Leader in Adult Care (Level 5)

Who is this Apprenticeship for?

This course is for any eligible candidates, who are in lead practitioner adult care role, lead the care service and managing teams of carers to look after adults with care needs. and wish to further their career in the adult care sector.

The Leader in Adult Care will guide and inspire teams to make positive differences to someone’s life when they are faced with physical, practical, social, emotional, psychological or intellectual challenges. They will be a leader of the care team and will develop and implement a values-based culture at a service or unit level. They may be responsible for business development, financial control, organisational resilience and continuity as well as for managing risk and leading on organisational change.

A Leader in Adult Care has responsibility for managing community or residential based services. This role has a large element of leadership, whether with other care workers and networks or in leading the service itself. A successful apprentice will have met all the requirements. They have a responsibility to ensure the service is safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led. They may be a registered manager of a service, unit, deputy or assistant manager. They will be responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance of the care given and the values and training of staff with established standards and regulations.

Leaders in Adult Care may work in residential or nursing homes, domiciliary care, community day centres, a person’s own home or some clinical healthcare settings. The role of Leader in Adult Care in this standard also covers Personal Assistants who operate in a management role, but they may only work directly for one individual who needs support and/or care services.

Are there any entry requirements?

Must be a UK citizen, or have the right of abode in the UK, or is a citizen of a country that is within the EEA and have been ordinarily resident in the UK, the EU or the EEA continuously for the previous three years before the start of learning.

Candidates will have achieved a minimum of GCSE Grade 9-4 (A*-C) or equivalent in English and Maths. We also offer Functional Skills English and maths at Level 1 and Level 2 for those needing to gain these qualifications prior to enrolment.

Apprentices must be employed, for a minimum of 30 hours, in a role that suits the skills requirements of this apprenticeship.

New applicants will be contacted by a vocational delivery tutor to determine suitability/eligibility prior, give information and advice on the next steps.

Shortlisted applicants will be sent to the employer, to then follow their recruitment procedure. Unsuitable applicants will be sign-posted to other areas of our service to develop transferable/employability skills, with a view to ensuring they are suitable for other apprenticeship positions in the future.

What is the curriculum intent of this Apprenticeship?

The structure and delivery of the course curriculum will enable you to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours to reflect the needs of local and regional employers, gain qualifications and be successful in this area.

The curriculum is planned and sequenced to enable learners with previous knowledge and experience to develop the new skills needed to progress to the next stage of their career, training, education or employment.

The curriculum is flexible and responsive to learner demands and can be tailored to suit individual needs, arising from any current and dynamic issues affecting their role, which can be addressed during workshop sessions.

As an apprentice you will need to be able to demonstrate knowledge and practical skills at the end of your apprenticeship training programme and understand how this reflects the needs of the local, regional and national economy.

What will the Apprenticeship cover?

The Leader in Adult Care L5 Apprenticeship will develop the knowledge and understanding of:

A: Tasks and responsibilities

Statutory frameworks, standards, guidance and Codes of Practice which underpin practice in relation to the safe delivery of services
Systems and processes needed to ensure compliance with regulations and organisational policies and procedures including health and safety and risk management
Principles of risk management, assessment and outcome based practice
Principles and underpinning theories of change management including approaches, tools and techniques that support the change process
Legislative and regulatory frameworks which inform quality standards
Theories and models that underpin performance and appraisal including disciplinary procedures

B: Dignity and human rights

Legislation and policy initiatives on the promotion of diversity, equality and inclusion in services they lead

C: Communication

Legal and ethical frameworks in relation to confidentiality and sharing information
Range of tools and strategies to enhance communication including technology

D: Safeguarding

Legislation, national and local solutions for the safeguarding of adults and children including reporting requirements
The elements needed to create a culture that supports whistleblowing in the organisation

E: Health and wellbeing

Models of monitoring, reporting and responding to changes in health and wellbeing

F: Professional development

Principles of professional development
Goals and aspirations that support own professional development and how to access available opportunities
Elements needed to create a culture that values learning, professional development, reflective practice and evidence based practice
Systems and processes necessary to ensure professional development opportunities are identified, planned, sourced, evaluated and recorded for workers

