What is the Care Workforce Pathway?
The Care Workforce Pathway was first published in January 2024. In April 2025 the DHSC added four role categories (enhanced care worker, personal assistant, deputy manager and registered manager), and in July 2026 it added ten more, including activity co-ordinator, care technologist, nominated individual and quality assurance lead. It describes what good practice looks like at each stage of a care career and what development is expected to move between stages.
It is not itself a qualification. It links to qualifications through suggested learning in each role category, starting with the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate, and employers can claim back towards the cost of eligible courses through Skills for Care's Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS).
Role categories mapped to qualifications
| Pathway role category | Typical job titles | Qualification linked in the pathway | RQF level | Lift College option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New to care | Care assistant in their first weeks, bank or agency starter | Care Certificate learning, then the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate | 2 | Care Certificate CPD |
| Care or support worker | Care worker, support worker, domiciliary carer | Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate achieved; progression is moving practice to a Level 3 standard | 2 to 3 | Progress to the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care |
| Enhanced care worker | Experienced care worker taking on delegated healthcare tasks | Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care | 3 | TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care (610/6988/7) |
| Supervisor or leader | Senior care worker, team leader, shift lead | Level 3 Diploma (often through the Lead Adult Care Worker apprenticeship) plus leadership learning | 3 | TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care |
| Practice leader | Lead practitioner, dementia or learning disability lead | Level 3 baseline plus a specialist qualification, which can be at Level 4 | 3 to 4 | Level 3 plus safeguarding and care CPD |
| Deputy manager | Deputy manager, assistant manager, unit manager | Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management in Adult Care (optional, depending on setting) | 5 | TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (610/7004/X) |
| Registered manager | Registered manager (CQC Regulation 7) | Must have or be working towards a Level 5 diploma in leadership and management | 5 | TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service, portfolio assessed, 18 to 24 months |
The pathway's guidance still names the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management in Adult Care. TQUK's current Ofqual-registered Level 5 is the Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (qualification number 610/7004/X, 95 credits, 710 guided learning hours), operational from April 2026. Older titles such as the QCF Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care or the NVQ Level 4 in Leadership and Management for Care Services are covered in the NVQ to RQF equivalence table.
Pay benchmarks by pathway category (England, 2026)
| Pathway category | 2026 benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All roles aged 21 and over | £12.71 an hour minimum (National Living Wage from 1 April 2026) | gov.uk |
| Care or support worker | £12.60 an hour median, independent sector (December 2025) | Skills for Care |
| Care or support worker, starting salary | Around £20,000, rising to £25,000 with experience | National Careers Service |
| Supervisor or leader (senior care worker) | £24,000 to £29,000 a year | National Careers Service |
Manager pay varies widely by service type and size. Full hourly tables and regional differences are in the care worker pay guide 2026, and the forthcoming Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care is explained in the Fair Pay Agreement guide.
How to use the pathway for your own progression
- Find your current category. Most staff with some experience sit in Care or support worker; anyone carrying out delegated healthcare tasks may sit in Enhanced care worker, and anyone supervising a shift sits in Supervisor or leader.
- Check the qualification for the next category. Moving beyond Care or support worker is where the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care comes in; moving to Registered manager is where the Level 5 becomes expected.
- Ask your employer about funding. CQC-regulated employers can claim back towards eligible qualifications through the LDSS; routes and conditions are in adult care qualification funding 2026.
- Evidence from your own role. Both Lift College diplomas are portfolio assessed with no exams, so you progress by evidencing work you already do.
- Registered manager route. Before applying for registration, check the CQC registered manager requirements: Regulation 7, DBS and the fit person interview.
Your next step
Start the Level 5 Adult Care course free for 7 days
Training Qualifications UK, Ofqual regulated · From £79.99/month · £0 today. Nothing is charged until day 8.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Care Workforce Pathway mandatory?
Which qualification is linked to the Care Workforce Pathway?
Does the pathway replace the Care Certificate?
Do I need Level 5 to be a deputy manager?
Where does the Level 4 fit?
Sources checked
- Department of Health and Social Care, Care workforce pathway for adult social care (first published January 2024; role categories added April 2025 and July 2026), gov.uk
- Skills for Care, Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme; care worker pay data, December 2025
- Care Quality Commission, Regulation 7: requirements relating to registered managers
- Ofqual Register, TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Leading and Managing an Adult Care Service (610/7004/X); TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care (610/6988/7)
- gov.uk, National Living Wage rates from April 2026; National Careers Service, care worker and senior care worker profiles