Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care
Qualify for the registered manager role you are working toward. The Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care (TQUK) is the CQC-aligned benchmark for care home managers and service leads, covering governance, quality assurance, and strategic leadership in care. Studied 100% online with tutor support.
✓Want a career in health and social care management
✓Are aged 19 or over and ready to commit to 8 to 12 hours per week
✓Need flexible, self-paced online study around work or family
✓Want a regulated qualification recognised by UK employers and the Care Quality Commission
✓Prefer portfolio assessment over traditional written exams
✓Have existing experience in your field that you want formally accredited
Your career after this course
✓You need a face-to-face classroom environment to learn
✓You require traditional written exams for assessment
✓You cannot commit 8 to 12 hours of study per week
✓You expect to qualify in less than the typical course duration
✓You do not have access to the workplace evidence required (where applicable)
About this qualification
What you'll learn
You are responsible for the quality of care that dozens of people receive every day. You manage a team, answer to a board and to CQC, and carry the weight of decisions that genuinely matter. The Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care is built for this version of you, not the beginner, but the professional who is ready to lead a service and needs the formal qualification to prove it.
This is an Ofqual-regulated Level 5 qualification awarded by TQUK, sitting at the same RQF level as the second year of a degree. It is the qualification benchmark cited in the Skills for Care workforce framework for registered managers and those working toward registration with the Care Quality Commission. The diploma covers governance and accountability in care services, quality assurance and continuous improvement, safeguarding leadership, workforce development, financial management of care services, and strategic decision-making.
The programme is studied 100% online and is fully self-paced, with 12 months of course access. Your dedicated UK tutor provides written feedback on each submission within 2 working days. Assessment is by portfolio, drawing on your real management practice as evidence. You do not need to take exams or attend a centre. If you are working as a deputy manager or registered manager, your day-to-day role provides a significant proportion of the evidence required.
Completing the Level 5 Diploma positions you for registered manager roles under CQC registration, where salaries in England typically range from £35,000 to £55,000 depending on the size and type of service. It also opens routes into commissioning, compliance consulting, and regional operations management within care groups. Some graduates use it as a platform to study for a degree in health and social care leadership, crediting their prior learning.
Skills for Care research shows that services led by managers with Level 5 qualifications consistently score higher on CQC inspection outcomes. Online delivery means you complete the diploma while managing your service, without the disruption and expense of day-release programmes. TQUK is a well-established awarding body with strong relationships with CQC, NHS trusts, and local authority commissioning teams.
The course is available with interest-free monthly payments, no lump sum required, no hidden fees, start any day of the year. This qualification is for deputy managers on the path to registration, registered managers who need to formalise their leadership credentials, and care business owners who want the benchmark qualification for their role. If you are running or stepping into a service, this is the professional standard you need.
Training Qualifications UKRQF Level 5100% Online12 to 18 months8 unitsSelf-paced
Curriculum
What you'll study
8 units across 2 levels of study. Portfolio-assessed — no exams.
What you'll need
Entry requirements
You need to be aged 18 or over to enrol.
Functional Skills English at Level 2 or GCSE English at grade 4 (C) or above.
A reliable internet connection, computer or tablet, and basic word-processing skills.
There is no minimum study commitment. As a guide, most learners spend around 8 to 12 hours a week, but you can study more or less based on your own pace and how you feel at the time. The course flexes around your life.
Access to a workplace setting (paid or volunteer) for assessed practice. We can advise on routes if you are not currently working in care.
Not sure if you qualify?
Our admissions team can talk you through your options.
The qualification is fully portfolio-assessed. There are no written exams. You complete a mix of assignments, case studies, reflective accounts, workplace observations, and a final project demonstrating competence against every assessment criterion.
Each unit is graded as Pass or Refer. Tutor feedback is delivered within 2 working days, every time, with the option to refine and resubmit work. You always have a clear picture of what is due, when, and what good looks like, every brief includes a worked example and a marking rubric.
Assessments are submitted through your online learner dashboard. Final certification follows internal quality assurance and external moderation by TQUK.
01
Portfolio-based
Coursework and a written portfolio. No traditional written exams.
02
Submit online
All assignments submitted through your learner dashboard.
03
Tutor feedback
Detailed feedback in 3 to 5 working days. Refine and resubmit until you reach the grade you want.
04
Graded across units
Pass, Merit or Distinction on each unit. Top grades stack to the highest UCAS point total.
Careers
Where this can take you
Typical roles and salary ranges this qualification opens up.
Registered Manager (Care Home)
Typical salary range
£35,000 to £55,000
Lead a CQC-registered care home, accountable to the CQC, residents, and the provider.
Registered Manager (Domiciliary Care)
Typical salary range
£35,000 to £55,000
Lead a homecare service, often with 50 to 200 staff and 100+ service users.
Service Manager (Supported Living)
Typical salary range
£35,000 to £50,000
Manage supported-living services for adults with learning disabilities or mental-health needs.
Operations Manager (Multi-Service)
Typical salary range
£45,000 to £70,000
Oversee multiple care services for a regional or national provider.
Quality and Compliance Manager
Typical salary range
£40,000 to £55,000
Lead CQC compliance, internal audit, and improvement programmes for a care provider.
Care Consultant / Inspector
Typical salary range
£38,000 to £55,000
Consult to care providers on CQC compliance and operational improvement, often after several years as a manager.
✓Talk to our support team by phone, email or live chat
✓See your progress and next steps on your dashboard
✓Join the learner community forum when you want to chat to others
Funding and finance
✓Pay monthly to spread the cost with no interest
✓Pay in full and save versus monthly
✓No credit checks and no contract. Pause or cancel anytime
✓We can send funding paperwork to your employer if they sponsor you
✓Our enrolment team will talk you through every option
✓14 day money back guarantee on every enrolment
Accreditation and recognition
✓Awarded by a recognised UK awarding body
✓Regulated by Ofqual, the same standard as college courses
✓Accepted by UK universities, employers and professional bodies
✓You get a certificate when you finish
✓Listed on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications
✓Independently quality checked through IQA and EQA
How it works
✓Start any time. There are no set term dates or cohorts
✓Study at your own pace around work and family
✓No exams. You complete coursework, a portfolio and assignments
✓Resubmit your work at no extra cost to reach the grade you want
✓Use the optional study planner if you like a bit of structure
✓How long you study is entirely up to you. Most learners spend a few hours each week, but you can do more or less based on your own pace
What learners say
Trusted by thousands of learners
Real feedback from learners studying with Lift College.
The flexibility was a game changer for me. I studied around my shifts and my tutor was incredibly supportive throughout.
I was nervous about going back to study after 15 years, but the platform is so easy to use and the feedback I got on assignments was genuinely useful.
Got into my first-choice university with a place on a Nursing BSc. The Access to HE Diploma gave me exactly what I needed.
Good value and well structured. I appreciated that I could resubmit work without extra cost — really helped me improve.
Customer service was excellent. Any time I had a question it was answered within hours. Highly recommend.
I needed a qualification that actually meant something to employers. Ofqual regulation was the deciding factor, and it delivered.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Health and social care qualifications regulated by Ofqual and awarded by NCFE or City & Guilds are recognised by the Care Quality Commission, NHS trusts, local authorities, and care providers nationwide. They map directly to the Care Certificate standards and Skills for Care workforce frameworks.
