PEAK Care & Education / Level 5

Children, young people & families manager

Lead a children’s home with confidence. Gain the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare and the Level 5 apprenticeship in 12 months of live, practical learning built around your own home.

Employers: enquire now Learners: find out more

12months of learning
Plus end-point assessment

live workshops: 10
1:1 coaching sessions: 12
learning huddles: 11
leadership observations: 3
manager reviews: 4

How the programme works

Learn it. Put it to work.

Live workshops, coaching and learning in your residential setting. About 11 hours of learning each week in paid working time.

Workshops

Ten 3-hour live sessions mixing short knowledge inputs with practical tasks and real residential care scenarios.

Coaching

A monthly 1:1 with your named coach to apply your learning, complete your diploma and build your portfolio.

Learning in practice

Workplace activities, mentoring and reflection in your own residential setting form part of your planned learning.

Learning huddles

From month 2, join your cohort online for 45 minutes: one dilemma, one idea, one action.

What makes PEAK different

Safe from day one

Induction covers safeguarding responsibilities and professional boundaries before other learning.

Your setting improves as you learn

Each module ends with a real leadership analysis and improvement from your own home, developed with your coach.

Progress you can see

Track growth against the standard at every review, with a predicted grade and clear milestones.

From first steps to gateway

Your 12-month journey

Download CYP Level 5 programme guide (PDF)

12 months of learning; up to 2 extra months if needed, then end-point assessment. Monthly coaching, practical learning and regular reviews keep you moving forward.

Getting started

Weeks 0–2

Initial assessment and skills scan; role mapped to the diploma and standard.
Training plan signed, with a planned end date at month 14.
End-point assessor engaged, induction and first meeting with your coach.

Your employerYour line manager signs the plan, names a workplace mentor and protects learning time.

Month 1

Leading teams, supervision and professional development

Workshop: Leading teams, supervision and professional development.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.

Your employerReview the coach’s update and support the linked workplace activity.

Month 2

Communication, information and multi-agency leadership

Workshop: Communication, information and multi-agency leadership.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.

Your employerReview the coach’s update and support the linked workplace activity.

Month 3

Leading safeguarding and services for children who have experienced harm

Workshop: Leading safeguarding and services for children who have experienced harm.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Review with your line manager: review 1.

Your employerJoin the progress review, agree next steps and confirm readiness at the final review.

Month 4

Managing risk, health and safety and digital safety

Workshop: Managing risk, health and safety and digital safety.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Leadership observation 1; written feedback within 5 working days.

Your employerHost the observation and add a short witness testimony.

Month 5

Child development, vulnerability and disadvantage

Workshop: Child development, vulnerability and disadvantage.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Portfolio case 1.

Your employerReview the coach’s update and support the linked workplace activity.

Month 6

Leading rights, equality, diversity and inclusion

Workshop: Leading rights, equality, diversity and inclusion.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Review with your line manager: review 2.
Midpoint progress check.

Your employerJoin the progress review, agree next steps and confirm readiness at the final review.

Month 7

Leading wellbeing, resilience and positive outcomes

Workshop: Leading wellbeing, resilience and positive outcomes.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Leadership observation 2; written feedback within 5 working days.

Your employerHost the observation and add a short witness testimony.

Month 8

Group living, positive relationships and behaviour support

Workshop: Group living, positive relationships and behaviour support.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.

Your employerReview the coach’s update and support the linked workplace activity.

Month 9

Quality, regulation and leading improvement

Workshop: Quality, regulation and leading improvement.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Review with your line manager: review 3.
Portfolio case 3.

Your employerJoin the progress review, agree next steps and confirm readiness at the final review.

Month 10

Resources, commissioning, the care system and leaving care

Workshop: Resources, commissioning, the care system and leaving care.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Leadership observation 3; written feedback within 5 working days.

Your employerHost the observation and add a short witness testimony.

Month 11

Progress and assessment readiness

Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Mock situational judgement test and interview.
Level 5 Diploma complete.

Your employerDiscuss the predicted assessment outcome with the coach.

Month 12

Progress and assessment readiness

Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Review with your line manager: review 4.
Assessment readiness, portfolio validation and gateway.

Your employerJoin the progress review, agree next steps and confirm readiness at the final review.

Months 13–14 · If needed

Extra time and support

Coaching check-ins and portfolio completion.
Gateway by month 14 at the latest.

Your employerSupport portfolio completion and protect time for assessment.

The next step

End-point assessment

Within 3 months of gateway: a situational judgement test on leadership scenarios and a competence interview with an independent assessor, informed by your portfolio of management cases.

What you will learn

Practical skills. Real progress.

Induction · Weeks 0–2

Induction and leading safely

Safeguarding leadership responsibilities from your first week, and how learning, coaching and assessment fit together.

Workshop 1 · Month 1

Leading teams, supervision and professional development

Lead a team that cares consistently for children.

Workshop 2 · Month 2

Communication, information and multi-agency leadership

Lead communication inside the home and across agencies.

Workshop 3 · Month 3

Leading safeguarding and services for children who have experienced harm

Develop the knowledge and skills to lead safeguarding across the home.

Workshop 4 · Month 4

Managing risk, health and safety and digital safety

Lead systems that keep children and staff safe while enabling positive risks.

Workshop 5 · Month 5

Child development, vulnerability and disadvantage

Use an understanding of child development to lead practice for children who have experienced adversity.

Workshop 6 · Month 6

Leading rights, equality, diversity and inclusion

Lead a home where every child’s rights, identity, culture and differences are respected.

Workshop 7 · Month 7

Leading wellbeing, resilience and positive outcomes

Lead the home’s work to improve children’s wellbeing and outcomes.

Workshop 8 · Month 8

Group living, positive relationships and behaviour support

Shape the culture of the home, repair relationships and support behaviour.

Workshop 9 · Month 9

Quality, regulation and leading improvement

Lead the home’s quality assurance and improvement.

Workshop 10 · Month 10

Resources, commissioning, the care system and leaving care

Lead the home’s resources and its place in the wider care system.

Progress together

The line manager’s part

Your line manager is an active learning partner throughout the programme. The journey below shows when to join reviews, support observations and help put learning into practice.

For employers

Protect about 11 hours a week, including planned practical learning in your home.
A workplace mentor and a line manager involved at reviews in months 3, 6, 9 and 12.
Observations in months 4, 7 and 10, with a witness statement.
Monthly coach updates and a workplace activity linked to learning.
A named Account Manager for your organisation.
Includes the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) expected under Regulation 28.

Your next qualification

What you’ll achieve

Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England)

For learners

A named coach, monthly 1:1 and about 11 hours of learning each week in paid working time.
Three observations with written feedback within 5 working days.
Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) and the Level 5 apprenticeship.
A network of fellow leaders through monthly huddles.

Funding for employers

Make the investment clear.

Maximum funding: £6,000. For eligible apprenticeship starts in England from 1 August 2026.

Training and assessment costs, up to the funding band maximum
Your situation	Apprentice aged 16–24	Apprentice aged 25+
You don’t pay the levy	Fully funded	You pay 5%
You pay the levy	From your levy funds	From your levy funds
Levy payer, funds used up	Fully funded	You pay 25%

Non-levy employers may also qualify for a hiring payment of up to £2,000 for eligible new apprentices aged 16–24 starting from 1 October 2026. Eligibility conditions apply.

Where recognised prior learning shortens the programme, the price is reduced to match.

We confirm eligibility, costs and any contribution before enrolment. Employers meet any agreed costs above the funding band. Read the government’s funding guidance ↗

Your next step