Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (RQF) (April 2026)

Home > Qualifications > Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (RQF) (April 2026)

The Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Managing an Adult Care Service is the new recognised qualification for leaders and managers working in adult social care. It is designed for those who are already managing services or teams, as well as aspiring leaders preparing to take the next step in their careers.

Aligned to the government’s Care Workforce Pathway, this qualification supports development within both the Deputy Manager and Registered Manager career pathways. It provides the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to lead high-quality, person-centred services and meet the expectations of modern adult social care leadership.

Great news! LDSS funding has returned for 2026/27, including the Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (RQF) (April 2026)!

The qualification is particularly valuable for Deputy Managers, Assistant Managers, Service Managers and newly appointed Registered Managers who want to strengthen their leadership capabilities and build confidence in their role.

Throughout the programme, learners will develop expertise in leading and managing teams, driving quality improvement, managing resources, promoting positive workplace cultures, and ensuring safe, effective and compliant care services. The qualification also explores the responsibilities of leaders and managers in areas such as communication, safeguarding, health and safety, professional practice, workforce development, and continuous improvement.

A strong emphasis is placed on real-world application, enabling learners to use their everyday management responsibilities as evidence towards the qualification. This means that learning is directly linked to workplace practice, helping learners make an immediate impact within their service while working towards a nationally recognised qualification.

Whether you are preparing for a Registered Manager position or looking to excel in an existing leadership role, the Level 5 Diploma provides a structured pathway to becoming a confident, capable and effective leader in adult social care.

Qualification Information

Assessment method

Portfolio of evidence

Credit value

Guided learning hours (GLH)

599

Learning aim reference

61070476

Qualification number

610/7047/6

Total qualification time (TQT)

900

Who is the Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (RQF) (April 2026) for?

The Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service is suitable for people who have responsibility for leading, managing and improving adult social care services. It is particularly relevant to those working in, or aspiring to, the following roles:

Registered Manager
Deputy Manager
Assistant Manager
Service Manager
Care Manager
Operations Manager (adult social care)
Supported Living Manager
Residential Care Home Manager
Domiciliary Care Manager
Extra Care Housing Manager
Day Service Manager
Registered Branch Manager
Team Manager
Area Manager (where they retain operational responsibility for services)
Clinical Lead or Care Lead with management responsibilities
Senior Care Worker progressing into management

The qualification is especially valuable for individuals following the Deputy Manager and Registered Manager pathways within the adult social care workforce. It supports those who are responsible for:

Leading and developing teams
Managing quality and compliance
Safeguarding people who draw on care and support
Managing budgets and resources
Improving service performance
Supporting and developing staff
Leading change and continuous improvement
Ensuring person-centred, high-quality care

It is generally not suitable for frontline care staff who do not have management responsibilities. For those who are new to supervision and leadership, the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care is often a more appropriate starting point before progressing to Level 5.

Payment terms for LDSS-funded qualifications and programme

The Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS) provides financial support for vocational learning and continuing professional development (CPD) of staff in the adult social care sector. It is offered by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and helps cover the costs of various adult social care qualifications, learning programs and digital learning modules.

What does the Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (RQF) (April 2026) cover?

This qualification consists 15 mandatory units:

Leadership and management in adult care
Governance and regulatory processes in adult care
Decision making in adult care
Business and resource management in an adult care service
Team leadership in adult care
Team learning and development in adult care
Supervising others in adult care
Safeguarding in adult care
Mental capacity in adult care
Partnerships in adult care
Comments and complaints in adult care
leading the vision in adult care
Continuous improvement in adult care

Learners will then choose from a range of optional units, which can include areas of specific interest or relevance to the service. Our experienced assessors will guide learners to the most suitable options for their role. It is important that optional units reflect the role of the learner in order to demonstrate evidence required to meet the criteria.

Why learn with Coleman Training?

Our learners are our priority. With over 25 years of experience in the social care sector, we understand the needs of our workers and we are committed to doing everything we can to support them.

We believe that achieving a qualification is about far more than completing assessments and gathering evidence. It’s about developing confidence, building competence, and feeling supported every step of the way.

Our learners are supported by experienced, dedicated assessors who understand the realities of working in adult social care. Many of our assessors have previously worked as Registered Managers and senior leaders within care services, giving them valuable first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities that care professionals face every day.

