Occupational Summary
An Adult Care Worker apprentice on the Level 2 apprenticeship supports adults with care and support needs to achieve personal goals and to live as independently and safely as possible. Job titles include Adult Care Worker, Personal Assistant, carer, adult carer, care assistant and care worker. Apprentices learn to provide person-centred care that enables control and choice, assist with daily living and personal care, support social and emotional wellbeing, and respond to physical, practical or intellectual challenges. Roles are varied and may be delivered in residential or nursing homes, domiciliary care, day centres, a person’s own home or some clinical healthcare settings; Personal Assistants typically work directly for one individual.
This programme comprises 78 knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs), typically lasts 12 months and has a maximum funding band of £4,000. End-point assessment is assessed via professional discussion and an assignment.
View official Skills England source text
Adult Care Workers are the frontline staff who help adults with care and support needs to achieve their personal goals and live as independently and safely as possible, enabling them to have control and choice in their lives. Job titles might include: Care Assistant, Care Worker, Support Worker, Personal Assistant, Relief Team Worker, Support Worker - Supported Living, Key Worker in Residential Settings, Key Worker in Domiciliary Services, Key Worker in Day Services, Home Care Support Worker, Substance Misuse Worker, Learning Disability Support Worker, Mental Health Support Worker, Mental Health Outreach Worker and Re-enablement Worker. To work in care is to make a positive difference to someone’s life when they are faced with physical, practical, social, emotional or intellectual challenges. Adult Care Workers need to have the right values and behaviours developing competences and skills to provide high quality compassionate care and support. They are the frontline staff who help adults with care and support needs to achieve their personal goals and live as independently and safely as possible, enabling them to have control and choice in their lives which is at the heart of person centred care. Job roles are varied and determined by and relevant to the type of the service being provided and the person supported. Adult Care Workers may work in residential or nursing homes, domiciliary care, day centres, a person’s own home or some clinical healthcare settings. Personal assistants do the same job as an Adult Care Worker and work directly for one individual usually within their own home. Working with people, feeling passionate about supporting and enabling them to live a more independent and fulfilling life is a rewarding and worthwhile job that provides excellent career opportunities.
Important Notice
A revised version of this has been agreed and is available for information only at present. It will replace the version below for new starts from 27th May 2026 with a funding band of £4,500. Further details of this and other apprenticeships in revision are available in the revisions status report.
What's in the Delivery Pack?
Every section is tailored specifically to the ST0005 standard, using official KSB data, the published assessment plan, and sector-specific context.
KSB Interpretations
Plain-English interpretation of every Knowledge, Skill and Behaviour
EPA Preparation
End-point assessment readiness, gateway checklist and method guidance
Delivery Risks
Occupation-specific risks, mitigations and early warning signs
Delivery Model Options
Model-selection guide comparing day release, block release and front-loaded approaches
On/Off-the-Job Mapping
Which KSBs are best taught by the provider vs developed in the workplace
Initial Assessment & RPL
Starting points, prior learning recognition and programme adaptation
English, Maths & Digital
Where functional skills embed naturally and standalone qualification guidance
Employer Engagement Guide
Employer commitments, progress reviews and workplace engagement guidance
Get the ST0005 Delivery Guide
Unlock all 8 AI-powered sections — KSB interpretations, EPA preparation, delivery risks, employer engagement, and more. Tailored to Adult care worker.
From £14.99 · Instant PDF download · en-GB throughout
Typical Job Titles
Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours
Knowledge
36- K1: The tasks and responsibilities of the job role relevant to the context of the service in which they are working. This co...
- K2: Professional boundaries and limits of their training and expertise
- K3: Relevant statutory standards and codes of practice for their role
- K4: What the ‘duty of care’ is in practice
- K5: How to contribute towards the development and creation of a care plan underpinned by the individuals preferences in rega...
- + 31 more items
Skills
36- S1: Support individuals they are working with according to their personal care/support plan
- S2: Ask for help from an appropriate person when not confident or skilled in any aspect of their role
- S3: Provide individuals with information to enable them to have a choice about the way they are supported
- S4: Encourage individuals to participate in the way their care and support is delivered
- S5: Ensure the individual knows what they are agreeing to regarding the way in which they are supported
- + 31 more items
Behaviours
6- B1: Care – is caring consistently and enough about individuals to make a positive difference to their lives
- B2: Compassion – is delivering care and support with kindness, consideration, dignity and respect
- B3: Courage – is doing the right thing for people and speaking up if the individual they support is at risk
- B4: Communication – good communication is central to successful caring relationships and effective team working
- B5: Competence – is applying knowledge and skills to provide high quality care and support
- + 1 more items
End-Point Assessment
Assessment Plan
Type: PDF
Version & Source
- Version
- 1.3
- V1.3 is an alignment to V1.2
- Last changed
- 26 Feb 2026
- Earliest start
- 7 Aug 2025
- Approved for delivery
- 21 Jul 2016
- EQA Provider
- Ofqual
- Sector Subject Area
- 1.3 Health and social care
- Trailblazer
- TB0067
- Last checked
- 11 Mar 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What knowledge, skills and behaviours are in the ST0005 standard?▼
The Adult care worker apprenticeship has 36 knowledge items, 36 skills, and 6 behaviours that apprentices must demonstrate.
How long is the Adult care worker apprenticeship?▼
The typical duration is 12 months, with a maximum funding band of £4,000.
What does a delivery guide for ST0005 include?▼
The KSB Planner delivery guide includes plain-English KSB interpretations, EPA preparation guidance, delivery risk analysis, on/off-the-job mapping, employer engagement strategies, and more — all tailored to ST0005.
Data sourced from Skills England. KSB Planner delivery guides are an interpretation and planning aid based on official published source material — not an official regulator-issued document.