Care Assistant - Driving License Required
Helping Hands
£16.15 - £16.50 per hour
Luton
Part time, permanent
The Breakroom Take
- People enjoy this job
- Pays all ages fairly
- Recommended by parents
- Respectful managers
- Proper training
About Helping Hands
Helping Hands is a care provider. They offer live-in, visiting and home care services.
Job description from Helping Hands
Location: Luton
Since 1989, we’ve supported adults of all ages to maintain their independence and stay in the place they know and love. Because, life is better at home.
We’re looking for people who are passionate about care, and who want to help others to join our amazing teams. We don’t require you to have any previous social care experience, what we do need from you is to have the Right to Work in the UK, as we are NOT able to offer Health and Care Worker visas. Additionally, you are required to have a full UK driving license with access to your own vehicle.
If you’re looking for a job that can be flexible around your lifestyle there are a variety of shift patterns available to work in mornings, afternoons, evenings or weekends.
At Helping Hands, we can offer the following benefits
- Paid mileage of 35p per mile between calls
- Early Pay App – request up to 50% of your pay in advance of pay day
- Earn up to £100 for referring a friend
- Our care assistants are directly employed by us giving you access to holiday entitlement and our pension scheme
- Apprenticeship opportunities available to existing staff
- Support to complete nationally recognised qualifications including your Care Certificate and NVQs. Your career development is important to us if you want to progress, we can help!
- FREE Blue Light Card – national discount card for hundreds of retailers
- Annual pay reviews based on cost of living
Being a Care Assistant means you need to be adaptable, kind-hearted and put others first. Your role may include:
- Providing companionship
- Support with personal care such as showering, bathing and toileting
- Helping with mobility around the home
- Overseeing medication and providing medical support
- Helping around the house with cleaning, cooking and tidying
- Running errands such as food shopping or picking up prescriptions
Job insights from Breakroom
Care workers and assistants
Care workers and assistants help support people in their daily lives to live as independently as possible
What you’ll do as a care worker/assistant:
- Help with social or physical activities
- Household tasks, like cleaning and washing
- Support by preparing food, and providing help with eating and other tasks like bathing and getting dressed
- Check and monitor health and help with medication
Is it right for you?
This job may involve:
- Standing
- Heavy lifting
- Helping with personal care
- Physical activity
- Emotionally demanding duties
- Wearing a uniform
- Night work
- Long hours
- Anti-social hours
- Cleaning
- Working alone
|fill:rgba(255,157,151,0.5)|width:2|enc:cou{HfppAXyNpAiNbCmMrD_L|EeJ~FcHzGuEnHcCvHk@vHj@nHbCzGtE~FbH|EfJrD~KbCjMpAhNXxNYxNqAhNcCjMsD~K}EfJ_GbH{GtEoHbCwHj@wHk@oHcC{GuE_GcH}EeJsD_LcCmMqAiNYyN)
What employees say
Pay
-
Good
-
Most people are paid a living wage
Do Helping Hands pay care assistants enough to live on?
Most people are paid a living wage.
How we know this
96% of people say they are paid at or above the Real Living Wage for where they live.Based on data from 51 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should be paid enough to live on.
The Real Living Wage is a voluntary rate employers can sign up to that is based on the real cost of living.
The current rates are £12.60 per hour, and £13.85 per hour in London.
Find out more in our explainer about the Real Living Wage.
Good
-
Most people are paid market rates
Do Helping Hands pay care assistants market rates?
Most people are paid above average for their job.
How we know this
96% of people are paid above average for the type of work they do.Based on data from 54 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Pay can vary a lot between types of job. Employers should be ensuring that the rates their staff are paid are in line with similar roles elsewhere.
Good
-
Everyone is paid the same, whatever their age
Do care assistants at Helping Hands get paid the same regardless of age?
Yes, people under the age of 21 get paid the same as those above 21.
See what Helping Hands pays different age groupsHow we know this
The average pay of under 21s is the same as those above 21.Based on data from 53 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Needs improving
-
Most people don’t get paid breaks
Do care assistants at Helping Hands get paid breaks?
