Qualification finder

Lead adult care worker

Key information

  1. Reference: OCC0006
  2. Date updated: 07/05/2026
  3. Level: 3
  4. Route: Care services
  5. Regulated occupation: No

This is not the latest approved version of this apprenticeship. View the latest version

Details of the occupational standard

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in settings where adults require support and care to live as independently as possible, often involving complex needs, rehabilitation, or long-term care. These include residential or nursing homes, domiciliary care, supported living services, rehabilitation and reablement services, hospices or palliative care settings, NHS and community health services, adult day and respite services. 

The broad purpose of the occupation is hands-on and supervisory, combining direct care with leadership role modelling and directing junior staff to foster a caring, safe, nurturing, and empowering environment for individuals and team members alike, and promoting best practices amongst colleagues. The lead adult care worker may support and supervise junior staff, ensuring adherence to care plans and health and safety standards.

Lead adult care workers may work on their own or as part of a team. The twenty-four-hour nature of the adult care sector often demands overnight, flexible or shift working patterns. They may work weekends or public holidays and may be on call to respond to emergencies or staffing shortages. They may be a supervisor or shift team leader and will usually report to a team leader or care manager. 

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with the wider team in the organisation to ensure comprehensive and high-quality care for the individuals they support. They may also work with external professionals, care assistants, support workers, healthcare professionals, social workers, safeguarding officers, multi-disciplinary agencies and families or advocates.

An employee in this occupation is responsible for providing person centred care in a way that ensures the physical and emotional needs of individuals are met. They can work with minimal supervision, exercising responsibility, autonomy and judgement within guidance and policy. In doing this, they follow health, safety and environmental regulations and guidelines, and accurately record and report on care activities in compliance with such regulations.

 

Typical job titles include:

Care supervisor Care team leader Day care officer Domiciliary care supervisor Home care senior Key worker Lead adult care worker Lead adult carers Lead carer Lead personal assistant Lead personal support worker Reablement officer Residential senior support worker Senior care assistant Senior care worker Senior community care worker Senior personal care assistant Senior support worker Senior supported living worker Team leader

Occupation duties

Duty KSBs
Duty 1 Work as part of a team of care workers to deliver high-quality care, person- centred care, providing supervision and feedback where appropriate, while promoting effective teamwork.
K1 K2 K4 K5 K8 K11 K19 K24 K25 K26 K27 K31
S1 S2 S4 S5 S8 S11 S19 S24 S25 S26 S27 S31
B4
Duty 2 Anticipate challenges and address them constructively and collaboratively within the care team, contributing to a supportive and positive working environment.
K1 K2 K5
S1 S2 S5
B2 B3 B4
Duty 3 Contribute to the development and review of individualised care or support plans, ensuring they reflect person-centred care principles.
K6 K9 K11 K23 K26 K28
S6 S9 S11 S23 S26 S28
B4 B5
Duty 4 Support individuals to maintain independence and control over their lives, ensuring their dignity, rights, choices and mental capacity are respected.
K3 K6 K8 K9 K10 K20 K26 K27 K28 K29 K31
S3 S6 S8 S9 S10 S20 S26 S27 S28 S29 S31
B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 5 Foster and support others to maintain professional relationships with external stakeholders, individuals, and those important to them, ensuring effective communication and collaboration with families and healthcare professionals.
K3 K9 K10 K11 K23 K24
S3 S9 S10 S11 S23 S24
B2
Duty 6 Monitor and support individual's physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing, taking appropriate action based on their conditions, and advocate on their behalf to ensure their needs are met.
K6 K7 K18 K20 K21 K22 K29 K30
S6 S7 S18 S20 S21 S22 S29 S30
B1 B2 B3 B4
Duty 7 Co-ordinate and support individual's access to health services, such as therapy or medical appointments.
K3 K6 K10 K18 K21 K22 K23 K28 K29 K30
S3 S6 S10 S18 S21 S22 S23 S28 S29 S30
Duty 8 Implement safeguarding practices to ensure the safety and protection of individuals in care, including reporting concerns and following organisational procedures.
K1 K3 K7 K8 K12 K14 K15 K23 K24 K28 K31
S1 S3 S7 S8 S12 S14 S15 S23 S24 S28 S31
Duty 9 Apply and follow organisational procedures related to health and safety, infection control, and risk assessments to ensure compliance and maintain a safe care environment.
K12 K13 K15 K21 K23 K24 K25 K26 K27
S12 S13 S15 S21 S24 S25 S26 S27
Duty 10 Document and maintain accurate care plans, progress reports, and incident records, ensuring that all care provided and any incidents or concerns are recorded appropriately.
K10 K12 K14 K15 K20 K29
S10 S12 S14 S15 S20 S29
Duty 11 Follow current regulatory standards, ethical guidelines, and legal requirements, ensuring care practices protect individual's rights, safety, and wellbeing.
K1 K12 K13 K14 K15 K23 K26 K29
S1 S12 S13 S14 S15 S23 S26 S29
Duty 12 Maintain personal continuous professional development and reflect on own practices, ensuring up to date knowledge of social care legislation and policies.
K1 K4 K5 K16 K17 K19 K22 K25
S1 S4 S5 S16 S17 S19 S22 S25
Duty 13 Adopt an inclusive working environment in the team. Assist in providing team members with appropriate training, mentoring and development opportunities.
K1 K4 K5 K13 K14 K17 K18
S1 S4 S5 S13 S14 S17 S18
Duty 14 Apply person centred and strength based approaches to ensure individual's care plan needs and aspirations are delivered to a high standard, monitoring and reviewing with the individual and appropriate others.
K3 K7 K9 K13 K14 K29
S7 S9 S13 S14 S29 S30
B2
×

Required knowledge

    Required skill

      Required behaviour

        KSBs

        Knowledge

        K1: Theories of leadership styles and the impact these can have on individuals and the organisation. Back to Duty

        K2: Techniques and strategies to support team performance and resolve conflicts or issues. Back to Duty

        K3: The importance of developing and sustaining collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support effective service delivery. Back to Duty

        K4: The importance of an inclusive working environment that supports team learning and development to deliver a quality service. Back to Duty

        K5: How maintaining personal and team wellbeing and resilience impacts performance and workplace relationships. Back to Duty

        K6: Principles of person-centred care or support plans and how to develop and review care. Back to Duty

        K7: Person-centred approaches to ensure individuals can make informed choices and maintain independence. Back to Duty

        K8: Principles of positive behaviour support and restrictive practices in line with organisational policy, legal requirements and mental capacity principles. Back to Duty

        K9: Different complex needs, levels of acuity and how to co-ordinate and monitor support for individuals. Back to Duty

        K10: How to identify and respond to changes to the mental or physical conditions or overall wellbeing of individuals, and the impact that these changes have. Back to Duty

        K11: Agencies and support services available and how to co-ordinate access to improve health and wellbeing for individuals. Back to Duty

        K12: Principles of safeguarding, local safeguarding board policies, procedures and how to escalate, including disclosures involving children and young people within own scope of practice and organisational protocols. Back to Duty

        K13: Health and safety policy, national legislation, guidance and risk assessment procedures relevant to own role. Back to Duty

        K14: How to use, record and store data and information securely, in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and local and national policies, including the safe use of digital technology. Back to Duty

        K15: Legislation, regulations, ethical guidelines, and codes of conduct within scope of own role. Back to Duty

        K16: The importance of identifying and evaluating own learning and development needs. Back to Duty

        K17: Principles of reflective practice and peer support, and how they contribute to improving the wellbeing of individuals and fostering co-production, within the scope of own role. Back to Duty

        K18: Communication methods, technology and interventions to maximise understanding for individuals. Back to Duty

        K19: How to maintain professional boundaries and take individual responsibility and accountability, within scope of own role. Back to Duty

        K20: Principles of duty of care and duty of candour within own scope of practice and how to identify and respond to concerns. Back to Duty

        K21: How to ensure that dignity is at the centre of all work with individuals and recognise and uphold their rights and choices. Back to Duty

        K22: Digital health solutions, care tools, and assistive technologies that are used to support the comprehensive care of individuals, both directly and indirectly. Back to Duty

        K23: How inclusive practice supports organisational policies, legislation, human rights, equality, equity and diversity. Back to Duty

        K24: Techniques to support preventative, proactive and sustainable care approaches and practices that promote health and wellbeing. Back to Duty

        K25: Current and developing sustainability principles. Back to Duty

        K26: Principles of safe and effective medication administration. Back to Duty

        K27: Principles of infection prevention and control, the chain of infection, modes of transmission, and standard precautions. Back to Duty

