How to Answer the Level 5 Adult Care Business and Resource Management Unit
Quick answer: To pass the Level 5 adult care unit on business and resource management, answer each criterion under its own heading, match the command word (analyse, evaluate, explain) and tie every point to a real care service in England. Markers reward accurate law, clear judgement and your own role as a manager, not long lists of theory.
This guide is for Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care learners facing roughly 2,500 words of knowledge questions on resources, recruitment, market provision and integration. Our related unit brief on business and resource management has almost the same scope, and the Unit 10 model answer shows our usual layout. A worked extract sits in our Level 5 resource management sample answers, which is for reference only.
If you would rather have an NVQ specialist plan the structure with you, our NVQ support page explains the process.
What does the Level 5 business and resource management unit actually ask?
You open the brief and find four blocks of questions. The first looks at how national and local strategy shapes money, buildings and people, and why forecasting and continuity planning matter. The second is human resources: safe recruitment, induction, retention, staffing patterns, performance, discipline and grievance. The third covers how services are commissioned and funded and how yours must change. The fourth deals with integrated health and social care.
That is a lot of ground for 2,500 words. Roughly 100 words per criterion is the reality, so every sentence has to earn its place.
Two command words carry the weight. To analyse is to break something into parts and show how they affect each other. To evaluate is to weigh strengths against limits and reach a view. Most lost marks come from describing when the brief says evaluate.
Where are the marks in this unit?
The marks are not spread evenly. The questions with higher-order command words, such as the analysis of strategy on financial, physical and human resources and the evaluation of recruitment and retention approaches, usually decide the grade. Descriptive criteria are quicker to pass but need accuracy.
| Criterion area | What markers want | Where students lose marks |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy and resources (1.1 to 1.4) | Separate analysis of financial, physical and human resources | Blending all three into one paragraph |
| Sustainability and continuity (1.5, 1.7) | A definition fitted to adult social care, plus a practical plan | Copying a business textbook definition |
| Safe recruitment (2.1 to 2.5) | Named law and a manager’s role in applying it | Listing Acts without saying what they require |
| Evaluating approaches (2.3) | A judgement on which approach works best and why | Describing every approach and never choosing |
| Staffing and conduct (2.6 to 2.13) | Rotas, contingency, procedures and own responsibilities | Skipping “your own role” in each answer |
| Market and integration (3.1 to 4.4) | Accurate current structures, funding and barriers | Out-of-date terms such as treating partnerships as still non-statutory |
How do you answer the knowledge questions step by step?
Work through the paper in a fixed order. It saves time and keeps your headings aligned with the criteria.
- Copy each criterion number into a heading, so the marker can find it in seconds.
- Underline the command word and the resource or group named, for example “financial, physical and human”.
- Choose one service you know, real or generic, and keep it constant. A domiciliary provider or a residential home both work.
- Write a point, then the evidence, then the effect on people who use the service.
- Add a sentence on your own role wherever the criterion mentions it.
- Check the word count against the weight of the criterion before moving on.
A worked example on resource planning
Take the first criterion. Suppose a council changes how it buys home care. Financial effect: a new hourly rate alters income. Physical effect: more visits at once means more vehicles and equipment. Human effect: the same rota now needs more carers. Three short paragraphs, each with a consequence, will beat one long paragraph on “change”.
Which laws and structures do markers expect you to name?
Accuracy on legal points is quick to earn and easy to lose. For recruitment and employment, the set texts are the Equality Act 2010, the Working Time Regulations 1998 and the regulated activities regulations under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. Regulation 19 of those regulations deals with fit and proper persons employed, and requires effective recruitment procedures (Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014).
For market provision, the Care Act 2014 sets out the duty to promote diversity and quality in provision, and the duty to promote integration with health services. The DHSC statutory guidance explains these duties in practice (Department of Health and Social Care, 2025).
Integration is where dated material trips people up. Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships were replaced by statutory integrated care systems on 1 July 2022 under the Health and Care Act 2022 (NHS England, no date). Each system includes an integrated care board and an integrated care partnership (Charles, 2022). If a textbook or old worksheet says otherwise, trust the legislation.
How do you evaluate recruitment and retention approaches for 2.3?
Pick four or five approaches, judge each in two or three sentences, then say which combination you would choose. Values-based recruitment, a referral programme, a strong induction, career progression, flexible working and pay are the usual candidates.
A short comparison keeps the evaluation tidy.
| Approach | Likely benefit | Limit to mention |
|---|---|---|
| Values-based recruitment | Better fit with person-centred care | Needs trained interviewers |
| Referral programme | Cheap, trusted candidates | Can reduce diversity of applicants |
| Induction and training | Confidence early on | Time away from the rota |
| Flexible working | Fits carers’ lives | Harder rota planning |
| Pay and reward | Addresses a common reason for leaving | Capped by contract income |
Your verdict is the part that earns the evaluation mark. Something like “values-based selection and a structured induction give the best return for a small provider, while pay remains largely outside the manager’s control” is a clear position.
Use workforce data to ground the point. The annual Skills for Care report on the sector and workforce covers filled posts, pay, recruitment and demographics, and is the standard source to cite (Skills for Care, 2026).
What is a quick checklist before you submit?
- Every answer sits under its criterion number.
- Each “analyse” or “evaluate” answer contains a judgement, not only description.
- Financial, physical and human resources are treated separately.
- Legislation is named with what it requires, and the year is correct.
- STPs and ICSs are described accurately.
- Your own role and accountability appear where the criterion asks.
- Harvard citations match the reference list, with real publications only.
- The word count is close to 2,500 and balanced across the four areas.
What are the most common mistakes in this unit?
The first is writing a general HR essay. This unit is about adult social care in England, so a recruitment answer without DBS checks, references and CQC expectations looks thin.
The second is ignoring the “own role” criteria. When a question asks for your responsibilities, a description of what the organisation does will not score.
The third is a missing example. A single, believable scenario, such as covering rotas during winter sickness, makes staffing and contingency answers far more convincing.
Finally, many learners cite sources they have not opened. If you quote a figure, find it in the original publication and reference the edition you used. Where you cannot verify a number, leave it out or label it as illustrative.
What do students struggle with most?
Learners tell us the same things repeatedly. They find it hard to fit twenty-odd criteria into 2,500 words, and they are unsure how deep an answer should go. Many are working full time in care, so the unit competes with rotas and supervision. Others cannot tell the difference between commissioning and procurement, or between an integrated care board and a partnership.
A useful trick: write one line defining each term first, then build the answer around it. Commissioning is deciding what is needed and securing it. Procurement is the buying process. Once those are clear, the market provision questions read more easily.
Time is the other struggle. Split the unit into four sessions, one per area, and draft the weakest area first.
If the workload is the problem, our management assignment support team can look at your structure and show you where the marks are being lost.
Frequently asked questions
How long should each answer be in a 2,500-word knowledge assessment?
Weight the length by the command word. Analyse and evaluate criteria deserve 150 to 250 words each, while descriptive criteria can be 60 to 100. Check your assessor’s guidance, as limits differ between centres.
Do I need a real organisation for the examples?
Not always. Many centres accept a service you know well or a realistic generic one. Never include confidential details such as real names or internal figures, and follow your centre’s rules.
What is the difference between an ICS and an STP?
Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships were earlier, non-statutory local partnerships. Integrated care systems became statutory on 1 July 2022 under the Health and Care Act 2022, with a board and a partnership in each system.
Which laws should I cite for safe recruitment?
Cite the Equality Act 2010, the Working Time Regulations 1998 and Regulation 19 of the 2014 regulated activities regulations, plus DBS checks, identity and references. Say what each requires of you as manager.
How many references do I need?
There is usually no fixed number. Aim for a handful of authoritative sources, such as legislation, DHSC guidance, Skills for Care and NHS England, each cited in the text and listed in Harvard style.
Can a sample answer be submitted as my own work?
No. Samples are for reference and learning only. Submitting someone else’s work as your own can breach your centre’s rules, so use samples to understand structure and write your own answers.
Ready to check your plan against the criteria? Send your brief through our assignment submission page, and read the refund and revision policy so you know what to expect.
About the expert
This guide was prepared with input from Martin Brown, who holds a Master’s in human resource management and writes on training and development, talent management and strategic management.
References
- Charles, A. (2022) Integrated care systems explained. London: The King’s Fund. Updated 19 August 2022. Available at: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/long-reads/integrated-care-systems-explained
- Department of Health and Social Care (2025) Care and support statutory guidance. Updated 22 July 2025. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-statutory-guidance/care-and-support-statutory-guidance
- Care Act 2014, c. 23. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/contents
- Equality Act 2010, c. 15. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
- Health and Care Act 2022, c. 31. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/31/contents
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, SI 2014/2936, reg. 19. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2936/regulation/19
- NHS England (no date) What are integrated care systems? Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/integratedcare/what-is-integrated-care/
- Skills for Care (2026) The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England 2026. Leeds: Skills for Care. Available at: https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data/Workforce-intelligence/publications/national-information/The-state-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx
- The Working Time Regulations 1998, SI 1998/1833. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1833/contents
