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 developing-new-apprenticeships/revisions-status-report
Overview of the role
Adult Care Workers are the frontline staff who help adults with care and support needs to live as independently and safely as possible.
Details of standard
Occupation summary
This occupation is found in residential, nursing homes, domiciliary care, day centres, clinical settings, personal assistance or a person’s own home.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to enhance the well-being, independence, and dignity of individuals requiring care and support. Adult care workers play a crucial role in helping people overcome challenges and lead fulfilling lives. Their duties vary based on the services provided and the specific needs of each individual. These duties can include practical support, such as meal preparation and personal care, as well as emotional and social support. The aim is to help individuals achieve their personal goals and live as independently and safely as possible, ensuring they have control and choice in their lives, which is central to person-centered care.
Adult care workers often work shift systems. Depending on the size of the organisation, they may be required to work on their own, or they may work as part of a wider team. The 24 hour nature of the sector, often demands overnight and flexible working patterns.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of colleagues including multi disciplinary teams, families, clinical practitioners, social workers, regulators, advocates and other professionals they usually report to a supervisor or shift team leader. They will be able to work with minimum supervision.
An employee in this role is responsible for adhering to company procedures, processes, and priorities. They support adults with personal care, promote independence, monitor health, prepare meals, assist with mobility, provide emotional support, and encourage social engagement. They also implement person-centered approaches and maintain accurate records. Employees must comply with health, safety, safeguarding, and environmental regulations and guidelines. They are required to use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), tools, and equipment. All tasks must be completed safely and efficiently, following the directions of supervisory staff.
Typical job titles include:
Occupation duties
| Duty | KSBs |
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Duty 1 Deliver person-centred care and treatment that is appropriate, meeting the needs of people using the service and reflecting their personal preferences, whatever they might be, in line with their care plan. |
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Duty 2 Deliver care in ways that ensure the privacy, dignity, rights, health and wellbeing of people using the service as a key part of your service provision and support when providing person-centred care, and ensure your approach promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. |
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Duty 3 Contribute to the implementation of care and support ensuring the preferences and needs of those using the services are met, working in collaboration with your colleagues to ensure the delivery of high quality, safe and compassionate care and support. |
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Duty 4 Ensure individuals using the service are fully involved in collaborative approach to delivering the service, ensuring access to their personal preferences and are being supported in maintaining family/chosen family and community links, if they so desire. [ |
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Duty 5 Keep relevant parties informed about the wellbeing of people who use the services through monitoring and reporting, documenting changes in health and social circumstances of the individual, assisting in the assessment of needs and constantly reviewing the suitability of the services provided. |
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Duty 6 Support people using the service by complying with the relevant mental health and mental capacity legislation where individuals lack mental capacity or are detained under mental health legislation and where any preferences for their care or support may not meet their needs. |
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Duty 7 Work as part of a team, establishing effective professional working relationships and boundaries with health and social care professionals and families/chosen families, friends, advocates to ensure the people who use the services lead the lives they choose. |
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Duty 8 Follow Health and Safety and infection prevention and control guidelines carefully, alerting alert line manager immediately of any concerns in relation to Health and Safety issues and/or incidents including any near misses and record as required. |
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Duty 9 Protect people who use the service from abuse and improper treatment in accordance with Safeguarding regulations and policies, participating in the systems and processes established to report and support any investigation about any allegation or evidence of abuse, making sure relevant people are informed immediately you become aware of any issues. |
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Duty 10 Work within agreed risk management guidelines and assist people who use the service in reducing risks to themselves and others, and promptly report all concerns with risks to line manager and relevant agencies. |
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Duty 11 Inform line manager and relevant agencies if any concerns or significant changes in an individual’s needs and circumstances and report any concerns regarding vulnerable adults with immediate effect to appropriate person with suitable authority to act. |
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Duty 12 Work within the service’s quality assurance system as defined by policy and procedure, and support performance against the Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE) |
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Duty 13 Communicate and behave in ways that promote the health, safety and wellbeing of yourself, people using the service and colleagues and be accountable by making sure you can answer for your actions or omissions and support other colleagues in doing likewise. |
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Duty 14 Contribute to the improvement of the quality of healthcare, care and support through continuing professional development, maintaining an up-to-date record of your training and development. |
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Duty 15 Maintain a level of digital understanding to allow you to work with technology and devices required for your occupational role. |
KSBs
Knowledge
K1: National standards, organisational policies and procedures, codes of conduct and ways of working that relate to own role.
Back to Duty
K2: National legislation, policies and guidance in adult social care relating to health and safety within the scope of own role.
Back to Duty
K3: Human rights, equality legislation, organisational policies relating to equity, diversity and inclusion, where those with lived experience and colleagues are treated with dignity, respect and the impact on own role.
Back to Duty
K4: Principles of a ‘duty of candour’ and ‘duty of care’.
Back to Duty
K5: Local safeguarding board policies and procedures relating to safeguarding of adults in social care settings and how to escalate safeguarding concerns, including disclosures involving children and young people.
Back to Duty
K6: The signs and types of abuse and neglect and ways to reduce the risk of abuse or neglect of individuals in adult social care settings.
Back to Duty
K7: Person-centred, co-produced approaches to develop relationships with individuals that support their health and wellbeing.
Back to Duty
K8: Principles of positive risk-taking, including taking a person-centred approach to safety and contributing to risk assessments.
Back to Duty
K9: Principles of positive and proactive care and support for those with lived experience, including techniques to proactively avoid or reduce escalation, de-escalate and manage conflict, and when and how to report concerns.
Back to Duty
K10: Information, advice, and guidance activities which assist individuals being supported or their legally designated individual to make independent and informed choices from options available to them.
Back to Duty
K11: The needs of those with lived experience and associated cognitive and physical conditions that impact their care and wellbeing.
Back to Duty
K12: Meaning of ‘capacity’ and how an individual’s capacity determines their ability to make informed decisions about their needs.
Back to Duty
K13: Signs and symptoms of changes in the physical, mental capacity, mental health and wellbeing of individuals with lived experience and ways to monitor, record and report changes.
Back to Duty
K14: How to communicate using verbal, written, non-verbal and digital methods to convey information responding to the needs of individuals, stakeholders and family members using person-centred approaches that are adaptable.
Back to Duty
K15: Sources of internal and external support to help develop personal resilience and maintain wellbeing.
Back to Duty
K16: Legal and organisational guidelines and policies for maintaining the security of information and data.
Back to Duty
K17: Developments in digital working, communication and software.
Back to Duty
K18: Sustainable working practices, including the efficient use of resources and how to recycle, reuse and safely dispose of waste in line with organisational policies.
Back to Duty
K19: The Importance of continuous professional development, the benefits of lifelong learning and the links to relevant standards.
Back to Duty
K20: The process for agreeing a personal development plan incorporating goal setting and career opportunities, feedback from supervision and other sources of support.
Back to Duty
K21: How literacy, numeracy and communication skills impact on own role and sources of support to check own levels.
Back to Duty
K22: Principles of safe and effective administration of medicines in accordance with national and organisational policies and the limitations of own role.
Back to Duty
Skills
S1: Apply national standards, organisational policies and procedures, codes of conduct and ways of working that apply to own role.
Back to Duty
S2: Follow national legislation, policies and guidance in adult social care settings, relating to health and safety within the scope of own role.
Back to Duty
S3: Consider the human rights of individuals in adult social care settings, in line with organisational policies relating to equity, diversity and inclusion to support an open culture.
Back to Duty
S4: Demonstrate a duty of candour, and duty of care acting in the best interest of individuals to ensure they do not come to harm.
Back to Duty
S5: Apply a person-centred, co-produced approach when developing relationships with individuals to support their health and wellbeing.
Back to Duty
S6: Assist with conducting risk assessments, which focus on positive risk taking, to ensure the safety of yourself and others.
Back to Duty
S7: Apply the principles of positive and proactive care and support for those with lived experience to proactively avoid or reduce escalation, de-escalate, and manage conflict.
Back to Duty
S8: Customise information, advice and guidance to individuals with or without capacity or their representative to make informed, independent choices and decisions.
Back to Duty
S9: Adapt approach to care and support for individuals with lived experience to meet their current and evolving cognitive and physical needs and conditions
Back to Duty
S10: Recognise and respect how an individuals capacity determines their ability to make informed decisions about their needs
Back to Duty
S11: Identify and respond to signs and symptoms of changes in the physical and mental capacity, mental health and wellbeing of those with lived experience, and monitor, record and report changes.
Back to Duty
S12: Use appropriate communication methods that are adapted to respond to the needs of individuals, stakeholders and family members in adult social care settings, including verbal, written, non-verbal and digital communication.
Back to Duty
S13: Develop personal resilience and access support to maintain wellbeing of self.
Back to Duty
S14: Use record keeping systems to maintain clear and accurate records of interactions with individuals, and others ensuring security of information and data.
Back to Duty
S15: Apply methods of digital working and communication and new care technologies to support improvements in own work setting.
Back to Duty
S16: Record learning opportunities in line with organisational policies that support lifelong learning and meet the relevant standards.
Back to Duty
S17: Record, use feedback and supervision to improve own practice to identify and support the development of individual goals and career opportunities.
Back to Duty
S18: Contribute and agree to the personal development plan demonstrating support required for new learning goals and reflection on actual practice.
Back to Duty
S19: Monitors safe and effective administration of medicines in accordance with national and organisational policies and the limitations of own role.
Back to Duty
Behaviours
B1: Act in a person-centred, ethical and professional manner in the workplace
Back to Duty
B2: Build and maintain positive relationships with the individual and those important to them, colleagues and other professionals.
Back to Duty
B3: Take an organised and situational approach to complete tasks in a timely manner.
Back to Duty
B4: Take personal responsibility to develop knowledge and skills, resilience and wellbeing, and continually seek to improve performance.
Back to Duty
Qualifications
English and Maths
English and maths qualifications must be completed in line with the apprenticeship funding rules.
Other mandatory qualifications
| High Level Qualification |
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Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification which has been developed by the employer in association with Department of Health and Social Care and approved by Skills for Care. Level: 2 Additional information: In 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) commissioned Skills for Care to develop a specification based upon the existing Care Certificate standards for a new, accredited and portable qualification, the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification.The Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification is an Ofqual regulated qualification, requiring observational assessment and is expected to take a new learner around 6-8 months to complete. An experienced care worker may complete this in a shorter period of time. The qualification is available now to eligible non-regulated care staff, 19+ years. |
Additional details
Occupational Level:
2
Duration (months):
12
Review
this apprenticeship will be reviewed in accordance with our change request policy.
Version log
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 | Occupational standard revised. | 08/08/2025 | Not set |
| 1.2 | Funding band revised. | 26/06/2023 | 07/08/2025 |
| 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 |
| 1.0 | Approved for delivery | 21/07/2016 | 04/02/2018 |
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