        K28: How to deliver dignified, personal care that respects preferences and promotes active participation and independence. Back to Duty

        K29: Safe moving and handling techniques and how to encourage independence in mobility. Back to Duty

        K30: How to support nutrition and hydration to ensure individual preferences and wellbeing are met. Back to Duty

        K31: Principles of trauma informed practice to health and care interventions. Back to Duty

        Skills

        S1: Use leadership techniques to support individuals and the organisation. Back to Duty

        S2: Apply techniques to support team performance and resolve conflicts or issues. Back to Duty

        S3: Develop and sustain collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support service delivery. Back to Duty

        S4: Identify and enable learning and development opportunities for team members to support inclusion and deliver a quality service. Back to Duty

        S5: Apply strategies to maintain own wellbeing and resilience and support team using available resources. Back to Duty

        S6: Participate in the development and review of person-centred care or support plans. Back to Duty

        S7: Apply person-centred approaches to ensure that individuals can maintain independence and make informed choices. Back to Duty

        S8: Use positive behaviour support and restrictive practices in line with organisational policy, legal requirements and mental capacity principles, ensuring they are proportionate, the least restrictive option, and appropriate to own role. Back to Duty

        S9: Co-ordinate and monitor support required for individuals with complex needs and different levels of acuity. Back to Duty

        S10: Identify and respond to any changes to the mental or physical condition, or overall wellbeing, of individuals. Back to Duty

        S11: Refer and signpost individuals to relevant agencies and services and co-ordinate access to support the health and wellbeing of individuals. Back to Duty

        S12: Identify, escalate or respond to safeguarding concerns within the scope of own role. Back to Duty

        S13: Comply with Health and Safety policy, national legislation, guidance and risk assessment procedures. Back to Duty

        S14: Record and store data and information securely, in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and local and national policies, including the safe use of digital technology. Back to Duty

        S15: Work in line with legislation, regulations, ethical guidelines, and codes of conduct within scope of own role. Back to Duty

        S16: Participate in training and development activities and evaluate the impact of learning on own practice. Back to Duty

        S17: Use reflective practice to improve wellbeing and encourage co-production within scope of own role. Back to Duty

        S18: Communicate with individuals, stakeholders and family members using their preferred methods of communication to facilitate clear understanding. Back to Duty

        S19: Maintain professional boundaries within own scope of practice. Back to Duty

        S20: Identify and respond to duty of care and duty of candour concerns within scope of own role. Back to Duty

        S21: Maintain the dignity of individuals they support, by recognising and upholding their rights, and choices in all interactions. Back to Duty

        S22: Champion the use of digital health solutions, digital care tools or assistive technology within scope of own role to support the care of individuals. Back to Duty

        S23: Promote organisational policies, legislation, human rights, inclusion, equality, equity and diversity in practice. Back to Duty

        S24: Use preventative, proactive and sustainable care approaches to promote health and wellbeing. Back to Duty

        S25: Apply sustainability principles to own work. Back to Duty

        S26: Use safe medication administration in accordance with national and organisational policies relevant to own role. Back to Duty

        S27: Apply infection prevention and control measures by following standard precautions, breaking the chain of infection, and reducing transmission risks in practice. Back to Duty

        S28: Provide personal care that upholds preferences and promotes active participation and independence. Back to Duty

        S29: Use agreed methods and equipment to support individuals to move safely. Back to Duty

        S30: Apply nutrition and hydration needs for individuals to ensure preferences are met. Back to Duty

        S31: Use trauma informed approaches, to support individuals within the scope of own role. Back to Duty

        Behaviours

        B1: Treat others with dignity. Back to Duty

        B2: Self-reflective.  Back to Duty

        B3: Caring and compassionate.  Back to Duty

        B4: Adaptable, reliable, resilient and consistent.  Back to Duty

        B5: Act as an advocate. Back to Duty

        NCFE CACHE Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Social Care (Diploma)

        Awarding organisation: NCFE

        Qualification type: TQ Qualification level: 3 Qualification approved: 28/07/2025

        NCFE CACHE Level 3 Technical Occupational Entry in Adult Care (Diploma)

        Awarding organisation: NCFE

        Qualification type: TQ Qualification level: 3 Qualification approved: 28/07/2025
        View occupation in map View apprenticeship standard

        Crown copyright © 2026. You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. Visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

        Is this webpage useful?

        Thank you for your feedback

        Tell us about your experience