In order to be admitted to the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) to become a qualified care home manager, you need at least five years of professional experience, of which at least three years must be in a managerial position in the care home sector. If you have not completed a three-year apprenticeship, but a two-year apprenticeship, you must provide evidence of at least seven years of professional experience instead of five years, but here too only three years in a managerial role.

Upon passing the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE), the continuing education, further training to become a qualified care home manager concludes with the qualification "Qualified Institution Manager in the Social and Socio-Medical Sector".

The course costs for continuing education, further training as a care home manager or institution manager in the social and socio-medical field do not include the examination fees. These must be paid separately and amount to CHF 1,800 for 2015. In addition, there is a fee of CHF 40 for issuing the diploma and registration in the SERI register. In the case of examination retakes, CHF 600 must be paid for each of the individual examination parts (written diploma thesis; case study; presentation and technical discussion on the diploma thesis). You must also pay a fee for any equivalence assessments, which amounts to CHF 600 for a first application and CHF 400 for a second application.

The Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for qualified care home managers was held for the last time in 2012 and was subsequently replaced by the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for qualified institution managers in the social and socio-medical sector. Persons who hold the old title are entitled to use the new title without having to take another examination.

The requirements for training as an institution manager in the social and socio-medical field (AFPE) are as follows:

• Federal Diploma of Higher Education as a team leader in social and socio-medical organizations (FPE) another higher vocational education qualification (Federal Professional Examination, Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) or College of Higher Education) or a university degree in the social or health sector
• and at least 3 years of professional experience in social/social med. organizations

or

• Other higher vocational education qualification (Federal Professional Examination, Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) or College of Higher Education) or university degree
• and at least 3 years of professional experience in social/social med. organizations and proof of the required industry knowledge

or

• Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (VET Diploma) in social or healthcare services
  and at least 5 years of professional experience in social/social med. organizations
  In addition to the above requirements:
  • 3 years of management experience in the social or healthcare sector at least at team leader level
  • and proof of having managed an entire division of an organization in the social or health sector
  • and the required module qualifications (modules 1-10) or certificates of equivalence

Schools that prepare you for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) in Home Management provide you with the knowledge you need to perform your future tasks. You will be introduced to topics such as: understanding leadership, leadership behaviour, goal-oriented leadership in a team, organization and quality of teamwork, team development and cooperation, planning, implementing and evaluating leadership tasks, leading yourself and others, personnel, finances, organization, strategic and normative management. In addition, the individual schools for continuing education, further training in home management/institution management also cover other topics, although these vary from school to school. Please ask the individual training providers directly for the exact timetable for care home managers.

As each school offers different course models comprising a different number of teaching hours per week, the duration of the continuing education, further training to become a certified home manager or certified institution manager in the social and socio-medical field can vary between one and three years.