No. Most people don’t get paid breaks.
How we know this
98% of people say they don’t get paid breaks.Based on data from 48 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should have paid breaks.
You should be paid for all your time at work, whether you’re on a break or not.
Needs improving
-
Most people don’t get sick pay
Do Helping Hands pay care assistants sick pay?
No. Most people don’t get proper sick pay.
How we know this
98% of people say they wouldn’t get paid if they were sick but scheduled to work.Based on data from 47 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off without worrying.
At a good job you should still get paid if you’re scheduled to work but can’t due to sickness. Your contract should say how many sick days you can take each year.
This is more than the legal minimum, which says you should only get paid if you are unwell for 4 full days. See Citizens Advice for more details.
Needs improving
-
Most people do unpaid extra work
Do care assistants at Helping Hands do extra work that they don't get paid for?
Yes. Lots of people do unpaid extra work.
How we know this
79% of people report that they do extra work that they don’t get paid for.Based on data from 52 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should get paid for any extra work they do, even if it is outside your contracted hours. At a good job, you should be paid for all the time you spend at work.
Hours and flexibility
-
Needs improving
-
Less than 4 weeks notice of shifts
How much notice do care assistants get of their shift pattern at Helping Hands?
Most people don’t get 4 weeks notice of when they’re working.
How we know this
- 85% of people with changing schedules report getting one week notice or less.
- 13% of people with changing schedules report getting two weeks notice.
- 0% of people with changing schedules report getting three weeks notice.
- 2% of people with changing schedules report getting four weeks notice or more.
Based on data from 53 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, you get plenty of notice about when you’re working.
This makes it easy for you to plan the rest of life, as well as your finances, because you know how much you’ll be working and when.
Okay
-
Some people worry about their hours
Do care assistants at Helping Hands worry about hours?
Some people worry about getting enough hours.
How we know this
62% of people report they worry about getting enough hours.Based on data from 53 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting enough hours each week.
A good job should guarantee you a minimum number of hours in a contract, if you want it.
This makes it easier to plan your finances, because you know how much you’ll be earning.
Okay
-
Only some people get a choice of shifts
Do care assistants at Helping Hands get to choose the shifts they work?
Some people don’t get enough choice over which shifts they work.
How we know this
35% report that their manager doesn’t give them enough choice over which shifts they work.Based on data from 48 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. This means you get a say in when you prefer to work.
Okay
-
Can be hard to change shifts
How easy is it for care assistants at Helping Hands to change shifts?
Some people find it hard to change shifts.
How we know this
63% of people report that it’s hard to change shifts if they need to.Based on data from 38 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. It should be easy to change a shift if you need to, whether that’s in an emergency or for planning ahead.
Okay
-
Can be hard to book holiday
How easy is it for care assistants to book a holiday at Helping Hands?
Some people find it hard to book holiday.
How we know this
42% of people report it’s hard to book holidays.Based on data from 45 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should let you take time off when you need it, and it shouldn’t be a nightmare to arrange.
Needs improving
-
Shifts get changed at short notice
Do Helping Hands managers change care assistants shifts at short notice?
Most managers change people’s shifts at short notice.
How we know this
81% of people say their manager changes their shifts at the last minute.Based on data from 53 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
If your manager is often changing your shifts at short notice that’s a sign of poor planning. At a good job you won’t be messed around at the last minute.
Okay
-
Some people find it hard to take sick leave
How easy is it for care assistants to take sick leave at Helping Hands?
Some people find it hard to take sick leave.
How we know this
52% of people report that it’s hard to take time off if they are sick.Based on data from 42 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off when you need to.
A good job should support you when you’re unwell and have systems in place that will allow you to take time off to recover when you need it.
Good
-
Most parents say it’s good
Is working as care assistants at Helping Hands good if you have caring responsibilities?
Most parents and carers say this is a good place to work.
How we know this
72% of people who care for a child or other relative report this is a good place to work.Based on data from 18 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Whether it’s looking after children or caring for a relative, a good job should support your responsibilities outside of work.
