Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (top-up) BSc (Hons)

Our Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (top-up) will develop you personally and professionally, and provide the tools you need to achieve your career potential. You’ll build your ability to work as an effective team leader in settings involving people from different disciplines and agencies.

You’ll advance your understanding of the latest policy developments in health and social care and develop your research awareness and analytical skills. You’ll learn to use higher level strategies for solving practical problems, and understand how to implement, influence and adapt to change in your workplace. You’ll also explore the needs of service users so that their views – and those of their carers – are fully represented.

Our work-based learning approach means your study will be directly relevant to your job even though you’ll be investigating wider leadership and management themes.

You’ll study with, and learn from, other current and aspiring managers and leaders from a range of health and social care organisations, allowing you to benefit from their experiences and best practice. You’ll also build ongoing relationships that will support you in your future career.

Students on this course work in the NHS, the voluntary and private sectors and the military, leading to vibrant and interesting discussions.

Accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

CMI accreditation means you may opt to, at no extra cost, receive a second professional qualification upon successful completion of your programme. By adding this CMI qualification to your University qualification, you’re really on the road to success. Other benefits include:

• Professional recognition and Chartered Management status
• Free access to CMI online management and leadership resources during your ARU course and for a period of time after you complete your ARU course
• Access to the CMI career development centre with resources to help with writing CVs, interview simulations and career management tools
• CMI membership and opportunities for networking with other CMI members
• Access to CMI events

Modules

Due to the structure of this course, there will be instances where you will study two modules simultaneously during a trimester. You will be supported by your tutors to help manage your workload and assessment deadlines.

Please contact one of our advisers to discuss the pacing of this course and the options available to match your circumstances.

Leadership Practice in Health and Social Care

This module will empower you to develop the necessary leadership skills required to become a facilitator and motivator of change in the workplace. The focus is upon contemporary theories of leadership such as transformational leadership, distributive and leaderful practice and the notions which underpin leadership such as personal dispositions, values and skills.

Evaluating Research for Evidence-Based Practice

You’ll reinforce your existing knowledge of the research process and further develop your skills of critical analysis, particularly in relation to published research literature. You’ll also have the opportunity to appraise the ethical dimensions of research studies.

Strategic Management in Health and Social Care

This module covers the main study areas in strategic management in health and social care and presents the practical issues and problems of strategic management in real organizations. You’ll look at how key concepts of strategic management are applied in real world situations in health and social care field and apply your own critical faculties to evaluate the usefulness of these concepts to your organization.

Undergraduate Major Project

The individual Final Project module allows you to engage in a substantial piece of work, focussed on a topic relevant to your specific discipline. The project topic will be assessed for suitability to ensure sufficient academic challenge and satisfactory supervision by an academic member of staff. You will be assigned an academic supervisor who will support you on a one to one basis during your study of this module.

Assessment

Throughout the course, we'll use a range of assessment methods to help you and your tutors measure your progress on each module. These include reflective practice, essays and a major project, as well as the sharing of ideas and critical thoughts in an online setting.

Yvette Winnard

Yvette qualified as a therapeutic radiographer in 1983 and worked for 21 years in the NHS. She joined Anglia Ruskin University in 2004 and delivered the online distance learning radiotherapy course until 2010. Since 2010 Yvette has been course leader of the FdSc Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care.

Our Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (top-up) BSc (Hons) is studied 100% online.

You’ll study through Canvas, our world-class online Learning Management System (LMS), which can be accessed from your phone, pc or tablet at home or on the move. Canvas provides instant access to study materials, forums, and support from tutors and classmates, as well as enabling easy submission of your assignments.

On successful completion of your studies you’ll be invited to attend a graduation ceremony on campus. If attending the ceremony in person is not possible then we’ll arrange to have your certificate sent to you.

What could a Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (top-up) BSc (Hons) do for my career?

In a competitive workplace environment, standing out from the crowd is key to attaining the roles you want and achieving maximum success.

Our top-up course will give you the skills you need to become the most effective manager you can be, lead teams, and drive change for the better. You’ll learn how management theory can be applied to real-life scenarios, whilst also developing the tools to take your own initiative when devising solutions.

This valuable skillset will set you apart as an exceptional leader and help you build a career in caring sectors that has a genuine impact, and with our work-based approach that allows you to learn while you earn, you can put your learnings into practice from day one.

Our Management & Leadership in Health & Social Care BSc is not simply a fast-track to your next role – it’s a chance to grow as an individual and inspire real change.

What job roles can I consider with a Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (top-up) BSc (Hons)?

A Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (top-up) BSc (Hons) will enhance your understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a manager within a health and social care organisation. You may already be in or aspiring to one of these roles, either in the near or more distant future:

• Practice Manager
• NHS Operational Manager
• NHS General Manager
• Care Manager for the following types of provision:
• Elderly care home / nursing home
• Children’s home
• Hospice
• Supported housing

If you are looking for more information about these job profiles and potential salary earnings see Roles in management | Health Careers or Prospects.ac.uk. It’s important to note that salaries can vary widely depending on the job role, employer, industry sector and location.

