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Create ResumeIf your Support Worker CV isn’t passing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), it’s usually not because you lack experience, it’s because your CV isn’t using the right keywords, structure, or formatting that care employers’ systems are scanning for. In the UK care sector, organisations like NHS suppliers, supported living providers, and care agencies rely heavily on ATS to filter candidates before a human ever reviews your CV.
To pass ATS, your CV must include job-specific keywords (like safeguarding, person-centred care, care plans), match the job description language, and follow a simple, readable format. This guide shows you exactly how to optimise your Support Worker CV to rank higher, pass screening systems, and actually get shortlisted.
ATS systems are not “intelligent readers.” They operate by scanning your CV for keyword relevance, job title alignment, and structured data.
From a recruiter’s perspective, your CV gets filtered before it reaches us if:
It lacks core care-related keywords
Your job titles don’t match recognised roles
Your formatting prevents parsing (e.g. tables, graphics)
Your experience doesn’t align with the employer’s care setting
Most care providers use ATS to answer one question:
“Does this candidate match the job requirements closely enough to review?”
Your CV must clearly signal:
What type of support work you do
These are the non-negotiable keywords every Support Worker CV should include. Missing these is one of the most common reasons candidates fail ATS screening.
Support worker
Person-centred care
Safeguarding
Care plans
Risk assessments
Supported living
Residential care
To increase your ranking across different job ads, you need keyword variations. ATS systems match based on exact terms used in the employer’s posting.
Care support worker
Community support worker
Residential support worker
Mental health support worker
Learning disability support worker
Autism support worker
Healthcare support worker
Which client groups you’ve worked with
What care tasks and responsibilities you’ve handled
Whether your experience matches their setting
If these aren’t immediately visible through keywords, you get filtered out.
Personal care
Daily living support
Mental health support
Learning disability support
Autism support
Medication prompts
MAR / eMAR
Moving and handling
Infection control
Positive behaviour support
De-escalation
Confidentiality
Duty of care
Recruiters and ATS systems use these keywords to confirm you understand care standards and compliance requirements. Without them, your CV looks generic or inexperienced, even if you have real experience.
Disability support worker
Outreach support worker
Support assistant
If your CV only says “Support Worker,” but the job advert says “Mental Health Support Worker,” your relevance score drops.
Smart strategy: Use multiple variations naturally across your CV.
Your skills section and experience bullets must reflect real care tasks, not generic soft skills.
Personal care support
Emotional support
Safeguarding adults and children
Care planning
Risk assessment
Incident reporting
Progress notes
Handover communication
Medication administration support
MAR / eMAR documentation
De-escalation and behaviour support
Mental health awareness
Autism awareness
Dementia awareness
Learning disability support
Life skills support
Community access support
Appointment coordination
Meal preparation
Mobility support
Infection prevention and control
Candidates often write vague skills like:
Weak Example:
“Good communication skills and teamwork”
Good Example:
“Completed structured handovers, documented care notes, and communicated safeguarding concerns in line with CQC standards”
The second example contains real, ATS-detectable care keywords.
Many candidates miss this entirely, but ATS systems (and hiring managers) look for familiarity with care tools and equipment.
Hoists and slings
Mobility aids
Wheelchairs
Walking frames
PPE
MAR charts
eMAR systems
Care planning software
Digital care notes
Incident reporting systems
Lone working devices
Call bells / alarm systems
Communication aids
Makaton (basic communication tools)
These keywords show practical, hands-on experience, which significantly improves your shortlisting chances.
Your experience section should be built around action verbs that match care responsibilities.
Supported
Assisted
Safeguarded
Promoted
Documented
Monitored
Reported
Encouraged
Communicated
De-escalated
Observed
Empowered
Maintained
Coordinated
Not just what you did, but how you describe it.
Weak Example:
“Helped residents with daily tasks”
Good Example:
“Supported residents with personal care, medication prompts, and daily living activities in line with individual care plans”
Tailoring your CV to the type of support work dramatically improves ATS scores.
Independent living
Tenancy support
Life skills
Community inclusion
Residential care
Shift handover
Personal care
Behaviour support
Crisis support
Emotional wellbeing
Recovery-focused support
De-escalation
Learning disabilities
Autism support
Communication support
Positive behaviour support (PBS)
Safeguarding children
Key working
Emotional regulation
Residential childcare
Housing support
Tenancy sustainment
Outreach
Complex needs
Generic CVs fail ATS. Targeted CVs get interviews.
Even the best keywords won’t work if your CV structure is unreadable by ATS.
Reverse chronological structure
Clear headings:
Profile
Skills
Experience
Training
Education
Standard fonts (Arial or Calibri)
No images, icons, or text boxes
No tables or columns
1–2 pages maximum
Save as .docx or ATS-friendly PDF
ATS systems parse CVs line by line. Complex layouts break parsing, causing keywords to be missed.
Take keywords directly from the job advert and integrate them naturally.
If the role is “Mental Health Support Worker,” use that exact phrase in your CV headline.
Include keywords in:
Profile
Skills
Experience
Not just one section.
Example:
“Support Worker” + “Autism Support Worker”
“Care support” + “Mental health support”
Care Certificate
Safeguarding training
First aid
Moving and handling
Medication training
Infection control
These significantly improve ATS ranking.
Missing core keywords like safeguarding or care plans
Using graphics, icons, or fancy templates
Writing vague responsibilities without care terminology
Not specifying client groups (e.g. mental health, autism)
Using unclear or non-standard job titles
Copy-pasting a generic CV for every job
We often reject CVs not because of lack of experience, but because:
“We can’t see the relevant experience clearly enough.”
If you want to outperform other candidates, go beyond basic optimisation.
Even in care roles, metrics matter.
“Supported 8 residents with complex needs in a supported living environment”
“Maintained 100% accuracy in digital care documentation”
“Reduced behavioural incidents through proactive de-escalation techniques”
Instead of writing:
“Support worker experience”
Write:
“Support worker experience in residential care and supported living environments”
This is where most candidates fail.
Each job requires slight keyword adjustments.
Passing ATS is step one. Getting shortlisted requires clarity and relevance.
Recruiters scan for:
Clear alignment with the job role
Specific client group experience
Evidence of safeguarding and compliance
Practical, hands-on care responsibilities
Clean, readable structure
Specificity
Relevance
Clarity
Generic CVs
Keyword stuffing
Poor formatting
Lack of care-specific detail
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