Work in partnership in health and social care or children and young people’s settings
This subtopic focuses on the principles and practices of effective partnership working in children and young people's residential care. It develops leaders' ability to build, sustain, and evaluate collaborative relationships with internal colleagues, external professionals, and families to deliver integrated, person-centred services compliant with Welsh legislation and guidance.
Assessment criteria
Quick Revision Summary (Key Takeaway)
The City & Guilds Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care Services (Children and Young People's Residential Management) Wales equips managers with advanced leadership skills to run residential childcare services in Wales, focusing on regulatory compliance, safeguarding, and outcome-based practice under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016.
Topic Overview
This qualification is designed for leaders and managers in residential childcare services for children and young people in Wales. It covers advanced leadership, management of care services, and the specific regulatory framework that governs residential care in Wales, including the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. The diploma emphasises the importance of providing high-quality, outcome-focused care that meets the unique needs of looked-after children and young people.
The course is structured around key areas such as leading and managing a residential childcare service, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, developing and implementing policies and procedures, and managing finances and resources. It also focuses on the professional development of staff, including supervision, appraisal, and creating a positive organisational culture. The qualification is essential for those seeking to become a Registered Manager of a children's home in Wales, as it meets the requirements of the Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).
In the context of the wider health and social care sector, this diploma ensures that leaders are equipped to handle the complexities of residential care, including working with traumatised children, managing challenging behaviour, and collaborating with multi-agency teams. It also prepares managers to lead with a child-centred approach, ensuring that the rights and voices of children are at the heart of service delivery.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016: The primary legislation for regulating social care services in Wales, including the registration and inspection of children's homes.
- →Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014: Sets out the legal framework for improving the well-being of people who need care and support, including children in residential care.
- →National Minimum Standards for Residential Child Care in Wales: Specific standards that all children's homes must meet, covering areas like care, safety, and staffing.
- →Leadership and Management: Applying theories of leadership to manage staff, resources, and the overall service, ensuring high-quality care.
- →Safeguarding and Child Protection: Understanding the legal and procedural frameworks to protect children from abuse and neglect.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Understand partnershipworking, Be able to establish and maintain working relationships with colleagues, Be able to establish and maintain working relationships with other professionals, Be able to work in partnership with others
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for demonstrating in-depth understanding of partnership frameworks (e.g., multi-agency safeguarding hubs, co-production) and legislation such as the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Children Act 1989.
- Look for evidence of initiating and leading team meetings, supervision, and joint planning sessions, showing active listening, clear delegation, and respect for colleagues' expertise and roles.
- Expect candidates to provide a reflective account of establishing relationships with external professionals (e.g., social workers, CAMHS, education staff), including how they negotiated roles, maintained regular communication, and resolved conflicts.
- Assess ability to evaluate partnership effectiveness by identifying barriers (e.g., resource constraints, conflicting priorities) and implementing improvement strategies such as shared protocols, joint training, or formal partnership agreements.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡Present a portfolio of evidence that includes anonymised case studies showing how you initiated, maintained, and reviewed a partnership, highlighting your leadership role and legislative compliance.
- 💡During professional discussions, explicitly link your actions to the principles of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, particularly voice and control, and demonstrate how you embedded these in partnerships.
- 💡Prepare to discuss a specific instance where a partnership broke down or faced challenges, outlining your reflective process, actions taken, and lessons learned to improve future practice.
- 💡Ensure evidence demonstrates your role in advocating for the child or young person's perspective within multi-agency settings, showing how you challenged professional assumptions when necessary.
- 💡Always refer to the specific Welsh legislation and standards in your answers, not generic UK-wide ones. Use the full titles of Acts and standards to show depth of knowledge.
- 💡Use real-life examples from residential childcare practice to illustrate your points, such as how you would handle a safeguarding concern or involve a child in a care plan review.
- 💡When answering questions about leadership, link theory to practice. For example, explain how you would use transformational leadership to motivate staff during a period of change.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Treating information sharing as synonymous with partnership working, without evidencing joint decision-making, pooled resources, or mutual accountability.
- Underestimating the complexity of consent and confidentiality when sharing information about children and young people, leading to breaches or reluctance to share appropriately.
- Assuming partnerships will self-sustain after initial establishment; failing to allocate time for relationship maintenance, trust-building, and addressing power imbalances.
- Overlooking the need to actively include children, young people, and their families as equal partners, resulting in tokenistic involvement rather than genuine co-creation.
