Specialist Skills to Post Registration Development for Health (SSPRD)

UNIVERSITY OF BRADFORDSchool of Health Studies (SOHS)Department: Joint collaborative provision from all SOHS divisions

Programme title:Framework forFlexible Learning in Health and Social Care (post graduate access)

Specialist Skills to Post Registration Development for Health (SSPRD)

Leading to: Certificate of continuing education, Postgraduate Certificate/Postgraduate Diploma/Master Degree in Health, Wellbeing and Social Care

Awarding and teaching institution: / University of Bradford
Final and interim award (s): / MSc
Postgraduate Diploma
Postgraduate Certificate
Framework of Higher Education Qualification (Level 7)
Programme title: / Framework for Flexible Learning in Health, wellbeing and Social Care
Programme elements approvedby: / NMC
HCPC
GPhC
Duration: / Part Time: flexible by negotiation over 5 years Full time: by negotiation
UCAS code: / n/a
Date produced: / June 2010
Last updated : / January 2014

Introduction

The School of Health Studies is a major provider of education and training for individuals working within the health, social, independent and community/voluntary sector organisations across the Yorkshire and Humber Region and wider. The School’s focus on excellence though knowledge, practice, research, leadership and management aims to support the future sustainability of the individuals, through lifelong learning and improved employability and thereby influencing the future adaptability of individual organisations and service delivery to promote change.

School of Health Studies Specialist Skills and Post Registration Development (SSPRD) (formerly known as Continuing Professional Development (CPD)) Framework for Flexible Learning

A number of academic awards and modules are provided as part of the interdisciplinary Framework within the School of Health Studies. The Framework enables you to create an individualised programme of study that will meet either your needs and/or your employers’ needs for a changing diverse workforce within a modern organisation.

The modules and academic awards are presented in themed areas representing employment practice or work based or clinical disciplines. Whilst some students can build their own awards by choosing their own menu of module options other students will opt for a named academic award. TheFramework also provides the option for studentsto move from theirchosen named award to another award if their job or personal circumstances change and they need to alter the focus of their studies.The majority of named awards also offer students, such as yourself, the option of choosing at least one module, sometimes more, from across the School module catalogue enabling you to shape your award more specifically to your needs. You will be able to enter your studies through one of four themed pathways.

The generic pathway is for people who do not wish to undertake a defined programme or award, but who might like to study one module at a time (maximum of 5 years) building academic credit at their own pace. If you wish to study a number of modules that suit your own learning needs and preferences over a period of time you could eventually build up enough credit for one of our generic awards in Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at Post Graduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma or MSc level.

If you wish to study a programme that is closely aligned to your area of employment or profession which has a clearly defined route and set of core modules you will be registered on to either the practice pathway, the education pathway or the diversity, leadership and management pathway, depending on your focus. The route of your study and the collection of modules will contextualise your learning in relation to the Aims and Learning Objectives of the Framework outlined in the next section of this document.

Study for most Postgraduate Diplomas and all Masters level awards require students to undertake at least one of the School-wide interprofessional modules. A choice of research modules andthe management project module are available and open to all students, depending on their level of study. The modules are taught in interdisciplinary groups by a range of lecturers from across the School. A number of staff from the School are clinical experts in their field or are actively involved in research across a range of different settings, including some who have an international as well as national reputation for their work, such the members of the Bradford Dementia Group, the Centre for Inclusion and Diversity. You are enabled to meet the modules aims and learning outcomes by applying the knowledge and principles being taught into your own employment or professional area.

The flexibility offered by the School of Health’s framework will enable you to take forward your current experience whatever the area of your work in collaboration with the University of Bradford. You will be able to obtain credits for short episodes of study, transfer credits forprior learning, undertake a single module or combine studying a choice of modules over time. An academic adviser from the School will discuss with you and support your choices before you start and during your programme of study.

Programme / Framework Aims

The framework has several aims for your learning that are contextualised within the aims of the modules and the route of study that you take. If you study a School wide module, alongside students from different professions/employment areas, it is the application of the Aims and Learning Outcomes to your own subject area that maintains the focus on your area of interest and final award. The programme aims are:

Level 7
A1 / Provide a flexible educational framework that is vocationally relevant, which meets the professional development needs of the student, as well as the organisational needs of employers.
A2 / Stimulate students to become autonomous self-directed learners who are motivated to sustain and advance their own continuous professional learning with a confidence to support the professional development of colleagues and the work of their organisations.
A3 / Develop the skills , knowledge, critical understanding and awareness of the depth and breadth of knowledge applicable to their own fields of practice
A4 / Further develop the students cognitive and practical skills to undertake data synthesis, complex problem solving, the articulation of competing perspectives and competence in their field of practice
A5 / Provide opportunities for interprofessional teaching and learning to share the knowledge, skills and experience common to a range of different health and social care disciplines.
A6 / Develop critically reflective, competent practitioners, managers and leaders who will inform and shape or change inclusive, fair and ethically sensitive service provision.
A7 / Provide a framework within which the curriculum, where required, meets the regulatory needs of professional bodies such as the NMC and HPC or is kite marked by the CMI.
A8 / Develop the skills required for life-long learning and professional development
Additionally if you wish to study one or more core research modules or management modules for a post graduate diploma or undertake a Masters dissertation
A9 / Develop an understanding of the theoretical constructs underpinning research or project management which will inform the undertaking an ethical piece of research or a work based project and the ability to demonstrate how the findings can influence practice and policy.

Programme Learning Outcomes

These learning outcomes are compatible with the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ 2008).

The framework contains nested pathways as well as the flexibility to design your own pathway and the learning outcomes outlined below are contextualised within the learning outcomes of the modules that you study. The programme aims and outcomes are mapped across the framework. When you have successfully completed your programme of study within the framework you will be able to:

Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma level
LO1 / Develop a detailed knowledge and understanding of the literature that relates to your specialist field of practice
LO2 / Critically analyse and synthesise the research evidence that informs the development of policy and service delivery in your specialist field of practice
LO3 / Evaluate and critically apply theoretical concepts and where appropriate, for your field of practice, master practical skills for the management of complex issues within your field of practice
LO4 / Reflect upon and demonstrate knowledge of values, ethical thinking, equality awareness, inclusive practice and demonstrate mastery within your specialist field or practice.
LO5 / Develop and demonstrate the ability to articulate sound arguments using a variety of formats including written and oral communication skills
LO6 / Demonstrate management and leadership through effective communication, problem solving, and decision making
LO7 / Demonstrate the ability to become an autonomous learner through independent study and critical reflection on continuing development needs
LO8 / Demonstrate the ability to use IT skills to gather and synthesise information , to access programme materials
Masters degree
LO9 / Demonstrate a critical awareness and understanding of different theoretical constructs underpinning research and/or project management methodologies.
LO10 / Design, undertake and report on either a systematic review, a piece of empirical research, work based or management project that contributes to or extends the body of knowledge for your field of practice

Curriculum

The modular format of the programmes within the School of Health Studies Framework permits you to either select all of your modules or to study a defined set of modules but with at least one module that is outside, but complementary to, anamed academic award. In so doing, this will broaden your knowledge and understanding of other areas that impact on your area of employment or clinical practice.The Framework curriculum provides a range of modules that can combined to provide an individualised or specific award at Post Graduate level. The majority of modules are 30 credits in size, but some specific module sizes range from between 10, 20 and 60 credits. It is possible with negotiation with your programme leader or academic advisor to accrue the equivalent number of credits,by combining a range of modules, including for example the independent study modules, the work based practice modules. Application of specialist knowledge applied to these modules enables your learning needs to be achieved whilst achieving enough credit for a postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma or Master’s degree, which where necessary, can be named retrospectively.

Students choosing to join or move from a named award to the generic pathway within the Framework can take as many modules as they choose, in the order that they wish. If you choose to move from a named award pathway and study a number of alternative modules, you will be informed by your academic adviser, when you have enough academic credit for the award of post graduate certificate or postgraduate diploma. The naming of generic award will be undertaken after the collection of modules studied has been analysed.

Should you choose to undertake and successfully complete one of the named postgraduate awards you may exit at this point with that award. If you continue to study for a Masters Degree you will receive a certificate of achievement relating to the postgraduate awards successfully completed. Alternatively you may enter the Masters route having previously exited the programme with a postgraduate certificate or accumulated prior learning for up to 120 credits. You can undertake any number of modules and postgraduate certificates available in the School portfolio but you will only be able to import 120 credits towards an MSc, in alignment with a waiver from the University regulations.

To undertake a generic, practice or education based Masters Degree a core research module will be required prior to commencing one of the 60 credit MSc dissertation modules. To undertake an MSc in management or leadership, a core management module will be required prior to undertaking the 60 credit management project.

Learning and Assessment

Whilst following this programme of study you will engage with learning through a range of teaching methods. These methods will be dependent on the modules studied, however student-centred approaches to learning are a feature of the modules across the School of Health Studies and you will be expected to take responsibility for your learning as you develop your academic skills. There are a number of approaches to the manner in which modules are delivered and these include block attendance, study day attendance, distance learning and blended learning. When devising your study plan with your academic adviser, you will be informedwhich delivery methods are utilised for which module and in which semester your chosen modules are being delivered. You will also be informed about dates and times of compulsory attendance at the university and (or) practice placement.

The aims of the teaching and learning strategies have been designed so that you will be given the opportunity to develop theoretical and experiential understanding (Programme LO’s 1, 3, 7), advance your knowledge and critical thinking (Programme LO’s 2, 8, 4, 10) and to develop a range of skills appropriate to your professional field your, organisation and workplace setting(Programme LO’s 5, 6, 9). The modules and programmes nested within the framework offer you the capacity to acknowledge and build upon the knowledge and skills you may have acquired through previous learning experiences including those in the work place.

As you undertake your chosen pathway or undertake the modules of your choice you will develop a full range of skills and competencies appropriate to your work or professional field, which will enable you to function more effectively in your workplace.

Your programme of study will expose you to a range of different teaching, learning and assessment strategies required to achieve the learning outcomes (See annex 3). The teaching approaches that are used across the School of Health Studies are informed by the University core values which are for teaching and learning to be: Reflective, Adaptable, Inclusive, Supportive, Ethical and Sustainable. You may experience these across your choice of modules in order to meet both the aims of the programme and your learning outcomes which may include any number of the following:

Lectures:to a group of students where information will be presented and discussed whilst informed by the core values.

Facilitated seminars and group discussion: where learning will be through the interpretation and critical application of information and group learning

Tutorial: where small group number of students reflect and discuss issues related to their learning

Work-based learning : where learning is directed within the work environment and is reflected upon and then reported on.

Work-based learning: where skills are taught in relation to theory and best practice enabling students to advance their competence in their field of practice

Web based virtual learning environments: such as Blackboard or Ning, to access information and to interact with other students undertaking group work or developing wikis.

Distance learning packages where clearly defined directed study and tasks are available for the student to undertake.

Directed reading: where set reading may be recommended

Self-Directed learning: Where student are expected to develop their own learning by identifying areas of interest and areas in which knowledge needs to be developed.

Undertaking a work based project or a research module which is shaped by your own self-directed learning needs and the learning outcomes at MSc level.

You will be expected to develop an autonomous learning style and become self-directed as a learner.

Your learning will be assessed against the learning outcomes and programme aims through the use of a range of different assessment techniques which may include one or more of the following approaches:

• Written essay
• A Reflective Case study
• The development of a reflective portfolio
• Completion of set number of competencies
• Completion of a set number of clinical contacts
• Practical examination (OSC(E/P))
• Computer based Multiple Choice Question examination
• Computer based open book examination
• Seminar Presentation
• Written project report
• Completion of a Dissertation
• Research paper/executive summary

Some of these teaching and assessment strategies may change over time and through the ongoing development of the programmes.

Assessment Regulations

Whilst this Programme conforms to the general principles set out in the standard University Assessment Regulations, which are available at the link, below there are a number of exceptions to these regulations.

The exceptions to these regulations for which there is a School waiver. This applies to the practice based modules with the following module codes: HNP*, HMP*, HPP*, HRP*, where each component and element of assessment must be passed at 40%.

Admission Requirements

The University welcomes applications from all potential students regardless of their previous academic experience; offers are made following detailed consideration of each individual application. Most important in the decision to offer a place is our assessment of a candidate’s potential to benefit from their studies and of their ability to succeed on this particular programme. Entrance requirements to undertake a programme of study within the framework may vary but consideration of your application will be based on a combination of your formal academic qualifications and other relevant experience.

The entry requirements for this programme are:

• A first degree in a relevant subject area, NVQ level 6 or equivalent or a relevant postgraduate qualification
• A registered qualification with a UK professional regulatory organisation if a professional practice award is applied for that enables the student to practice in the UK. E.G. Registration with the NMC to undertake a named nursing award or registration with the HCPC to undertake a named Radiography award
• Students whose qualifications do not meet the entry requirements above but who have significant experience and other evidence of ability to study at this level.
• Students for whom English is not a first language must have an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent
• Have access to a computer that has a broadband connection and that can browse the internet and has word processing on it*
• Have computing skills commensurate with the demands of programme*

The University of Bradford has computers with internet and word processing facilities available to students across a number of locations therefore students do not need to own their own computer or have a home internet service. Computer literacy courses are available for people new to information technology and both the Learner Development Unit and the Disability Office can provide support to students who have a disability. Dyslexia screening is also available. For further information please see