What skills will I get from a Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (top-up) BSc (Hons) to help my career?

You'll learn many transferable skills from this CMI accredited qualification; here are just some of them:

• You'll understand how to use emotional Intelligence to make you a better leader
• Draw on your knowledge to manage teams and project effectively
• Enhance your research and analytical skills
• Improve your decision-making and problem-solving skills

What can I study after a Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (top-up) BSc (Hons)?

Depending on your long-term goals and desired career, you may consider a postgraduate degree in a related subject such as Healthcare Management MSc or Medical and Healthcare Education MSc. A Master’s degree is the most common type of postgraduate qualification and usually focuses on a specific area of a wider subject which may support your future career development. Having a bachelor’s degree under your belt is a key entry requirement in opening doors to postgraduate study.

Careers Advice Service

Once you become an ARU student you will be able to access our Employability service to help you whatever stage of your career, whether that’s landing your first dream job or the next progression step.

We offer:

• careers advice, including one-to-one online and telephone appointments with our experienced advisers
• help with your CV, job searches, applications and interview preparation
• an online portal packed with useful careers resources
• our Employability Programme, which helps you hone the skills employers say they want in graduates.

As a distance learner, you'll also need a suitable computer with internet connection, together with sufficient IT competence to make effective use of our online learning management system (LMS) with high-speed internet and email.

Fees

The full tuition fee for this course is £5,000.

The tuition fees you pay each year will be between £2,500 and £5,000 depending on how long you take to complete the course. You can choose to study our Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care (Top-up) BSc (Hons) in either 1 year (full-time) or 2 years (part-time).

Approved prior learning may reduce the tuition fees. This will be confirmed once your application has been submitted.

Funding

Government-backed part time student loans are available to cover the cost of studying this course. These are subject to eligibility and terms and conditions.

We offer payment by instalments, so you can spread the cost of studying with us.

For military students: You can use your ELCs towards this course. ARU is a recognised ELCAS provider (number 1007). Please contact your Learning Centre for details of ELC, eligibility and how to apply.

For more information on how you fund your studies please see our funding page.

With a foundation degree or equivalent qualification, you’ll already have a solid grounding in health and social care leadership, from which you’ll gain a strong understanding of management, collaboration, planning and resource allocation, amongst other essential disciplines.

But in any role, development is the key to progression, which is why our top-up Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care BSc provides you with an incredible opportunity to expand on your existing experience and improve your knowledge of management, leadership, strategy and practice to shape the future of your career.

This course provides you with a leadership qualification that has the potential to make you a highly attractive candidate to employers in public and private sectors, boost your job satisfaction and make your aspirations a reality.

This online top-up degree will build on your existing knowledge from your foundation qualification (or equivalent) and your work experience to give you a more thorough understanding of the challenges of management and leadership in the fields of health and social care.

With our Leadership Practice in Health and Social Care module, you’ll master the theory of leadership to develop your own personal leadership style, and manage teams in effective ways to enact change.

You will also develop your research and analysis skills to evaluate data, and with our Strategic Management module, you’ll learn about the practical application and potential pitfalls of strategic management and management theory in your field for effective management, decision-making and problem solving.

Through your final project module, you’ll also have the opportunity to focus on a related area of interest that allows you to explore topics relevant to your professional goals, laying the groundwork for your next career move.

As a student of this course you will already have an FdSc in Leadership & Management in Health and Social Care, or another equivalent qualification, as per our entry requirements listed above.

You should also have work experience in the field of health and social care, alongside certain other requirements.

But in short, the ideal student for this course is one who wants to develop their knowledge and abilities to reach the top of their field and initiate change where it is most need. In a management position, you’ll have the power to change the experiences of service users in health and social care for the better.

This course is for those who don’t just want to work within the system but oversee change and development for the better. If you have ambition, a vision and the desire to make a difference, this course is your next stepping stone.

Ours is a uniquely flexible and accessible learning format that allows you to study whilst working so you can make a real impact from day one.

As well as supporting your career development in real time with a course accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), this distance learning degree is also designed to fit around your life and commitments, including childcare and any other responsibilities you may have. We also offer full-time and part-time options for this course, so you can choose the mode of study that is right for you.

By studying a health and social care top-up degree online, you’ll have the freedom to learn whenever and wherever you like, with just an internet connection and a PC, phone or tablet. Our course enables independent study on your terms, but you’ll also have the support of your tutors whenever you need it.

And with a diverse range of students from all backgrounds, with experience in various sectors, you’ll be able to draw on a wealth of experience from them too. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with students and tutors via Canvas, our online learning system which enables you to access teaching resources and connect.

And after graduation, you’ll receive full support from our employability service to prepare you for the next step in your career.

Want to take your skills to the next level with ARU? It all starts here.

Find out more about this course and our innovative distance learning on our blog:

• What Makes An Inspiring Healthcare Leader?
• 5 Healthcare Management Career Tips
• Want to Steer Your Career In Tough Times? Try Distance Learning