The Updated Leadership Qualities Framework (LQF) 2026 –  March 2026 Update 

Skills for Care updated the Leadership Qualities Framework (LQF) in March 2026. This blog is a plain-English guide for care homeowners, Registered Managers, deputies, team leaders and supervisors. It explains what the LQF is, what is new, and how to implement it without turning it into a big project.  

Credit 

This summary is based on Skills for Care’s official LQF web page and their March 2026 update announcement.  

What is the LQF? 

The Leadership Qualities Framework (LQF) is a practical guide to what good leadership looks like in adult social care. It describes the behaviours, skills and mindsets that underpin safe, consistent, person-centred care. The key message is simple: leadership is shaped by actions, not job titles, and it can be demonstrated at every level of the workforce.  

If you run a service, the LQF helps you describe the culture you want. If you manage a service, it gives you a shared language for leadership behaviour, which makes expectations clearer and improvement easier. 

What changed in the March 2026 update? 

Skills for Care strengthened the focus on: 

• Co-production 

• Equality and inclusion (including allyship) 

• Digital confidence  

Skills for Care also highlights that the refreshed LQF includes the Management and Leadership Code for Health and Social Care, developed by NHS England with Skills for Care and sector partners.  

Why this matters for owners and managers 

Most services are not short of policies. The challenge is consistency. When leadership behaviour varies, the same problems repeat: 

• standards drift across shifts 

• handovers vary in quality 

• supervision becomes irregular 

• small concerns are not escalated early 

• morale drops and people leave 

The LQF helps because it makes leadership observable. Instead of “be a good leader”, it describes what good looks like, in behaviour you can notice, coach and reinforce.  

The five leadership dimensions, made practical 

Skills for Care structures the LQF around five leadership dimensions. Here is what each one means in everyday practice.  

1) Creating the vision 

This is about purpose. In a service, it answers: What are we here to deliver, and what should it feel like to live and work here? 
 

Practical signs it is working: 

• staff can describe the service’s purpose in one sentence 

• leaders talk about quality of life, not just tasks 

• values show up in decisions, including difficult ones 

Try this: 

• write a two-line vision and test it with staff and people who use services 

• start one meeting a week with a short story of good practice linked to that vision 

2) Setting direction 

This is about clarity. People need to know what good looks like and what leaders will check. 
 

Practical signs it is working: 

• expectations are consistent across shifts 

• staff know what to do, and who to tell, when something is not right 

• priorities feel realistic, not overwhelming 

Try this: 

• pick three priorities for the next 30 days and repeat them weekly 

• explain the “why” behind a priority, not just the instruction 

3) Managing services 

This is the safe-and-steady part. It is about running a reliable service where risks are managed and staff are supported. 
 

Practical signs it is working: 

• incidents are reported, reviewed and learned from 

• supervisions happen, and actions are followed up 

• leaders spend time where care happens, not only in the office 

Try this: 

• introduce a weekly 20-minute leadership walkround focused on one risk theme 

• set a simple standard for closing actions from audits and complaints 

4) Improving services 

This is about learning and improvement over time, not blame. It is the habit of asking: What can we make better, and how will we know? 
 

Practical signs it is working: 

• people raise concerns early because it feels safe 

• you can name one improvement made because of feedback in the last month 

• you test small changes, review them, then build on what works 

Try this: 

• keep a “You said, we did” log and share it with residents and families 

• after any incident, ask: what happened, what did we learn, what will we change? 

5) Delivering the strategy 

This is leading change that lasts. Many services make changes. Fewer embed them. 
 

Practical signs it is working: 

• leaders communicate change simply and repeatedly 

• staff get training, practice time and feedback, not just new rules 

• you measure whether change improved outcomes, experience or consistency 

Try this: 

• for any change, define one measure and one routine that will sustain it 

• review progress weekly in two sentences: what moved, what needs attention? 

