The unit aims to address the needs of new managers/leaders in health and social care who are working in a culture of constant change and service development. It will allow you to critically reflect on your existing competence in basic leadership skills developed as a result of experience or those typically found in organisation-based training programmes. You will be encouraged to identify your own skills and plan to improve these by setting personal and organisational objectives. 

Leading and managing in complex, ever changing, and financially challenged organisations requires flexible and adaptive professional leaders. This unit will encourage the student to explore their leadership capability starting with self, critically reflecting upon their impact and experience, developing a matched action plan focused on two objectives a personal professional, and organisational focused improvement outcomes.

Key areas covered:

• Health and social care change, vision and values; policy directives.
• Current challenges in meeting the new health and social care agenda.
• Implications for leading self and others in changing climates.
• Fundamental concepts in relation to leadership and management.
• Skills analysis using appropriate national management and occupational standards.
• Modes of reflective practice.
• Personal development planning.

Learning outcomes

Having completed this unit the student is expected to:

• Critically evaluate the effectiveness of their existing practice in managing self and others, using evidence based knowledge, an understanding of legal and policy contexts and the policies and procedures of their own organisations.
• Critically evaluate a range of strategies and behaviours that will help them to achieve and maintain effectiveness in managing self and the performance of others.
• Demonstrate an advanced understanding and critical application of appropriate theoretical issues and frameworks in reflecting on and analysing a complex, work related situation.
• Meet appropriate professional standards and requirements. 

This unit is intended to develop leadership and management skills and therefore, students undertaking this unit will need to be able to ensure that they are in a role were they can clearly meet all the ILO criteria which includes being able to evaluate their existing practice in managing self and others.

This unit can be undertaken as part of the MA Leading and Developing Services programme.

This course requires 100% attendance.

Normally students may enter Level 7 (Master's level) study if they have been awarded:

• Undergraduate degree (honours or non-honours)
• An equivalent qualification (the learning outcome of which are demonstrably appropriate in terms of knowledge, understanding and skills) equivalent to 120 credits at Level 6.

If you do not meet this criteria you are still able to apply for this unit but we may ask you to complete a study skills handbook to familiarise yourself with academic writing at masters level or pre-admission work. This will be sent to you when we have received your application form.

This unit is also available at Level 6 (degree level).

Fees and funding:

You will need to pay or indicate employer support of payment for unit or course fees to the university.

Applicants should contact their employing organisation for further details.

Pre-purchased places

The Faculty of Health & Social Sciences has contractual arrangements with NHS organisations, Local Authorities and the Pan-Dorset & Wiltshire Teaching Partnership for pre-paid places on specified modules. If you work within Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset or Hampshire and Isle of Wight you may be able to access the pre-paid places. These arrangements allow organisations to nominate the staff they wish to send on each unit or course.

The pre-arranged agreements allow individuals, such as yourself, a route to access appropriate professional development opportunities that are seen as strategically important to your organisation (in consultation with your Line Manager/Education Co-ordinator). All requests for pre-paid places must first be agreed by your organisation prior to completing an application.

The assignment focuses on developing, delivering professional organisational and personal outcomes for improving and enhancing existing practice. The assignment consists of a maximum of 5000 words with an action plan as part of the assignment discourse. An analysis of the two chosen objectives together with a critical reflection and evaluation of the implementation of the action plan will form the basis of the assignment.

The above work will be complemented by a third party testimony to confirm real application in practice. This would normally be provided by the student’s line manager. (Additional guidance for the third-party testimony is provided in a separate handbook written for the 3rd party authors).

Course review:

In order to take advantage of new approaches to learning and teaching, as well as developments in practice to benefit our students we regularly review all of our courses. This course is currently going through this process and we will update this page to give you full information about what we will be offering once the review process has concluded.  These changes will come into effect for all new students from September 2025. Applicants will be notified by our admissions team of any changes.