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4 Reasons to Study Leadership & Management in Health & Social Care

21st September 2022

The fields of health and social care are crucial in contemporary society, and work together to protect the most vulnerable.

And yet, to some it may appear that there is a crisis of leadership. 99% of healthcare leaders surveyed by the NHS Confederation said they felt their local social care workforce faced a serious shortage, whilst concerns about delivery of care in the public sector are dominating the headlines.

Post-pandemic, there is no doubt that for those leading in these sectors, there are challenges ahead. But those who can thrive within them have the capacity to bring about change on an individual, societal and systemic level, protecting and providing for service users from a diverse range of backgrounds.

We offer Health & Social Care courses at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate level, so no matter your experience or aspirations, this course could be the key to your next career move. So if you’re looking to bring change to your field, these are just four fantastic reasons to study a qualification in leadership & management in health and social care

1. Master leadership


The secret to strong leadership is to give those you manage the skills to succeed and provide them with opportunities to develop and thrive. This in turn has a positive impact on your organisation and improves the efficiency of everyone in the working environment.

Decision-making is a core part of these sectors, and whilst your position as a leader will require you to make many of these choices, you’ll also consult with others to give them the skills to make these choices.

As a qualified healthcare leader, you’ll work to improve your team’s skills whilst learning to efficiently and effectively manage the resources at your disposal.

2. Inspire those you manage


In these challenging sectors, leaders need the skills to consistently inspire their staff, maintaining morale and enabling their passion for their role to shine through even in the face of adversity.

And as part of this course you’ll explore HR managing strategies and examine the structures of healthcare organisations to make that happen, not only expanding your understanding of your own field but teaching you how to make the most of those you manage. You’ll also learn how management impacts the quality of care delivered and how positive people management can improve this.

With the right skills to manage your team you’ll not only empower your colleagues in the present, but inspire budding talents towards future leadership.

3. Learn more about your field


Throughout this course, you’ll have the chance to learn more about the fields of health and social care.

You’ll understand organisational structures and the impact you can have on these as a healthcare leader, as well understanding the internal and external factors that can affect your sector, and what you can do as a leader to mitigate these impacts where possible for both your teams and service users.

You’ll also learn more about the research process, through a lens of ethics and real-world application, to understand how research impacts your work environment. This module is designed to grow your problem-solving and initiative skills as well as your subject knowledge.

4. Study flexibly


Of course, the biggest benefit of studying a distance learning course with ARU is that it grants you the flexibility to learn on a schedule that suits you.

Health and social care are both highly demanding sectors, and for many working in these areas and looking to progress, the day-to-day demands of your career may be too challenging to balance a traditional study schedule.

Distance learning is designed to overcome these challenges and make education accessible for students who need it most. As a health and social care student on one of our targeted leadership and management courses, you’ll most likely be already working in the sector and potentially even starting out on your managerial career, in which case you’ll have the support of your tutors to help you juggle these joint demands whilst allowing your learning to enhance your practice from the beginning.

If you’re looking to advance your career in health and social care and utilise leadership to make a difference or are already in a leadership position in the field and want to develop your skills to further your ability to make a difference, our courses are ideal for you.

We a range of fantastic courses designed to appeal to students with a range of experience. Our Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care FdSc is a foundation course ideal for those with some experience in the sector taking their first steps in management. This course can not only pave the way for further study in the future, but can also provide a solid foundation for your career ambitions.

Alternatively our Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (top-up) BSc Hons is ideal for those with a more intermediate knowledge and experience who are looking to take their leadership to the next level. If you study our foundation course initially, you may choose to progress to our top-up BSc on the future. And if you’d like to progress your study beyond this, you may also choose to study our Healthcare Management MSc to obtain a postgraduate qualification that will expand your skills and understanding of the sector.

Learn more about our courses today to commence your leadership journey, or take the next step in your managerial career.

Check out the following blogs to find out more about our distance learning degrees: