The Higher Apprenticeship is fully funded* and an excellent route if you have already undertaken an Intermediate or Advanced Apprenticeship and have now progressed to a more senior role. It is open to anyone employed in an appropriate job role either as an existing or newly recruited member of staff.

• adults' registered managers (including roles within residential services) – assistant managers, deputymanagers, unit or service managers
• adults' managers (including roles involving day to day provision in a non-residential setting, i.e. day care or domiciliary care) – assistant managers, deputy managers or service managers
• adults' advanced practitioners (roles that require a high level of knowledge of care provision activity or a specific specialism). These individuals may not necessarily have management responsibility of staff but have some responsibility for assessment of individuals' needs. Specialisms can include areas such as dementia, assistive technology, learning disability and end of life.

The Higher Apprenticeship is a great opportunity to build on and develop your skills and knowledge at a high level. It will give you a range of transferrable skills to enable you to identify ways to innovate and provide high quality care. The framework can be tailored to fit to your specific job role and the needs of your organisation. You'll gain sector recognised qualifications and develop specialist skills whilst working alongside experienced peers in the workplace. Care Leadership and Management (England) is a mix of skills development and knowledge and combines work based learning with academic study. Work related activity means you can put into practice immediately what you learn whilst in paid employment. 

• Private providers
• Local authorities
• Voluntary organisations
• Individual Employers
• Adult social care sector

Pathways for this framework at level 5 are:

→ Pathway 1: General Adult Social Care

→ Pathway 2: Specialist Adult Social Care

Job title(s)/Job role(s):

• Adults’ Residential Manager: Management of day to day provision in a residential service as an assistant manager, deputy, unit or service manager. May include responsibility as Registered Manager of the Service.
• Adults’(non-residential) Manager: Management of day to day provision in a service that is not residential.(E.g. Domiciliary Care, Day Service) This could be as assistant manager, deputy, unit or service manager. May include responsibility as Registered Manager of the Service.
• Adults' Advanced Practitioner: Roles within adult social care services that need a high level of knowledge of care provision activities or a specific specialism. Not involved in direct management of staff but has some responsibility for assessment of individuals’ needs of and ensures positive outcomes.

• Unit F/504/2218: Understand professional management and leadership in health and social care or children and young people’s settings

Note: As from March 2014 there is an assumption that the learner is already working at a higher level and as such there is no longer a need to undertake Functional Skills level 2 in Mathematics, English and ICT to satisfy this Framework however, if eligible these awards are available for you to study. Employers rights and responsibilities and Personal Learning and Thinking Skills are also deemed to have been covered at this level.

The qualification:

Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People's Services – a combined competence and knowledge qualification to equip you to be a competent and effective manager and leader of social care services.

B1a 601/4347/2 City & Guilds Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People's Services (England) (QCF) (90 credits)

Diploma Pathway:

The diploma also splits into different pathways based on occutpational relevance and experience. The diploma offers 6 pathways but only 3 are eligible for the current Higher Apprenticeship Framework:

→ Adults’ Residential: Management of day to day provision in a residential service as an assistant manager, deputy, unit or service manager. May include responsibility as Registered Manager of the Service.

→ Adults’ Management: Management of day to day provision in a service that is not residential.(E.g. Domiciliary Care, Day Service) This could be as assistant manager, deputy, unit or service manager. May include responsibility as Registered Manager of the Service.

→ Adults' Advanced Practice: Roles within adult social care services that need a high level of knowledge of care provision activities or a specific specialism. Not involved in direct management of staff but has some responsibility for assessment of individuals’ needs of and ensures positive outcomes.

The learner must achieve 90 QCF credits from the banks of units within the Diploma. The number of credits required have been set speicifcally fpr the specific Diploma Pathways as follows:

Adults’ Residential:

Adults’ Management:

Adults’ Advanced Practice:

* although not essential, the most efficient route is to select your maximum allowance from the Optional Knowledge Unit grp to make up the 90 credits required. 

Progression routes into and from this pathway:

Skills for Care have developed a career pathways information tool which shows progression options at every occupational level, including Intermediate, Advanced and Higher level Apprenticeships. This can be accessed at http://careerpathways.skillsforcare.org.uk/  and it contains examples, case studies and videos. The career pathways matrix, a part of the tool, can be accessed at http://careerpathways.skillsforcare.org.uk/career/matrix.html

Progression TO the Higher Apprenticeship:

Apprentices will be from different age groups, with differing backgrounds and experience. As there are no formal entry criteria, apprentices do not have to enter from previous qualification routes. However, the Higher Apprenticeship has been developed to provide scope and breadth for those in, and moving into leadership and management and advanced practitioner roles. 

• Advanced, and less typically, Intermediate level Apprenticeships, often via other qualifications (for example in management or nursing)
• Work
• Unemployment, with previous related experience
• Health and Social Care NVQ only competence qualification
• Knowledge qualifications relevant to health and social care
• Non-social care leadership and management roles
• Social work qualifications
• Nursing qualifications

• Social care worker  http://careerpathways.skillsforcare.org.uk/what_is/what_types.html

Progression to other specific job roles:

• Care manager
• Officers in charge/registered manager
• Day services manager