These units are mandatory units for our Masters courses, and are undertaken normally when 120 level 7 credits have been achieved. They can also be taken on a standalone basis. 

Preparing for your Service Improvement Project

A Service Improvement Project (SIP) aims to bring about a measurable benefit to a service or services against a stated aim. During the unit you will explore a range of relevant knowledge, skills and attributes to enable you to prepare for a SIP. This unit aims to provide an opportunity to develop a SIP proposal. During the unit you will explore a range of relevant knowledge, skills and attributes to enable you to prepare for a SIP. You will gain sufficient knowledge regarding an appropriate, systematic and justified methodology in a complex professional area design an original, intellectually challenging and in-depth SIP action plan relevant to your professional context.

Service Improvement Project

A Service Improvement Project (SIP) aims to bring about a measurable benefit to a service or services against a stated aim. The project embraces both traditional and non-traditional forms of intellectual inquiry and relevant and effective practical management.

The specific content and subject matter related to the area of investigation will be justified by you and negotiated with your SIP tutor and employer.

The project will demonstrate your autonomous and independent ability within a complex professional context, to create knowledge which expands or redefines existing knowledge and/or develops new approaches to service improvement.

Service Improvement Project units are mandatory units for the following Masters awards:

• MA Advanced Mental Health Practice
• MA Advanced Practice
• MA Leading and Developing Services

This course is taught face to face and requires 100% attendance.

Normally students may enter Level 7 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.

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.

Preparing for Service Improvement Project 

The completion of a PowerPoint presentation which will follow the assignment guidelines. The slides should be set out as follows (please follow the PSIP Assignment Template for more details, this template will be made available once you have started the course).

• Slide one: a short abstract of no more than 200 words setting out a summary of the proposed project. This slide is for reference for the markers and will not be presented in the presentation.
• (first slides of the presentation),
• Slide two and three: Context
• Slide four & five: Literature search strategy and review of key literature
• Slide six & seven: Design of project (intervention or enquiry led) to include Aims and Objectives of the project.
• Slide eight & nine: Primary data collection, intended sample and method of data analysis
• Slide ten: Confirmation of managers approval for project to proceed and confirmation BU ethics checklist has been submitted and approved (or what conditions have been set if that is the case). Checklist will include participant information sheet, Participant agreement form if relevant to data collection method and details of questionnaire / interview or focus group schedule
• Slide eleven and twelve: Reference list of sources used in the presentation. These slides will not be presented in the presentation 

The student will present slides two to ten in the presentation. There will be 20 minutes allocated for the presentation followed by a short Q&A session of around 10 minutes led by the markers. This could be on any aspect of the presentation.

Service Improvement Project 

The completion of a SIP report, using a provided proforma, will form the written coursework for this unit. The proforma will require the completion of three related sections: 

• Section 1: Implementation of action plan/output/outcome summary report verified by a work based ‘third party’ (service manager). (2500 words)  
• Section 2: Reflective discussion on SIP activity (1000 words)  
• Section 3: References & Appendices (including a signed ‘third-party’ verification form).  

Preparing for Service Improvement Project 

Having completed this unit the student is expected to:

1. Demonstrate the capacity for the design of an original, feasible and coherent SIP proposal that addresses the limitations of knowledge claims and the difficulties and dilemmas associated with intervening in complex workplace/professional situations 
2. Devise and apply an appropriate literature review strategy demonstrating critical evaluation skills 
3. Critically identify and formulate the SIP problem and produce relevant, clear and focused aims and objectives 
4. Produce a robust action plan/strategy for the development of the proposed SIP activity, incorporating appropriate methodological, ethical and design issues and decisions 

Service Improvement Project 

Having completed this unit the student is expected to:

1. Demonstrate the capacity for the effective, autonomous and independent management of a SIP. 
2. Rigorously apply a suitable approach to a SIP that integrates procedures of research enquiry, analysis and evaluation to address the limitations of knowledge claims and the difficulties and dilemmas associated with intervening in complex workplace / professional situations. 
3. Structure and present a clear, critical and reflective discussion of the SIP activity, and evaluate its impact on, and the implications for understanding and knowledge for individual, local and wider contexts.

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.