7-day free trial · £0 today · cancel any time
Start your free trialUpdated
Lift College's TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care is the qualification for senior care workers and lead practitioners in England, built on the Skills for Care standards in force from April 2026 and on the Skills for Care approved list. Study online with a named UK tutor and assessor and build your portfolio in the care setting where you work.
Skills for Care publishes the pay recorded by care employers in England; the Office for National Statistics publishes what care workers earn across the UK. Both are shown.
Independent sector. National Living Wage rose to £12.71 in April 2026, so the floor has moved since.
6% above care worker median. The role the Level 3 diploma is for.
SOC 1232 covers managers and proprietors of residential, day and domiciliary services. Skills for Care's pay report does not publish a registered manager figure.
Aiming for management? The next step is the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care. It is the qualification CQC expects for registered managers.
Full 2026 tables, including the National Living Wage rise and Fair Pay Agreement timeline, are in our UK care worker pay 2026 guide.
There is no course fee to find, no finance agreement to sign and no debt to worry about. Your first 7 days are free, then you pay for the month you are in, and every payment is covered by the 14-day money back guarantee. Prefer to start now? Pay today instead of taking the trial and every payment is 15% lower for life, with the same 14-day guarantee.
You never sign a credit agreement with us, so there is no debt and nothing for anyone to chase. If you stop paying, you simply stop studying. No finance company, no loan and no letters.
This is a work-based qualification. Learners must be in paid or voluntary employment within an adult care setting for the duration of the qualification in order to demonstrate competence in both knowledge and practical care skills. Assessment of competence must take place in real work environments.
NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care and the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care are the same qualification under different names. Watch the short explainer, then read on for the details.
Still searching for "NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care"? Read what the NVQ Level 3 is called now and our NVQ vs RQF vs QCF explainer.
Prefer to read? See how you are assessedCard required at sign-up, but nothing is charged until day 8. Cancel any time before then.
Start 7-day free trialEach step is a separate qualification and, in adult care, a separate role.
The 16 standards every new care worker completes. A CPD short course, not a regulated qualification.
Level 3Level 3 Adult CareSenior care worker. 59 credits, in a care setting.
From £69.99/moLevel 5Level 5 Adult CareLeading an adult care service. 95 credits, in a leadership role.
From £79.99/mo59 credits: 40 from the fifteen mandatory units, plus at least 19 credits from the optional units, chosen with your tutor.
There are no exams. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma is a portfolio for knowledge and in-person observation of practice on shift for skills, plus professional discussion. Observation of several units must not be remote. It is quality assured by TQUK. Grading is pass only.
Portfolio for knowledge; in-person observation of practice on shift for skills (several units say the observation must not be remote); professional discussion. Assessor must hold an assessing qualification. Internally marked, externally quality assured by TQUK.
Work through the unit online with your named UK tutor.
Observation, witness statements, work products and reflective accounts from your real workplace.
Marked in 5 to 7 working days. Pass or refer. Resubmit until every criterion is met. Your certificate comes from TQUK.
Yes. You study this Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma online with a named UK tutor and assessor, and you build your portfolio in the care setting where you work. Skills are observed in person on shift. You must be in care for the whole course. There are no exams.
Training Qualifications UK issues the certificate. Lift College teaches the course and TQUK awards it.
TQUK's stated goal: Be number one in technical education
certificates issued since 2013
qualifications across more than 20 sectors
employers use TQUK for apprenticeship assessment
Figures from tquk.org, September 2026. TQUK, Crossgate House, Sale, Manchester. Recognised by Ofqual, the qualifications regulator for England.
TQUK approves the centre, the tutors who assess you and the way the course is delivered before a single learner is registered.
An external quality assurer from TQUK samples assessed work from Lift College learners. Your result stands because TQUK has agreed it, not just your tutor.
Your certificate is printed by TQUK with a unique number. Any employer or university can confirm it is real on TQUK's certificate verification service. TQUK certificate verification
The same UK tutor supports you from enrolment through to your certificate.