The Management and Leadership Code, simplified 

The refreshed LQF includes the Management and Leadership Code for Health and Social Care.  
 

The draft Code sets out six principles: accountability, collaboration, compassion, curiosity, inclusion and integrity.  

A simple way to translate those principles into everyday leadership is: 

• Accountability: I own decisions and follow through. 

• Collaboration: I involve the right people early. 

• Compassion: I keep standards high and treat people as humans. 

• Curiosity: I ask what is happening and why, before I judge. 

• Inclusion: I build psychological safety and challenge discrimination. 

• Integrity: I do what is right, even when it is inconvenient.  

Try using the Code in supervision: ask “Which principle did you demonstrate most this month?” and “Which one will you practise next?” 

Co-production without the jargon 

Co-production can sound big. In practice, it is a habit of involving people in decisions that affect their lives.  

Simple ways to start: 

• ask one monthly question: what would you keep, stop, and start? 

• co-produce one change (activities, menus, routines) with a small group, then review 

• close the loop: tell people what changed because of their feedback 

Allyship as everyday leadership 

Skills for Care describes allyship as actions and behaviours to support and advocate for others, and links to practical tools and a short video to help leaders embed allyship in team culture.  

To make this real in a service, agree the behaviours you expect. For example: 

• recognise and challenge bias 

• lead open, respectful conversations 

• respond confidently to discrimination or exclusion 

• use influence to advocate for others 

• build psychological safety  

One simple move: agree one “psychological safety rule” for meetings, such as “we challenge the issue, not the person”. 

Digital confidence, with three quick wins 

Digital confidence does not mean being a technical expert. It means leading digital change so staff can succeed and care is safer.  

Three quick wins: 

1. Make the basics easy: short guides for your core systems and where to get help. 
2. Use data kindly: share one simple metric and ask “What is this telling us?” 
3. Train for real: give staff time to practise, not just watch a demonstration. 

A simple 30-day implementation plan 

Skills for Care explains the LQF can be used for personal reflection, supervision, recruitment, staff development and organisational planning.  

Step 1: Pick one repeat issue 

Choose the issue that costs you the most time, risk, complaints or staff confidence. 

Step 2: Link it to one LQF dimension 

This keeps you focused and prevents initiative overload. 

Step 3: Use the Skills for Care self-assessment tool 

Skills for Care provides four role-specific self-assessment tools: care worker, first-time manager/new to commissioning, operational manager or leader, and strategic manager or leader.  

Use the tool to identify strengths, then pick one development need that links to your repeat issue. 

Step 4: Choose one behaviour and one routine 

Example: 

• Behaviour: leaders confirm understanding at handover. 

• Routine: a weekly spot-check using one prompt question, such as “What is the one thing that could be missed today?” 

Step 5: Measure something small 

Pick a simple measure you can track weekly: 

• fewer missed tasks 

• fewer repeat incidents 

• improved feedback 

• faster closure of audit actions 

Where CareTutor fits 

Skills for Care provides the national framework and tools. CareTutor helps providers turn frameworks into everyday leadership habits through practical development. 

If you are developing new managers, strengthening deputies, or building a consistent leadership culture across your service, CareTutor leadership training can help leaders: 

• strengthen supervision and coaching skills 

• improve communication and accountability 

• build positive, inclusive team culture 

• lead improvement in a way that sticks 

Many providers use the LQF as their shared language, then use structured leadership programmes to build the skills behind it. CareTutor leadership programmes, such as Lead to Succeed and the Well-led Programme, are designed for adult social care and focus on practical application. 

Your next step, from the official source 

This blog is a simplified guide. For the full LQF, downloads and the self-assessment tools, use the official Skills for Care Leadership Qualities Framework page.  
You can also explore Skills for Care’s allyship resources for practical tools to support inclusive leadership. 

For any questions about the LQF or if you need further clarification, click below to get in touch with us. Our team will be happy to assist.