Guidance

Supervisor or leader: role category C

Published 10 January 2024

Applies to England

What people do in their work

This section outlines the kind of responsibilities someone within role category C (supervisor or leader) is likely to undertake as part of their role.

This role supports people who draw on care and support to be able to live their lives.  This may involve aspects of personal care, support with everyday life or supporting them to live independently. This role could be across a variety of settings, delivering care and support in people’s own homes, in a residential setting or through supported independent living.

At this level, you might have progressed to become a team leader. You might have some people management responsibilities and be considering your future career options: to develop practice or to go into management.

Values

Values are the foundation underpinning behaviours:

• kind, compassionate and empathetic
• honest, trustworthy and reliable
• respect
• courageous and principled
• see the whole person
• flexible, open and learning
• proud and positive

You can read more about the values in the overview - see the section on ‘Universal sector values’.

The behaviours people must show (must do)

Behaviours are the way that values are demonstrated in practice. This section outlines the behaviours required to work within role category C. These are the things people must be doing in their job.

All behaviours should be delivered in the context of person-centred care and co-production.

Core behaviours:

1. Treat all individuals equitably and with a professional manner in the workplace.
2. Take responsibility for your own actions, demonstrating resilience, determination and impartiality when managing difficult situations.
3. Build and maintain positive relationships with others and seek their views when needed.
4. Take an organised approach to time-sensitive tasks, and act in an open and approachable manner when completing tasks with others.
5. Be open to new digital knowledge and skills that may enhance performance in the care sector
6. Act in a flexible, creative, innovative and proactive way when problem solving, taking account of best practice.
7. Be adaptable and act in an open and responsive way to feedback.
8. Be caring, compassionate and empathetic towards others, acknowledging the differences between individuals

Knowledge and skills people need to have (should do)

Knowledge refers to what someone needs to understand to undertake the responsibilities of the role. Skills are the ability to apply that knowledge in practice.

This section outlines the knowledge and skills someone working in role category C should know and the things they should be able to do in their job.

Minimum knowledge and skills in role category C

Baseline knowledge and skills brought through from role category B.

Progression

Progressing to develop additional knowledge and skills at this level - see the ‘Knowledge and skills breakdown for role category C’ section below for more detail.

You can also progress further to develop a specific area of practice (develop a practice specialism).

Digital skills

As part of learner knowledge and skill development, they can also to work to level 1 (digital skills for all) of the Adult Social Care Digital Skills Framework.

Within this role category, we would expect you to show all level 1 competencies. Some level 2 competencies (digital skills to go further) could also be utilised within this role category.

Knowledge and skills breakdown for role category C

Additional knowledge and skills at this level

Lead communication in adult care settings

You should:

• understand communication needs and the factors affecting them
• understand how to support the use of assistive technology to enhance communication
• be able to interact with individuals
• be able to convey information to individuals and others
• understand the importance of confidentiality in interactions with individuals
• understand how to manage conflict in the workplace through effective communication

Understand how to mentor others

You should:

• understand the role that a senior care or support worker or team leader has in relation to mentoring others
• understand the purpose of mentoring in adult care and the differences it has from coaching
• be able to develop a mentoring relationship with the mentee
• work in partnership with the mentee to set targets and review progress towards those targets
• work in partnership with the mentee to review progress towards targets and when completed, set new ones
• mentor others in the delivery of adult social care

Understand how to coach others

You should:

• understand the role that a senior care or support worker or team leader has in relation to coaching others
• understand the purpose of coaching in adult care and the differences it has from mentoring
• be able to develop a coaching relationship with the person receiving coaching
• work in partnership with the person being coached to set targets and review progress towards those targets
• work in partnership with the person being coached to review progress towards targets and, when completed, set new ones
• coach others in the delivery of adult social care

Lead in supervision in adult care

You should:

• understand the purpose of professional supervision in adult care settings
• understand the process and practice of supervision, and how it can be used to support individuals
• understand signs that may raise concern and how to support the health and wellbeing of team members within the scope of your role as a senior care or support worker or team leader
• be able to provide regular professional supervision

