Lead Practitioner in Adult Care

Level 4 Apprenticeship

Managing teams of frontline carers to look after vulnerable adults with care needs.

Minimum duration to gateway:

18 months (this does not include EPA period)

Qualifications:

Upon successful completion of this apprenticeship, the apprentice will be awarded the following:

• Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care (RQF)

• Lead Practitioner in Adult Care Standards

• Functional Skills in Maths and English Level 2 (if applicable)

Details of standard:

The Lead Practitioner in Adult Care will guide and inspire team members to make positive differences to someone’s life when they are faced with physical, practical, social, emotional, psychological or intellectual challenges. They will have achieved a level of self-development to be recognised as a lead practitioner within the care team, contributing to, promoting and sustaining a values-based culture at an operational level.

A Lead Practitioner has a greater depth of knowledge and expertise of particular conditions being experienced by the user of services. They will have specialist skills and knowledge in their area of responsibilities which will allow them to lead in areas such as care needs assessment, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, rehabilitation and enablement, telecare and assistive technology. They will be a coach and mentor to others and will have a role in assessing performance and quality of care delivery.

Lead Practitioners in Adult Care may work in residential or nursing homes, domiciliary care, day centres, a person’s own home or some clinical healthcare settings. As well as covering Lead Practitioners in Adult Care 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.

What is covered in the course?

The apprentice will be expected to complete the 11 mandatory diploma units below:

• Lead communication in adult care settings.

• Develop, maintain and use records and reports.

• Personal development in adult social care settings.

• Lead inclusive practice in adult care settings.

• Lead health and Safety in adult care settings.

• Facilitate person centred assessment to support wellbeing.

• Facilitate support planning to ensure positive outcomes for Individuals and to support wellbeing.

• Professional practice in adult care settings.

• Working in partnership with others.

• Understand personalisation in adult care and support services.

• Understand safeguarding and protection in adult care settings.

Job titles might include:

Dementia Lead, Re-ablement Worker, Physiotherapy Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Public Health Associate Worker, Keeping in Contact Worker, Community Care/Support Officer, Social Care Assessor, Care Assessment Officer, Social Services Officer, Brokerage Worker, Rehabilitation and Reablement Assistant, Independence Support Assistant, Reablement Support Workers/Officer, Telecare Assistant and Assistive Technology Co-ordinator/Officer.

Entry requirements:

The apprentice must be aged 16 years or over, living in England and not in a full-time education. The apprentice will be required to undertake a DBS check, must be employed and working more than 16 hours per week.

Off-The-Job Training:

It is compulsory for the apprentice to spent 20% of their normal working hours on training. The training can happen every week, every month or in a separate block of time. The training can take place at the workplace, training provider or online.

Government guidance: How employers and training providers should meet the 20% off-the-job training requirement for apprentices, with some best practice examples. Click HERE.

Fundings:

Employers who do not pay levy: For apprenticeships that start from 1 April 2021, the rate of co-investment is 5% of the total price of the apprentice’s training, with the government covering the remaining 95% of the cost, up to the funding band maximum.

Employers with fewer than 50 people working for them are able to train, at no cost, apprentices aged 16-18 or aged 19-24 who have previously been in care or who have a Local Authority Education, Health and Care plan. These employers are not required to contribute the 5% co-investment; instead, the government will pay 100% of the training costs for these individuals up to the
funding band maximum.

Employers who pay levy: All funds that appear in the apprenticeship service accounts of employers who pay the levy expire 24 months after they appear in the account, if not already spent. Please contact us to discuss your apprenticeship strategies.

Policy paper for Apprenticeship funding can be found here.

Learner Loan: Qualifications higher than Level 2 can also be funded via the Government Advanced Learner Loan.

How to apply?

You can apply for this apprenticeship at any time of the year provided you meet the entry requirements.

Employers can claim money towards the cost of care staff apprenticeship programme through the Workforce Development Fund. Need advice on apprenticeship? Drop us a message today!