We are proud to have been one of the first training providers to achieve Quality Assured Care Learning status, reflecting our commitment to delivering high-quality learning and assessment that genuinely makes a difference to the workforce.

From the moment you enrol, your assessor will take the time to get to know you as an individual. They will understand your strengths, identify any areas where you may need additional support, and work alongside you to build your confidence throughout your learning journey. They are genuinely invested in your success and take pride in celebrating every milestone and achievement with you.

Learning doesn’t stop at assessment meetings. We provide a wide range of engaging resources to support different learning styles, including workbooks, handouts, case studies, charts, practical tools, and carefully selected film clips that bring learning to life. These resources help learners develop a deeper understanding of the subjects they are studying and make learning both practical and relevant to their day-to-day role.

We also recognise that successful learning happens when employers and training providers work together. That’s why our assessors and Internal Quality Assurers (IQAs) work closely with employers, providing regular progress updates and monthly review meetings. This ensures everyone remains informed, engaged, and able to provide the right support at the right time.

Most importantly, we care. We care about our learners, their employers, and the people they support. Our aim is not simply to help you achieve a qualification, but to help you grow into a confident, capable care professional who can make a real difference in the lives of others.

a man studying with laptop - level 2 adult social care certificate

Study Skills Workshop

Many of us may not have studied for a qualification for many years, and the thought of doing a qualification can, understandably, be daunting. Our FREE course demystifies academic language by explaining the meaning of different "command verbs", reassures about the wide variety of assessment methods we use, so writing reams is not required (unless you enjoy writing!) and describes what can be used as "prior learning", so you don't have to repeat recent work.

We discuss the use of AI in your qualification, and answer any concerns you may have - no matter how trivial they seem. This course is available as a video, to watch when it suits you, or as a workshop where you can engage with others and realise that you aren't alone!

mother working from home doing the level 2 adult social care certificate

Flexible Learning

The Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service is designed to take around 12 -18 months to complete; however, our flexible learning approach often enables learners to achieve their qualification much sooner.

We provide a wide range of resources to help learners develop their knowledge and skills throughout their qualification. We also recommend that learners attend Lead to Succeed and/or Well Led programmes (fully funded through LDSS) to engage with other learners, share experiences, and learn how to transfer learning into practice. The workbooks completed as part of Lead to Succeed and Well Led provide valuable evidence for the qualification.

Our assessors will also support you to gather evidence as part of your normal day-to-day role, reducing the need for lengthy written assignments. Regular professional discussions provide an opportunity for you to talk through your experiences, explain how you apply your knowledge in practice, and reflect on real-life situations you have encountered. You can also submit recordings of meetings, supervisions, or appraisals that you conduct (with the permission of those present).Many learners find this a far more natural way to demonstrate their competence than writing extensive answers, while also allowing assessors to explore understanding in greater depth.

By combining workplace evidence, professional discussions, observations, witness testimonies, and learning activities, we make the qualification as practical, flexible, and learner-friendly as possible.

Flexible Assessment

Quality matters! We have a caring team of assessors who will mark your work within 24 hours and return it to you with supportive feedback and your next steps. You will have an initial observation near to the beginning of your course, and then a second observation towards the end of your qualification. These are also a great opportunity to chat to your assessor about any areas of your qualification that you require additional support with.

There are lots of ways that we can assess your work, including written evidence, recorded professional discussions, prior learning, in person observations, photographic evidence of documents you have produced etc.

Funding for the Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (RQF) (April 2026)

This qualification is funded by the Learning and Development Support Scheme for the adult social care workforce.

Here is the detailed information on how to reclaim the cost of the Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (RQF) (April 2026)

Rest assured, we will be with you every step of your journey and will celebrate your success with you as you complete your qualification!

What Our Clients Say Testimonials

PROVIDER

I submitted my first 2 claims through the LDSS last week and found the process much smoother than I initially thought it would be. Once I was told the qualification number (which is required), the rest of the process was very easy to follow. I uploaded both a copy of the invoice, and the receipt and both claims were accepted first time round. I was informed they were accepted on the same day as submission so a very quick turnaround.
Mel Macaulay

PROVIDER

Our experience with the new Learning & Development Support Scheme has been really positive. We have found the new system to be very straight forward, easy to use and have already received the 60% funding for each submitted application. The new service also enables providers to more easily obtain funding for qualifications to support their employee's progression, learning and development.
Joseph Taylor