Workplace
-
Good
-
Most people feel treated with respect
Do care assistants at Helping Hands feel treated with respect by their managers?
Most people feel treated with respect by their managers.
How we know this
84% of people say they’re treated with respect by their managers.Based on data from 45 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should get treated with respect by their managers. You shouldn’t feel discriminated against or bullied, and if you have a problem you should be able to speak to someone about it.
Needs improving
-
Most people don’t get proper breaks
Do care assistants at Helping Hands get proper breaks?
Most people don’t get proper breaks.
How we know this
91% of people report that they don’t get to take proper breaks.Based on data from 43 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
When you take a break it should be a proper rest. It should last the full duration and you shouldn’t get pulled off it.
Okay
-
Some people are stressed
Is it stressful for care assistants to work at Helping Hands?
Some people feel stressed here.
How we know this
60% of people say they often feel stressed at work.Based on data from 47 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Work isn’t always easy, but if you’re frequently feel stressed, that’s not good.
Your employer should support you with enough people and resources to get your job done without feeling overwhelmed.
Good
-
Most people enjoy their job
Do care assistants at Helping Hands enjoy their jobs?
Most people enjoy their job.
How we know this
92% of people report they enjoy their job.Based on data from 48 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Okay
-
Only some people recommend their team
Do care assistants at Helping Hands recommend working with their team?
Only some people recommend working with their team.
How we know this
52% of people report that they wouldn’t recommend working with their immediate team to a friend.Based on data from 54 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job means enjoying the place where you work.
The people you work with every day really matter. They can be the difference between a terrible day and a great one.
If you’d recommend your team to a friend, this shows that something’s going right.
Good
-
Most people get enough training
Do care assistants get enough training when they start at Helping Hands?
Most people got enough training when they started.
How we know this
76% of people report they got enough training when they started working here.Based on data from 51 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should give you good training when you start, not just drop you in at the deep end.
This means that you’ll be happier and more productive from day one and shows that your employer values you.
It’s also very important if your job involves anything that could be dangerous. Good training from the outset keeps you and your team safe.
Good
-
Most people get support to progress
Are care assistants given support to progress at Helping Hands?
Most people are given support to progress here.
How we know this
In the last year, 67% of people report being given an opportunity to get better at their job, learn a new skill, learn to manage a team or get more responsibility in their role.Based on data from 42 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should help you progress at work, if you want to. That might be supporting you to get better at the job you currently have, learn something new, manage a team or take on more responsibilities.
This means you’ll be able to build on your skills and experience, and earn more money.
Okay
-
Head office only partly understands what’s happening
Do care assistants think Helping Hands head office understands what's happening where they work?
Some people think head office doesn’t understand what’s happening where they work.
How we know this
56% of people think that this employer’s head office or owners don’t have a good understanding of what’s really happening where they work.Based on data from 45 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, the role of head office should be to support the people on the frontline serving customers.
To do that properly, the company’s owners or head office need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening on the frontline. This is especially important when a company owns multiple locations.
Okay
-
Only some people feel well informed by head office
Do care assistants feel well informed about how Helping Hands is doing?
Only some people feel well informed about how the company is doing.
How we know this
43% of people feel that they aren’t kept well informed about how the company is doing as a whole.Based on data from 46 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between April 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, there should be a supportive relationship between the people working on the frontline serving customers and the people who own the company or work in head office.
You should be kept informed about how the company is doing as a whole, both in good times and when things get tough for the business.
What Helping Hands employees say about their job
-
Best thing
meet the clients
Worst thing
not enough travel time
Carer at Helping Hands, February 2025
-
Best thing
Meeting all the new people
Worst thing
Human errors
Healthcare assistant at Helping Hands, January 2024
Similar jobs near Luton
Find more jobs like this
CloseSave 11 hours a week searching for something new. We can get you…
- The pay you’re looking for
- The hours that you need
- Jobs close to where you live
Answer a few simple questions and we’ll find something that’s right for you. (You can get back to this job later.)
No thanks, I want to applyApplying will take you to a different website.
Type in your email to save this job
Close
By signing up you’re agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy.