Health Care & Health Science

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

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.

Typical job titles include registered, assistant, deputy, unit or service manager.

Knowledge

What the Leader in Adult Care on completion must know and understand:

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

Skills

What the Leader in Adult Care on completion must be able to do:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qualifications

Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care.

Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to completion of their Apprenticeship.

For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeships English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualification are an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language.

Duration: 18 months

*The course duration is based on the amount of video content shown and is rounded off. It does not account in any way for loading time or thinking time on the questions