- Misconception: The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 is the same as the Care Standards Act 2000. Correction: The 2016 Act replaced the Care Standards Act 2000 in Wales, introducing a new framework for regulation and inspection, including the role of the Responsible Individual.
- Misconception: The Registered Manager is solely responsible for all aspects of the home. Correction: While the Registered Manager has day-to-day responsibility, the Responsible Individual also has legal duties, and both must work together to ensure compliance.
- Misconception: Leadership is the same as management. Correction: Leadership involves setting a vision and inspiring others, while management focuses on planning, organising, and controlling resources. Both are needed in residential care.
Revision Plan
How to revise this topic in 1–2 weeks
- 1Week 1: Focus on the legislative framework. Read the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Make notes on key sections and how they apply to residential care.
- 2Week 2: Study the National Minimum Standards for Residential Child Care in Wales. Create a checklist of standards and think about how you would evidence each one in practice.
- 3Week 3: Explore leadership and management theories, such as transformational and transactional leadership. Apply them to case studies of children's homes.
- 4Week 4: Practice exam questions, especially those on safeguarding and managing staff. Use the command word guide to structure your answers.
Exam Question Types
How this topic typically appears in the exam
- 📋Case study questions: You will be given a scenario about a child or a staff issue and asked to analyse and propose actions. Practice by reading real inspection reports and identifying areas for improvement.
- 📋Essay questions on leadership: These often ask you to evaluate a leadership style or discuss the challenges of managing a children's home. Use the PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain) structure.
- 📋Short answer questions on legislation: You may be asked to define terms or explain the role of a specific body like CIW. Be precise and use the correct terminology.
Command Word Expectations (CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE)
What examiners look for when using specific command words in this specification
In City & Guilds exams, 'Evaluate' requires you to make a judgement on the value or effectiveness of something, considering both strengths and weaknesses. You must provide evidence and examples to support your judgement, and reach a balanced conclusion.
You need to give a clear, detailed account of a concept or process, showing how and why it works. Use examples to illustrate your points and ensure you cover all relevant aspects.
Break down a topic into its components and examine the relationships between them. You should identify causes and effects, and discuss the implications for practice.
How Students Lose Marks (Examiner Pitfalls)
Common mark loss traps and how to write 100% full-mark answers
Step-by-Step Worked Solutions
Detailed solution breakdown for typical exam problems
Question: A residential children's home in Wales has been rated 'Requires Improvement' by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) in the area of 'Well-being and Care'. As the Registered Manager, you must develop an action plan. Outline the steps you would take to address this, referencing relevant legislation and standards.
- 1.Step 1: Review the CIW inspection report and identify specific areas of non-compliance, such as lack of consistent key working or poor risk assessments.
- 2.Step 2: Consult the National Minimum Standards for Residential Child Care in Wales and the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 to understand the required outcomes.
- 3.Step 3: Engage with staff, children, and families to gather feedback and co-produce an improvement plan, ensuring the child's voice is central.
- 4.Step 4: Implement changes, such as enhanced staff training on attachment and trauma-informed care, and introduce regular audits and supervision to monitor progress.
- 5.Step 5: Submit the action plan to CIW and schedule a review date, demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.
Question: Calculate the required staff-to-child ratio for a residential home with 6 children, if the National Minimum Standards require a minimum of 1 staff member on duty during waking hours and 1 waking night staff. Assume 2 staff are on shift during the day and 1 at night. Show your working.
- 1.Step 1: Identify the number of children (6) and the required ratios: at least 1 staff per 6 children during waking hours, but also consider individual needs.
- 2.Step 2: For daytime, the minimum is 1 staff, but the home has 2 on duty, which exceeds the minimum. For night, 1 waking staff is required.
- 3.Step 3: Calculate total staff hours per day: 2 staff × 8 hours (day) + 1 staff × 8 hours (night) = 24 staff hours per day.
- 4.Step 4: State that the ratio is met, but note that additional staff may be needed for children with complex needs or during activities outside the home.
Active Recall Memory Test
Test your memory before revealing the key facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE Work in partnership in health and social care or children and young people’s settings
Every vocational unit is marked against named criteria rather than an exam percentage. Your tutor's brief lists the exact codes for this unit — here is what each band is asking you to do.
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent, or relevant experience in a health and social care setting.
- •Understanding of the basic principles of safeguarding and child development.
- •Knowledge of the Welsh social care system and the role of Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).
Coursework AI Review
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Understand partnershipworking, Be able to establish and maintain working relationships with colleagues, Be able to establish and maintain working relationships with other professionals, Be able to work in partnership with others
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