Children, Young People and Families Manager
Level 5 Apprenticeship Standard
Course Overview
This apprenticeship develops confident leaders who manage and support teams working with children, young people and families, helping them achieve positive, safe and sustainable outcomes.
You will build the leadership, management and strategic skills needed to create high quality services that put children, young people and families at the centre of practice. The programme focuses on ethical leadership, safeguarding, supervision, partnership working and continuous improvement.
By the end of the apprenticeship, you will be leading teams effectively, improving practice through evidence and research, and ensuring services are safe, responsive and outcome focused.
Who Is This For?
This apprenticeship is suitable for:
Existing or aspiring managers in children’s services
Team leaders progressing into senior or strategic roles
Managers in residential care or community based services
Professionals working across health, education, early years or family support
Learners able to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check
Role Overview
As a Children, Young People and Families Manager, you will:
Lead and manage teams delivering frontline services
Set direction, alignment and commitment across practice and partnerships
Ensure safeguarding, quality and performance standards are met
Support, challenge and supervise practitioners effectively
Use research, data and evidence to improve outcomes
Manage resources and develop sustainable services
Work collaboratively across agencies and organisations
You may manage a team or service directly, or work as part of a wider leadership team within statutory, private or voluntary sector organisations.
Pathway Options
You will complete the CORE programme and choose one specialist pathway.
Option 1: Manager in Children’s Residential Care
You will lead residential care services, developing a strong ethos and ensuring safe, stable and high quality care for children and young people. You will manage compliance, staff practice and long term care planning within residential settings.
Option 2: Children, Young People and Families Manager Within the Community
You will lead services within community based settings, focusing on partnership working, early intervention and multi agency approaches to improving outcomes for children, young people and families.
Behaviours You Will Develop
You will demonstrate leadership behaviours including:
Care: Valuing and supporting practitioners to deliver excellent practice
Compassion: Balancing empathy with appropriate challenge
Courage: Leading honest conversations and difficult decisions
Communication: Building effective relationships across teams and partners
Competence: Understanding good practice and driving improvement
Commitment: Modelling ethical leadership and continuous development
Specialist Pathway Content
Option 1: Manager in Children’s Residential Care
You will develop specialist knowledge and skills in:
Residential care legislation and compliance
Long term care and support for children and young people
Creating and sustaining a positive home ethos
Safe systems of restraint
Leading staff practice and accountability
Option 2: Community Based Manager
You will develop specialist knowledge and skills in:
Social welfare systems and community services
Multi agency partnership working
Early intervention and prevention approaches
Performance monitoring and data sharing
Leading service innovation across partnerships
Specialist Pathway Content
Disclosure and Barring Service check required
Apprentices without Level 2 English and Maths must achieve this before end point assessment
Related qualifications include:
Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare
Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care
Core Knowledge and Skills
The programme is built around what effective managers should deliver for their teams and services.
You will develop knowledge of:
Leadership theories and team development
Organisational culture and team environments
Motivation, learning and performance management
You will develop skills to:
Set direction, ethos and clear expectations
Apply professional standards and judgement
Build cohesive, high performing teams
You will develop knowledge of:
Ethics, values and inclusive practice
Equality, diversity, rights and inclusion
You will develop skills to:
Model dignity, respect and resilience
Actively seek and respond to the views of others
You will develop knowledge of:
Supervision models and reflective practice
Safeguarding legislation and thresholds
Risk management and safe working environments
You will develop skills to:
Deliver high quality supervision
Apply evidence based decision making
Identify, manage and reduce risk
Monitor and improve safety standards
You will develop knowledge of:
Statutory frameworks and Codes of Practice
Quality assurance and regulatory requirements
Data led service improvement
You will develop skills to:
Set clear and measurable objectives
Evaluate outcomes and service effectiveness
Lead improvements in working practices
Involve children, young people and families in service development
You will develop knowledge of:
Resource management principles
Commissioning and contract management
Innovation and service development
You will develop skills to:
Manage people, finance, property and systems
Work across service boundaries
Commission and manage external providers
You will develop knowledge of:
Inter agency collaboration and partnership models
Influencing, negotiation and communication techniques
You will develop skills to:
Build effective partnerships
Resolve complex challenges collaboratively
Promote learning and improvement across organisations
You will develop knowledge of:
Reflective practice and learning theory
Research, policy and evidence based practice
You will develop skills to:
Evaluate team performance and development needs
Support and challenge practitioners effectively
Build a culture of continuous professional development
Apprenticeship Details
- Standard: Children, Young People and Families Manager
- Level: 5
- Typical Duration: 24 to 30 months
- Reduced Duration: 12 to 18 months with relevant qualifications
- Status: Approved for delivery
- End Point Assessment: Temporary dispensation in place
- Assessment Delivery: Remote assessment permitted with safeguards
- EQA Provider: Ofqual
