This apprenticeship standard is in the process of being revised. In the meantime, the version below remains approved for delivery. Further details of this and other occupational standards in revision are available in the revisions status report.
Leading frontline care for vulnerable adults within their own homes, day care centres, residential and nursing homes and other healthcare settings.
Lead adult care worker
Lead Adult Care Workers are the frontline staff who help adults with care and support needs to achieve their personal goals and live as independently and safely as possible, enabling them to have control and choice in their lives. In addition, Lead Adult Care Workers have responsibility for providing supervision, frontline leadership, guidance and direction for others, or working autonomously, exercising judgement and accountability.
Typical job titles include Care Officer, Care Supervisor, Senior Care Worker, Supervising Care Worker, Senior Support Worker, Relief Team Leader, Social Work Assistant, Social Services Officer, Outreach Development Worker, Community Support Worker, Community Outreach Worker, Community Development Worker, Family Support Worker or Personal Assistant. These could all specialise in a variety of areas such as learning disability, mental health, drug and alcohol misuse, homecare, dementia and end-of-life care.
As a Lead Adult Care Worker you will make a positive difference to someone’s life when they are faced with physical, practical, social, emotional or intellectual challenges. You will be expected to exercise judgement and take appropriate action to support individuals to maintain their independence, dignity and control. By providing leadership, guidance and direction at the frontline of care delivery you will be instrumental in improving the health and wellbeing of those receiving care and support. Lead Adult Care Workers will in some circumstances have delegated responsibility for the standard of care provided and may supervise the work of other care workers. This exercising of autonomy and accountability means leading and supporting others to comply with expected standards and behaviours.
Lead Adult Care Workers may work in residential or nursing homes, domiciliary care, day centres or some clinical healthcare settings. As well as covering Lead Adult Care Workers this standard also covers Lead Personal Assistants who can work at this senior level but they may only work directly for one individual who needs support and/or care services, usually within their own home.
Typically 18 months
8. How to ensure that dignity is at the centre of all work with individuals and their support circles
9. The importance of respecting diversity, the principles of inclusion and treating everyone fairly
10. The barriers to communication and be able to both identify, and determine, the best solutions to achieve success when communicating with the individual they are supporting
11. How to communicate clearly both verbally and non-verbally and able to influence others to maximise the quality of interaction
12. The role of advocates and when they might be involved
13. Their own, and other workers’ responsibilities for ensuring confidential information is kept safe
14. What abuse is and what to do when they have concerns someone is being abused
15. The national and local strategies for safeguarding and protection from abuse
16. What to do when receiving comments and complaints ensuring appropriate and timely actions takes place
17. How to recognise and prevent unsafe practices in the workplace
18. The importance and process of whistleblowing, being able to facilitate timely intervention
19. How to address and resolve any dilemmas they may face between a person’s rights and their safety
20. The health and safety responsibilities of self, employer and workers
21. How to keep safe in the work environment
22. What to do when there is an accident or sudden illness and take appropriate action
23. What to do with hazardous substances
24. How to promote fire safety and how to support others to so
25. How to reduce the spread of infection and support others in infection prevention and control
26. How to use and promote with others where relevant, risk assessments to enable a person centred approach to delivering care
27. What a professional relationship is with the person being supported and colleagues
28. How to work with other people and organisations in the interest of the person being supported
29. How to be actively involved in their own personal development plan and, where appropriate, other worker’s personal development plans
30. How to demonstrate the importance of excellent core skills in writing, numbers and information technology
31. How to develop and sustain a positive attitude and address signs and symptoms of stress in self and other colleagues
32. How to carry out research relevant to individuals’ support needs and share with others
33. How to access and apply good practice relating to their role
34. How to access and apply specialist knowledge when needed to support performance in the job role
11. Demonstrate dignity in their working role with individuals they support, their families, carers and other professionals
12. Support others to understand the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in social care
13. Exhibit empathy for individuals they support, i.e. understanding and compassion
14. Exhibit courage in supporting individuals in ways that may challenge their own cultural and belief systems
15. Demonstrate and promote to other workers excellent communication skills including confirmation of understanding to individuals, their families, carers and professionals
16. Use and facilitate methods of communication preferred by the individual they support according to the individual’s language, cultural and sensory needs, wishes and preferences
17. Take the initiative and reduce environmental barriers to communication
18. Demonstrate and ensure that records and reports are written clearly and concisely
19. Lead and support others to keep information safe, preserve confidentiality in accordance with agreed ways of working
20. Support others, to recognise and respond to potential signs of abuse according to agreed ways of working
21. Work in partnership with external agencies to respond to concerns of abuse
22. Lead and support others to address conflicts or dilemmas that may arise between an individual’s rights and duty of care
23. Recognise, report, respond to and record unsafe practices and encourage others to do so
24. Lead and mentor others where appropriate to promote the wellbeing of the individuals they support
25. Demonstrate the management of the reduction of infection, including use of best practice in hand hygiene
26. Promote healthy eating and wellbeing by supporting individuals to have access to fluids, food and nutrition
27. Carry out fire safety procedures and manage others to do so
28. Develop risk assessments and use in a person centred way to support individuals safely including moving and assisting people and objects
29. Manage, monitor, report and respond to changes in the health and wellbeing of the individuals they support
30. Take the initiative to identify and form professional relationships with other people and organisations
31. Demonstrate, manage and support self and others to work within safe, clear professional boundaries
32. Take the initiative to evaluate and improve own skills and knowledge through reflective practice, supervision, feedback and learning opportunities
33. Demonstrate continuous professional development
34. Carry out research relevant to individuals’ support needs and share with others
35. Demonstrate where necessary mentoring and supervision to others in the workplace
36. Demonstrate good team/partnership working skills
37. Demonstrate their contribution to robust recruitment and induction processes
Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care.
Individuals without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment.
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.
Undertake the Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result prior to starting.
The individual must meet the 15 standards as set out in the Care Certificate. The Care Quality Commission expect that providers that employ healthcare assistants and social care support workers follow these standards to make sure new staff are supported, skilled and assessed as competent to carry out their roles.
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Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date | Latest end date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1.2 | Funding band revised. | 26/06/2023 | Not set | Not set |
1.1 | Standard and end-point assessment plan revised. The funding band for this standard has been reviewed and remains at £3000 (Dec-2018) | 05/02/2018 | 25/06/2023 | Not set |
1.0 | Retired | 21/07/2016 | 04/02/2018 | Not set |