Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care FdSc

Core modules

• Higher Education and the Work Environment

  Students entering Higher Education will need specific study skills to enable them to maximise their learning potential and take advantage of opportunities available both in the academic setting and workplace. The module is intended to be both preparatory and supportive building a strong foundation for learning and later development. Academic development will be supported alongside the development of self. Develop your understanding of the work sector and the role that individuals take in influencing its performance within the context and environment that influence the operation of organisations. You’ll explore the impact of political, social and economic factors on the sector and consider the legal and ethical frameworks informing the sector. You’ll also reflect on your current or potential roles within the work sector. It’ll develop an awareness of the values, knowledge and skills that allow you to operate within the work sector. You’ll develop self-awareness and reflective ability appropriate to your position in the organisation. Our students originate from a range of settings, for example, health, social care and social housing and this module encourages you to reflect on how national policy influences your organisation whether state, private or third sector. You’ll explore the influence of local and national policies and standards on your own role and develop an understanding of their impact on service users. Assessment for the module will be a patchwork text requiring you to undertake a series of short varied assessments which demand critical and personal engagement on a theme related to your working environment.

• Planning and Managing Resources

  This module is designed to provide you with a fundamental understanding of the importance of effective resource management in Health and Social Care.

• Valuing People and Fostering Dignity and Respect

  Develop an informed and insightful understanding of the centrality of the individual in health and social care settings. Understanding of ethical principles is essential when caring for individuals and fostering dignity and respect. It’ll provide an important foundation from which students will reflect critically upon their own personal values and those of their colleagues. Essential to this module is the understanding of respecting the uniqueness and strengths of individuals and groups who may be socially excluded. It’ll develop students' understanding of rights, power, and responsibility within the practice of health and social care. The module will also equip you with a sound philosophical base to help you think about ethical dilemmas, conflicts, contradictions and tensions. It’ll explore how interpersonal skills can be developed to be responsive to the diverse needs of clients. You’ll be encouraged to explore how your own attitudes and beliefs can influence client care. The importance of situational factors such as stress and conflict will be explored to show how coping mechanisms utilised in these situations can enhance or undermine the dignity and respect shown to colleagues and clients. The module will be delivered by face to face teaching, blended learning and online delivery. The assessment consists of a presentation of a scenario from practice applying theories of ethics and principles of dignity and respect. Distance-learning students will be required to submit a visual presentation with a written commentary equivalent to 6,000 words.

• Working Collaboratively

  The purpose of this module is to enable you to become aware of the importance of multi-professional and inter-professional team working, operating in a collaborative way and being an effective member of the team.

• Research and Critical Thinking

  Designed to develop your awareness of the need to underpin professional practice by the use of published research and up to date evidence. This is a key requirement of two major registering bodies within health care, the HPC and NMC as evidenced by their Codes of Standards and Conduct. It’s an important skill for both students and emergent practitioners within health and social care as they develop their knowledge and skills towards registration. The workbook 'Research and Critical Thinking' includes a number of activities for you to complete. Completion of the workbook leads to the access of published research studies relevant to your own area of practice. Extensive electronic resources are available through Anglia Ruskin University Digital Library, library's databases and e-journal collection. Completion of the workbook activities leads, in turn, to the assessment to support a claim for 15 credits at level 5. This assessment will be in the form of a critique of a research article pertinent to the student's area of practice. You are required to discuss your selected research article for the essay with the module tutor or leader to ascertain its appropriateness. It’s expected that you’ll be able to identify the major approaches to research using your selected studies as examples. Integral with this essay is recognition of the checks and balances (ethics) associated with research involving human subjects. It should be noted that there is an expectation that you’ll undertake a total of approximately 150 learning hours to complete this module; this will include, depending on the delivery mode selected, Classroom based activities, tutorials, literature reviews, professional development activities and the development of the assignment.

• Leadership Practice

  This module will empower you to develop the necessary leadership skills in order to become a facilitator and motivator of change in the workplace.

• Managing People and Processes

  This module is designed to give you an insight into human resource management functions and issues.

• Work-Based Project 2

  This module enables students to have the opportunity to broaden or deepen their understanding of a given relevant work based topic through undertaking a project using self-directed learning. This module is intended to provide a means by which they have such an opportunity in a manner that is supported and academically rigorous. The module experience will comprise of two phases: preparation and implementation. Students will be required to propose a project proposal including a rationale showing that they have made informed decisions about their intended topic.