Lead in learning and development in adult care

You should:

• recognise the importance of learning and development within adult care
• understand and apply the principles of learning and development in adult care
• understand how to assess the learning and development that your team might need
• understand how to plan and implement a programme of learning and development
• understand how to evaluate the learning and development completed
• understand the value in reflective practice and how it can support learning and development
• lead others in using reflective practice to support their learning and development

Lead inclusive practice in adult care settings

You should:

• understand equality, diversity and inclusion
• understand how inclusive practice supports equality and diversity
• understand how to promote equality, diversity and inclusion
• be able to work in a way that supports equality and diversity

Lead personal development and wellbeing in adult social care settings

You should:

• be able to apply basic counselling skills to support your team
• be able to apply mental health first aid
• be able to train the trainer (by completing Train the Trainer learning)
• be able to assess learning (by completing assessor training)

Oliver McGowan training

Complete Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism: Tier 1 (if not done so already). Tier 2 can be undertaken in settings providing direct care to individuals with autism or a learning disability.

Specific areas of practice (can do) and current suggested learning opportunities or resources

This section outlines the opportunities available within role category C to specialise in one or more areas, as well as the opportunities to develop within role category C or to progress into another role.

These are the things people could be doing in their job. This could be through suggested continued professional development outlined in this section.

Suggested learning opportunities for developing supervisory or leadership skills and knowledge

Training:

• Lead to Succeed
• Skills for Care continuing professional development (CPD) modules

Resources: Everyday leadership

Specific areas of practice: suggested learning opportunities and resources

Dementia

Dementia Training Standards Framework

Suggested learning programmes:

• Awareness of dementia Level 3
• Dementia - Tier 3 training​
• positive behaviour support awareness training​

Autism

Core Capabilities Framework for Supporting Autistic People

Suggested learning programmes:

• positive behaviour support awareness training
• Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism: Tier 2 training​

Specialist areas of practice

For the following specialist areas of practice, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is considering how to ensure that future suggested learning opportunities included within the pathway meet the needs of the sector, and are of good quality and value. DHSC has not yet identified appropriate learning opportunities for these specialisms within this role category. We intend to do further work to address these gaps in the future.

• end of life care: End of Life Care Core Skills Education and Training Framework
• learning disabilities: Core Capabilities Framework for Supporting People with a Learning Disability
• mental health: Mental Health Core Skills Education and Training Framework
• trauma-informed care and relational working
• drugs and alcohol
• sensory impairments (and communication)

Digital skills

Adult Social Care Digital Skills Framework

Suggested learning programme: digital awareness training

Role category C persona: Poonam

Poonam has worked in social care since leaving school, and now is a senior care and support worker within a supported living setting with responsibility for both advanced care and leading and managing a team of care and support workers. She completed her Lead Adult Care Worker apprenticeship 2 years ago, which included a Level 3 Diploma in Care.

In her role, she has responsibility for the performance management and leadership of her team, and has to mentor more junior care and support workers and coach her team to provide quality care and support. In her development plan with her manager, she identified the need to develop skills around supervision, coaching and mentoring as well as developing her interest in leadership skills.

She is thinking about her future career opportunities now. She has the experience and knowledge to be able to concentrate on a specialist area of care, developing more in-depth knowledge and skills to support people with a range of support needs, or she could choose to develop her management and leadership skills and aim to become a registered manager. Both options provide opportunities to advance her career and to develop her learning and skills further.

Poonam will use her annual appraisal as an opportunity to discuss these options with her manager and look at where she might develop. Each option will provide her with a challenge in terms of her development, but Poonam enjoys learning and likes the motivation of supporting not only those who use care services but also her colleagues who are developing in their own roles and seeing them gain more skills.

Whichever path Poonam chooses, she will be making a difference to people, supporting them to live their best lives, something that gives her great job satisfaction.