Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care

Qualification Summary

Overview:

There are currently two Level 4 qualifications available to practitioners working in the field of social care:

• Level 4 Certificate in Principles of Leadership and Management in Adult Care
• Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care

The Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care qualification will provide learners with a wide range of options to enhance their technical, supervisory and management skills and knowledge within the health and social care sector. The qualification will ensure a number of mandatory areas relating to supervisory skills and effective and safe working practices in health and social care are covered before learners can undertake a range of options relating to different technical and supervisory skills.

As a pre-management qualification, a Level 4 qualification will provide practitioners with the opportunity to enhance their technical, supervisory and management skills and knowledge within the health and social care sector.

As with previous levels of social care qualifications on the Care in Practice framework, the currently available Level 4 qualifications will be reviewed by sector representatives, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council, to ensure they meet the needs of the sector and that they are aligned with the developmental needs of those registrants working in an Enhanced Social Care Practitioner role.

It is anticipated that the review of the Level 4 Health and Social Care qualifications will begin in April/ May 2025. It is estimated that the Level 4 qualification(s) in Health and Social Care will go ‘live’ for access and registration by September 2026, if not before.

NB: Your employer will be able to offer you advice about whether you are in a role that will enable you to gather the 'naturally occurring evidence' (inclusive of direct observations of practice) to complete this work-based qualification i.e. that the tasks you undertake, as part of your job role, will enable you to meet all of the evidence requirements for the Level of qualification that you are studying.