G: Leadership

Theories of management and leadership and their application to adult care
Features of effective team performance

Develop the skills and behaviours in:

A: Tasks and responsibilities

Develop and apply systems and processes needed to ensure compliance with regulations and organisational policies and procedures
Implement strategies to support others to manage the risks presented when balancing individual rights and professional duty of care
Develop and apply systems and processes that monitor and sustain quality of the service, including assessments, care plans and service delivery
Lead and support others to work in a person-centred way and to ensure active participation which enhances the well-being and quality of life of individuals
Encourage and enable both staff and people who access care and support to be involved in the co-production of how the service operates
Manage all resources in delivering complex care and support efficiently and effectively

B: Dignity and human rights

Develop and lead implementation of organisational practices to create and sustain a culture that actively champions dignity and respects diversity, inclusion and fairness in the workplace
Develop and lead a culture that values courage in working in ways that may challenge workers’ own cultural and belief systems

C: Communication

Develop and implement organisational processes to ensure that records and reports are written clearly and concisely and to keep information safe and preserve confidentiality
Translate policy and guidance into understandable information for a range of audiences including people who access care and support, carers and families and other colleagues

D: Safeguarding

Implement systems to train and support work colleagues to enable them to recognise and respond to potential signs of abuse and or unsafe practices, following organisational policies and procedures
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of organisational policies, systems and processes for safeguarding

E: Health and wellbeing

Lead the implementation of policies, procedures and practices to manage health, safety and risk to individuals and others in health and social care to ensure compliance with legislation, standards and guidance

Implement health and safety and risk management policies, procedures and practices to create a culture that values health and well-being in the organisation
Monitor, evaluate and improve health, safety and risk management policies and practices in the service

F: Professional development

Apply evaluated research and evidence-based practice in own setting

Take initiative to research and disseminate current drivers in the adult care landscape
Embed systems to improve performance of self and/or work colleagues through supervision, reflective practice and learning and development opportunities

G: Leadership

Show a well-developed sense of their own behaviour and impact on others modelling a values-based culture

Create a supportive culture that values initiative and innovation and recognises the variety of skills of all within the service, both workers and individuals supported
Adopt a team approach, recognising contributions of team members and able to lead a team where required

End Point Assessment

To trigger the End Point Assessment, you must have:

Proof of English & maths GCSE minimum grade 4+ (C+) or equivalent level 2 qualification
Proof of completing a Level 5 Diploma Leadership and Management for Adult Care (part of the on-programme element)
Completed a showcase portfolio, demonstrating how you have met the knowledge, skills and behaviours

The End Point Assessment consists of:

Observation of Practice: A 60-minute observation, followed by 30 minutes of post observation questioning
Professional Discussion: A 90-minute structured discussion with the Independent Assessor. This is to draw out the best of the apprentice’s competence and excellence and cover the knowledge, skills and behaviours

This standard will be graded as Distinction, Pass or Fail

What could I do when I have finished this Apprenticeship?

Pursue a career as a lead health care supervisor/management. Careers within a variety of settings including NHS/care homes/mental health/learning disabilities/substance misuse/social care. Further education, such as a Degree or FE/HE courses in Health and Social Care, Nursing or Adult Care.

You will also be given information and guidance to continue onto other courses.

Where and when will I learn?

During the course you will be expected to attend work a minimum of 30 hours per week where you will learn the skills and knowledge required to continue through your qualification. This may include shift working, bank holiday working and weekend working. You will be supported in the workplace through regular visits with your tutor and you will also be expected to come into the training centre (Coleridge Centre, DL1 5AJ) for support sessions. These sessions will allow you to complete coursework, receive instant feedback and ensure you are ready for the End Point Assessment.

This course will typically take 24 months, but this is based on a vocational initial assessment to determine prior learning in this area and may be reduced.

How much will the Apprenticeship cost?

There are no fees for this apprenticeship.

What do I do next?

You can:

View our latest vacancies

Or you can:

Apply for this apprenticeship area to be entered into a 'pool of candidates'. When a relevant vacancy becomes available we will contact you.
If you are already employed in this area and wish to join the apprenticeship training, or have identified an employer wishing to start you as an apprentice in this area, please contact us