Marked in 5 to 7 working days.
Your dashboard shows what you have completed and what comes next.
If a unit is referred, you resubmit at no extra cost until every criterion is met.
One price for the full course, with every fee included. Try it free for 7 days, or start now and every payment is 15% lower for life.
Full access for 7 days. Your first payment is on day 8, and you can cancel any time before then from your account.
£69.99/month from day 8
£0 today
Start 7-day free trial14-day money back guarantee. Request a refund within 14 days of any payment.
Skip the trial and pay today. Every payment is 15% lower for as long as you study.
£69.99£59.49/month, for life
£59.49 today
Start now and pay £59.4914-day money back guarantee. Request a refund within 14 days of any payment.
“I had been a deputy manager for two years waiting to take the level 5. Lift College's support team sorted my enrolment quickly and my assessor was genuinely expert in care home management. Achieved the RQF diploma in 14…”
DamianLevel 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care (RQF)“After completing my level 3, Lift College guided me straight into the level 4 lead practitioner qualification. The progression was seamless, same assessor, same platform. I am now a team leader at a residential home and…”
PriyaLevel 4 Lead Practitioner in Adult Care“I had two years of care experience but no formal qualification. The Lift College team conducted a recognition of prior learning assessment and we were able to start at level 3 straight away. My assessor was patient and e…”
FatimaLevel 3 Diploma in Adult Care (RQF)Yes - the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care is the modern replacement for the NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care. NVQs moved to the RQF framework in 2015; employers treat the two as the same qualification. Lift College's version is the Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma, studied online around your care role.
Yes. You study this Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma online with a named UK tutor and assessor, and you build your portfolio in the care setting where you work. Assessment is a portfolio. Skills units are observed in person on shift. There are no exams.
Most learners take 12 to 18 months, studying 8 to 12 hours a week. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma is 59 credits, with 496 guided learning hours and a total qualification time of 590 hours. You need to be in a care setting for the whole course.
No. Portfolio for knowledge; in-person observation of practice on shift for skills (several units say the observation must not be remote); professional discussion. Assessor must hold an assessing qualification. Internally marked, externally quality assured by TQUK. Grading is Pass only, no grading.
The default is a free 7-day trial with your first payment on day 8. If you would rather start now, you pay today instead and every payment is 15% lower for as long as you study. Your 14-day money-back guarantee still applies: change your mind for any reason within 14 days and we refund the full payment.
An enhanced DBS check is normally arranged by the school. Your setting may require you to be 18 for an enhanced DBS check or lone working.
Training Qualifications UK (TQUK) issues the certificate. Lift College is a TQUK recognised centre.
Yes, for the whole course. You must be in paid or voluntary employment in an adult care setting so your practice can be observed in person. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma does not allow competence to be shown outside a real care setting.
It is the qualification for senior care workers and lead practitioners in England: leading shifts, supervising others and holding care plans. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma is on the Skills for Care approved list. The next step on this page is the Level 5 diploma for leading an adult care service.
This is the TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care, on the Skills for Care approved qualifications list for adult care in England.
One price covers the full course with every fee included: a named UK tutor, marking in 5 to 7 working days, AI Study Support, and your TQUK certificate. There is nothing extra to pay.
You need to be 16 or over. No formal entry requirements. Level 2 English and maths or equivalent recommended. Must be in paid or voluntary employment in an adult care setting. Your setting may require you to be 18 for an enhanced DBS check or lone working.
Yes. Annual billing saves 15%: £713.99 for the year instead of £69.99 a month. The 7-day free trial and 14-day money back apply either way.
Yes. 610/6988/7 became operational on 1 April 2026 and follows the Skills for Care qualification criteria for England. It is listed on Skills for Care's approved qualifications list.
A UK adviser calls you back within 2 working hours, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. No sales script.
Card required at sign-up, but nothing is charged until day 8. Cancel any time before then.
Start 7-day free trial
