Lead in Adult Care Higher Apprenticeship Standard

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.

The topics you will cover whilst training include:

• 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
• Dignity and human rights: Legislation and policy initiatives on the promotion of diversity, equality and inclusion in services they lead
• Communication: Legal and ethical frameworks in relation to confidentiality and sharing information; Range of tools and strategies to enhance communication including technology
• 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
• Health and Wellbeing: Models of monitoring, reporting and responding to changes in health and wellbeing
• 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
• Leadership: Theories of management and leadership and their application to adult care
• Features of effective team performance

Typical job roles include:

• 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.

These are the personal attributes and behaviours expected of all Leaders in Adult Care carrying out their roles:

• Care - is caring consistently and enough about individuals to make a positive difference to their lives
• Compassion - is delivering care and support with kindness, consideration, dignity, empathy and respect
• Courage - is doing the right thing for people and speaking up if the individual they support is at risk
• Communication - good communication is central to successful caring relationships and effective team working
• Competence - is applying knowledge and skills to provide high quality care and support
• Commitment - to improving the experience of people who need care and support ensuring it is person centred

Your progress is continually monitored throughout the course. Assessments are arranged when necessary and these take place on-the-job.

Assessments against the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care will include: observations of your performance; responses to written and/or spoken questions to show your knowledge and understanding; e-portfolio of supporting evidence containing testimonies, reflective accounts, assignments, work products such as activity planning sheets, completed risk assessments, continual professional development evidence and also support you in readiness for your end point assessment.

This Standard has an End Point Assessment which includes:

• Observation of Leadership
• Professional Discussion

While you are on an apprenticeship your employer pays you a salary and supports you whilst you undertake your training.