Qualification Options

We currently offer the following City & Guilds Adult Care qualification:

  • Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care (England)


The Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care is a competence based qualification for learners who work in Adult Care and designed to be assessed in your place of work, as part of your normal work role. This qualification is the natural next step for those who have completed a Level 3 Diploma and is applicable to a variety of roles, where workers have key responsibilities for delivery of care and support and/or a level of supervisory responsibility for others, such as; Lead Adult Care Worker, Lead Personal Assistant, Senior Care Assistant and Support Worker, Team Leaders.  This qualification enables learners to demonstrate and develop the skills and knowledge required within a role which has some autonomy, delegated responsibility or where there may be a need for supervision of others.

These qualifications consist of mandatory units, covering core knowledge and skills competencies plus a number of optional specialism units, which can be combined in flexible ways to reflect the real working context of each learner and their work setting.

Age Group - 18 or older

This qualification is appropriate in a range of settings, where services support individuals with different needs, such as;

  • Residential services for older people and people with disabilities
  • Community based supported living services
  • Domiciliary care services
  • Day services
  • Respite services

You will need to complete twelve mandatory units, (36 credits), these are:

  • Work in partnership in health and social care or children and young people’s settings
  • Advanced communication skills
  • Personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings
  • Equality and diversity in health and social care or children’s and young people’s settings
  • Facilitate person centred assessment to support wellbeing of individuals
  • Facilitate support planning to ensure positive outcomes for individuals and to support well being
  • Understand personalisation in care and support services
  • Health and safety in health and social care settings
  • Professional practice in health and social care for adults or children and young people
  • Safeguard children and young people who are present in the adult social care sector
  • Develop, maintain and use records and reports
  • Understand safeguarding and protection in health and social care settings

Plus 6 credits from Optional Group A and 28 credits from Optional Group B.

Full qualification guidance - Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care Qualification Handbook - v3.0 MAY 21 - 4222-34

70 credits / 700 TQT

All learners vary on the timescale to complete their qualification.
When you register, you will be given a specified target date in which to achieve your qualification, you can complete your qualification sooner than the target date if you are able to submit work regularly and at a good pace. Specific target dates can be discussed and agreed with your Assessor.

Total Qualification Time (TQT) is set at 700 hrs, this is based on the average amount of time taken to achieve this qualification, over an average completion period of 18 - 24 months.

Complete qualification (including Registration, Learner Pack, Assessment and Certification) prices start from:

• Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care – £2,965.

These prices are reduced significantly for learners and organisations with their own in-house assessor support.
Registration only:

• Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care – £805.

* ARC members benefit from reduced costs

WDF is potentially available for these qualifications on completion of final certificate as follows:

  • Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care - £1,050.00

WDF information

To register for this qualification, you need to complete the necessary registration forms. This will prompt support for you to consider all the aspects involved in undertaking the qualification and ensure the right one is selected for you. You will also need to seek permission from your organisation to collect evidence in the workplace. To find out more about registering please click here ‘How to Register’.

All ARC learner documentation is included in our learner portfolios, these can also be accessed via our ‘’Documentation, Guidance & Policies’ section in word and .pdf format.

Awarding Organisation guidance is available via the same page.