PEAK Care & Education / Level 4

Children, young people & families practitioner

Develop your practice in residential childcare and gain the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare and the Level 4 apprenticeship, in 12 months of live, practical learning.

Employers: enquire now Learners: find out more

12months of learning
Plus end-point assessment

live workshops: 8
1:1 coaching sessions: 12
learning huddles: 11
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 10 hours of learning each week in paid working time.

Workshops

Eight 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 analysis 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 4 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

Professional practice, teams and communication

Workshop: Professional practice, teams and communication.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.

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

Month 2

Development and learning

Workshop: Development and learning.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.

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

Month 3

Apply and reflect

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

Safeguarding, harm and abuse

Workshop: Safeguarding, harm and abuse.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Observation 1; written feedback within 5 working days.

Your employerHost the observation and add a short witness testimony.

Month 5

Wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion

Workshop: Wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.

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

Month 6

Apply and reflect

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

Complex disabilities

Workshop: Complex disabilities.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Observation 2; written feedback within 5 working days.

Your employerHost the observation and add a short witness testimony.

Month 8

Risk management and health

Workshop: Risk management and health.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.

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

Month 9

Group living, families and positive relationships

Workshop: Group living, families and positive relationships.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
Review with your line manager: review 3.

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

Month 10

The care system

Workshop: The care system.
Monthly 1:1 coaching.
Monthly learning huddle.
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 assessment.
Level 3 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: an independent assessor observes your practice and holds an interview about your portfolio, usually in one morning at your workplace.

What you will learn

Practical skills. Real progress.

Induction · Weeks 0–2

Induction and safe practice

Programme induction, safeguarding essentials, professional boundaries and learning support.

Workshop 1 · Month 1

Professional practice, teams and communication

Professional development, working in teams, assessment and planning, and communication.

Workshop 2 · Month 2

Development and learning

Child and young person development, theories of development and learning, and supporting education.

Workshop 3 · Month 4

Safeguarding, harm and abuse

Safeguarding legislation and guidance, and recognising and responding to harm and abuse.

Workshop 4 · Month 5

Wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion

Promoting wellbeing and health, respecting difference and supporting positive outcomes.

Workshop 5 · Month 7

Complex disabilities

Supporting children and young people with disabilities and complex needs.

Workshop 6 · Month 8

Risk management and health

Health and safety, positive risk taking, managing medication and promoting health.

Workshop 7 · Month 9

Group living, families and positive relationships

Group living, working with families and promoting positive relationships.

Workshop 8 · Month 10

The care system

The legal and policy framework for children in care, care planning and leaving care.

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 10 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 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England), meeting the Regulation 32 qualification requirement.

Your next qualification

What you’ll achieve

Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England)

For learners

A named coach, monthly 1:1 and about 10 hours of learning each week in paid working time.
Three observations with written feedback within 5 working days.
Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) and the Level 4 apprenticeship.
A clear progression route into PEAK’s CYP Level 5 programme.

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.

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