Lead the care team
Develop and implement a values-based culture at service or unit level.
- Model values-based leadership
- Build effective team performance
- Support and supervise managers and carers
Leader in adult care · Level 5
Lead the service, shape the culture, develop the team
The Leader in Adult Care guides and inspires teams to make a positive difference to people’s lives, and takes responsibility for a service that is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
Level 5
Apprenticeship level
18 months
Typical duration
Monthly
Tutor delivery
£7,000
Maximum funding band
Your programme
Built for managers running adult care services
This apprenticeship is for people managing community or residential based services. You may be a registered manager, or a deputy or assistant manager, responsible for regulatory compliance, the values and training of staff, and the quality of care delivered.
Run a well-led service
Take responsibility for care that is safe, effective, caring and responsive to people’s needs.
- Regulatory compliance
- Quality and risk management
- Co-production with people and staff
Supported development
Monthly remote or work-based sessions with a personal tutor.
- Monthly delivery
- One-to-one tutor support
- Feedback between sessions
Care values and behaviours
The six qualities expected of every leader in adult care
These are the personal attributes and behaviours expected of all Leaders in Adult Care carrying out their roles.
Care
Caring consistently and enough about individuals to make a positive difference to their lives.
Compassion
Delivering care and support with kindness, consideration, dignity, empathy and respect.
Courage
Doing the right thing for people and speaking up if someone you support is at risk.
Communication
Good communication is central to successful caring relationships and effective team working.
Competence
Applying knowledge and skills to provide high-quality care and support.
Commitment
Improving the experience of people who need care and support, ensuring it is person-centred.
What you will develop
The knowledge, skills and behaviours of the standard
Your learning follows the Leader in Adult Care apprenticeship standard (ST0008), covering both what you must know and understand and what you must be able to do in the service you lead.
Tasks and responsibilities
Develop and apply the systems and processes that keep the service compliant, manage risk, sustain quality and use resources efficiently, including assessments, care plans and service delivery.
Dignity and human rights
Lead organisational practice that champions dignity and respects diversity, inclusion and fairness, and build a culture with the courage to challenge.
Communication
Put in place clear, concise recording and reporting, keep information safe and confidential, and translate policy into information people can understand.
Safeguarding
Train and support colleagues to recognise and respond to abuse or unsafe practice, and monitor and evaluate safeguarding systems, including whistleblowing culture.
Health and wellbeing
Lead health, safety and risk management policies and practice, and monitor, evaluate and improve them across the service.
Professional development
Apply evidence-based practice, keep pace with drivers in the adult care landscape and embed supervision, reflection and learning for yourself and your team.
Leadership
Understand theories of management and leadership and effective team performance, model a values-based culture and lead teams where required.
Change and quality
Apply change management approaches, outcome-based practice and the legislative and regulatory frameworks that inform quality standards.
Where this role works
Typical job titles: registered manager, service manager, unit manager, deputy manager, assistant manager.
- Residential or nursing homes
- Domiciliary care
- Community day centres
- A person’s own home
- Some clinical healthcare settings
- Personal assistant roles with management responsibility
Assessment and achievement
Evidence your leadership in practice
Evidence is gathered throughout the programme before you complete the end-point assessment with an External Independent Assessor.
- Observation of practice
- Online assessments
- Witness testimonies
- Oral questioning
- Written evidence
- Product evidence
- Professional discussions
End-point assessment
An observation of practice with post-observation questioning, and a professional discussion with an External Independent Assessor. You discuss how you apply your knowledge, skills and behaviours in everyday working practice. The apprenticeship is graded Pass or Distinction.
Before you start
Entry requirements and workplace support
Learner requirements
- Be aged 19 or over
- Work as a manager or deputy manager with responsibility for operations in the workplace
- Be able to demonstrate prior achievement of qualifications at Level 3 or Level 4
- Undertake the Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result
- Level 2 in maths and English is advised but not required to start; apprentices without Level 2 English and maths will have the opportunity to achieve this alongside the apprenticeship
Employer partnership
Your employer must provide a genuine management role with responsibility for operations, the scope to lead teams and services, and access to the evidence needed to demonstrate competence across the standard.
Delivery is monthly, remote or work-based, with one-to-one support and feedback between sessions from a personal tutor. The standard is typically 18 months, which does not include the assessment period, with a minimum of 418 hours for compliance.
Funding and fees
Confirm the right funding route
The current maximum apprenticeship funding band is £7,000. The programme can be delivered as part of the Level 5 Leader in Adult Care Apprenticeship, or the diploma can be paid for privately by the learner or employer, or through an Adult Learning Loan, subject to eligibility.
A fixed private fee is not published. Contact The Link Training for a current quote.
Ready to lead your service?
Talk to us about your role, your experience and the leadership opportunities in your workplace.