How to show support worker skills on your CV

By Sophie · Published 30 October 2026

Practical skills

Person-centred support

Describe how you adapted support to someone’s preferences or care plan.

On your CV Adjusted morning routines to suit each person’s preferences and care plan.

Personal care

Name the personal care tasks you carried out and how you protected the person’s dignity.

On your CV Supported adults with washing and dressing, following their preferred routines.

Safeguarding

Show how you recognised and reported a concern through the appropriate workplace process.

On your CV Reported a safeguarding concern to the shift manager and recorded the facts.

Promoting independence

Give an example of helping someone take part in a task or decision for themselves.

On your CV Supported a resident to plan and prepare their own lunches.

Medication support

State what medication support you provided within your training and workplace procedures.

On your CV Prompted residents to take prescribed medication and recorded prompts in their care notes.

Care record keeping

Identify the records you completed and the information you included.

On your CV Updated daily care notes with support provided and changes reported to the team.

Qualities

Patience

Describe a situation where you gave someone time to communicate or complete a task.

On your CV Allowed a client time to choose their clothes and get dressed at their own pace.

Respect for boundaries

Show how you respected a person’s privacy or maintained professional boundaries.

On your CV Asked permission before entering a resident’s room and explained the support offered.

Observation

Give an example of a change you noticed and passed on to the right person.

On your CV Noticed a change in a resident’s appetite and reported it to the senior on shift.

Calm communication

Describe how you communicated with someone who was upset or finding a situation difficult.

On your CV Used short, clear sentences to help a client understand a change to their routine.

Tools and equipment

Digital care records

Name the system if relevant and explain what you recorded in it.

On your CV Entered daily notes and completed care tasks in the provider’s digital care system.

Hoist use

State the moving and handling equipment you used and the procedures you followed.

On your CV Used a hoist with a colleague to support transfers in line with individual moving and handling plans.

Personal protective equipment

Explain when you used protective equipment as part of infection prevention.

On your CV Used gloves and aprons during personal care in line with workplace procedures.

Qualifications

Level 2 Diploma in Care

List the qualification, awarding organisation and completion date if you have them.

On your CV Level 2 Diploma in Care, completed in 2022.

Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care

Give the qualification title and completion date, or state that it is in progress.

On your CV Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care, in progress.

Care Certificate

State when you completed the Care Certificate if it is relevant to the role.

On your CV Care Certificate completed during induction in 2023.

How to choose support worker skills for an application

Start with the duties and essential criteria in the job description. A role in a residential home may involve personal care and shift handovers, while a community role may focus on appointments and everyday activities. Select skills you can back up with experience that relates to those duties.

Look at who the service supports. If the post involves adults with learning disabilities, consider whether you have helped someone communicate a choice, follow a routine or access a community activity. Describe what you did and the setting. Avoid naming a specialist skill unless you have practised it or received relevant training.

Experience can come from paid care work, volunteering or supporting a relative. Make the setting clear so that an employer understands your responsibilities. For example, describe helping a family member attend appointments if that is what you did, rather than giving yourself a formal job title you did not hold.

Where to put skills on your CV

Use a short skills section near the top of your CV for abilities relevant to the post. Keep each entry specific, such as personal care or digital care records. Under each job or volunteering role, add bullets that show how you used those skills. Include the type of setting and your responsibilities where these help the reader understand your experience.

Put qualifications and training in a separate section with dates and the full titles where possible. You can include the Care Certificate if you have completed it. List training such as moving and handling or first aid with its date, especially if the employer asks for current training.

If you have limited care experience, draw on tasks from other roles. A customer service job might show how you communicated with someone who needed extra time. Explain the task without suggesting that it was care work.

Mistakes to avoid

A list of qualities on its own gives an employer little evidence. Instead of writing that you are patient, describe a time you gave someone space to make a decision or complete a task. Protect confidentiality by leaving out names and details that could identify a person you supported.

Be precise about medication and equipment. State whether you prompted someone, supported them or carried out another task you were trained and authorised to do. Do the same for hoists: describe your actual role and the procedure you followed.

Do not add a qualification, system or duty simply because it appears in the job description. If training is in progress, say so. Check that dates and job titles are accurate before sending your CV. CV Ajuste can help tailor your CV to a job description using the facts you provide.

Official source on this job: Care worker (support worker) job profile, National Careers Service