Lead Care Worker

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.

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  • Entry Requirements

    • 16 years or over.
    • Please contact our Apprenticeship team for further entry requirements.

  • Industry - specific requirements

    • Undertake the Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result prior to starting.
    • The Care Certificate must be achieved as part of the Apprenticeship Standard.
Key Responsibilities

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.

These are the personal attributes and behaviours expected of all Adult Care Workers 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.
English and Maths

Apprentices without English or Maths at Level 2 must achieve this prior to taking the end point assessment.

Course Outline:

During the apprenticeship programme, an apprentice will require to spend minimum 30 hours of on-the-job training that includes:

  1. Knowledge modules learning the fundamental knowledge, through a combination of online learning and practical classroom workshops
  2. Level 2 English & Maths
  3. A work-based portfolio to demonstrate the skills you have learnt at work related projects and
  4. An end-point assessment.

The modules included in this programme are:

A Lead Adult Care Worker must know and understand:

A. The job they have to do, their main tasks and responsibilities

  • Their job roles and other worker roles relevant to the context of the service in which they are working. This could include supporting with social activities, monitoring health, assisting with eating, mobility and personal care
  • Both their own and other workers professional boundaries and limits training and expertise
  • Relevant statutory Standards and Codes of Practice for their role
  • What the ‘Duty of Care’ is in practice
  • How to create and develop a care plan based on the person’s preferences in the way they want to be supported
  • How to monitor, plan, review a care plan in response to changing physical, social, and emotional needs of individuals
  • How to lead and support others to ensure compliance with regulations and organisational policies and procedures

B. The importance of having the right values and behaviours

  • How to ensure that dignity is at the centre of all work with individuals and their support circles
  • The importance of respecting diversity, the principles of inclusion and treating everyone fairly

C. The importance of communication

  • 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
  • How to communicate clearly both verbally and non-verbally and able to influence others to maximise the quality of interaction
  • The role of advocates and when they might be involved
  • Their own, and other workers’ responsibilities for ensuring confidential information is kept safe

D. How to support individuals to remain safe from harm (Safeguarding)

  • What abuse is and what to do when they have concerns someone is being abused
  • The national and local strategies for safeguarding and protection from abuse
  • What to do when receiving comments and complaints ensuring appropriate and timely actions takes place
  • How to recognise and prevent unsafe practices in the workplace
  • The importance and process of whistleblowing, being able to facilitate timely intervention
  • How to address and resolve any dilemmas they may face between a person’s rights and their safety

E. How to champion health and wellbeing for the individuals they support and work colleagues

  • The health and safety responsibilities of self, employer and workers
  • How to keep safe in the work environment
  • What to do when there is an accident or sudden illness and take appropriate action
  • What to do with hazardous substances
  • How to promote fire safety and how to support others to so
  • How to reduce the spread of infection and support others in infection prevention and control
  • How to use and promote with others where relevant, risk assessments to enable a person centred approach to delivering care

F. How to work professionally, including their own professional development of those they support and work colleagues

  • What a professional relationship is with the person being supported and colleagues
  • How to work with other people and organisations in the interest of the person being supported
  • How to be actively involved in their own personal development plan and, where appropriate, other worker’s personal development plans
  • How to demonstrate the importance of excellent core skills in writing, numbers and information technology
  • How to develop and sustain a positive attitude and address signs and symptoms of stress in self and other colleagues.
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