EPA Standard
Assessor coach
A Leader in Adult Care guides and inspire teams to make positive differences in someone’s life when they’re facing physical, practical, social, emotional, psychological or intellectual challenges. They lead a care team and develop and implement a values-based culture at a service or unit level. They may be responsible for business development, financial control, organisational resilience, as well as for managing risk and leading on organisational change. They ensure that the service is safe, effective, caring, well led and responsive to people’s needs. They may be a registered manager or deputy/ assistant manager. They are responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance and staff training with established standards and regulations.
Leaders in Adult Care may work in residential or nursing homes, domiciliary care, community day centres, a person’s own home or some clinical healthcare settings. This standard also covers Personal Assistants who work in a management role, but they may only work directly for one individual who needs support and/or care services.
Level 5 
£7,000 
18 months
Why NCFE?
We’re an approved End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) specialising in EPA delivery across health, education, early years, digital, social care, and business apprenticeship standards. We offer flexible and reliable EPA solutions supported by sector expertise, guidance documents and proactive service and support.
Entry: undertake the Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result.
End-point assessment
The EPA for Leader in Adult Care contains two methods of assessment:
Observation of Leadership
The Observation of Leadership must include the ability to demonstrate leadership to an organisational audience. It is expected that the apprentice will lead the activity, and have all necessary information and evidence prepared in advance.
Following the Observation of Leadership, there will be a 30 minute question and answer session to further probe any required areas that were not covered in the Observation. As part of the 30 minutes, the apprentice will be asked a minimum of four open questions to assess related underpinning knowledge.
The Observation should take 60 minutes with an additional 30 minutes for post-Observation questioning.
Grading: a Pass is gained by achieving all Pass criteria for the knowledge, skills and behaviours. There is no Distinction criteria for the Observation of Leadership.
Professional Discussion
The Professional Discussion is an in-depth, two-way discussion between the apprentice and the Independent End-Point Assessor (IEPA). The IEPA will undertake the Professional Discussion and will ask the apprentice questions in relation to knowledge, skills and behaviours as set out in the assessment plan. The Professional Discussion should take 90 minutes.
Grading: a Pass is gained by achieving all Pass criteria for the knowledge, skills and behaviours. A Distinction is gained by successfully achieving all Pass criteria and through meeting at least 21 of the 26 Distinction criteria.
Leader in Adult Care v1.0
Delivering from 3 March 2020 to 24 December 2024
Download the standard
See the full standard on Skills England