobs in BCP?

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole run together along the coast as one built up area of more than 400,000 people, so care work here is mostly urban and suburban rather than rural. Bournemouth has over half of the area's care employers, Poole has the next biggest share, and Christchurch and Broadstone follow some way behind. Home care agencies are the largest group, with residential care homes close behind, so you can choose between rounds in people's homes and a settled team in one building without leaving the conurbation.

The population is a little older than average. ONS figures from Census 2021 give a median age of 42, two years above England, though younger than the South West as a whole at 44.

BCP Council promotes personal assistant work through its Proud to Care campaign. A PA is employed directly by the person they support, or their family, helping with personal care, appointments, shopping and getting out and about. The council also keeps a personal assistant register and passes on suitable vacancies to the people on it, which is worth knowing about if you want regular hours with one person.

For NHS comparisons, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust runs Royal Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch hospitals, and is turning Royal Bournemouth into the main emergency centre while Poole focuses on planned operations. Bournemouth and Poole College teaches Health and Social Care Level 2 and a Level 1 Care course, with students training on a mock hospital ward.

98% of the inspected care employers in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are rated Good or Outstanding by the CQC, above the 90% across the South West and above England as a whole (85%).