This unit will allow you to critically reflect on your existing competence in basic management skills developed as a result of experience, or those typically found in organisation-based training programmes. The unit will encourage you to explore your 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. 

During this unit you will learn to access a range of strategies and behaviours that will help you to achieve and maintain effectiveness in managing self and the performance of others and will apply appropriate theoretical issues and frameworks in a critical way to reflect on and analyse a complex, work related situation.

You will learn through formal presentations and workshops, a workbook designed specifically for this unit with readings, teaching materials and questions for discussion in groups and you will reflect on your own experiences of managing self and others in small group discussions related to activities undertaken between sessions.

During the unit, you will cover the following course content:

• Health and social care change, vision and values
• Current challenges in meeting the new health and social care agenda
• Implications for managing self and others in changing climates
• Management and leadership behaviours
• Skills analysis using the leadership framework (or TOPPS competencies)
• Study skills Use of electronic library resources
• Modes of reflective practice
• Personal development planning.

Your course will be supported via formal presentations and workshops. You will also be asked to reflect on your own experiences of managing yourself and others and in small groups you will discuss related to activities undertaken between sessions. This will help you in applying theoretical concepts to practice. A workbook designed specifically for this unit will contain readings, teaching materials and pose questions for discussion in groups.

Learning Outcomes

Having completed this unit, the student is expected to demonstrate:

• An ability to 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.
• An ability to access a range of strategies and behaviours that will help them to achieve and maintain effectiveness in managing self and the performance of others.
• A critical application of appropriate theoretical issues and frameworks in reflecting on and analysing a complex, work related situation.
• That they have met 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 course requires 100% attendance.

Normally students may enter Level 6 (degree level) study if they have been awarded:

• An Advanced Diploma, HND, Dip HE or Foundation Degree (awarded by a UK HEI or Edexcel or SQA)
• An equivalent qualification (the learning outcome of which are demonstrably appropriate in terms of knowledge, understanding and skills) equivalent to 120 credits at Level 5.

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 degree level. The study skills handbook will be sent to you when we have received your application form.

Applicants that already have a degree may wish to consider applying for this unit at Level 7 (Master’s 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.

Assessment will be by a written assignment comprising of two parts:

• Action plan with critical analysis of chosen outcomes (2,000 to 3,000 words)
• Reflection and critical analysis of the implementation of the action plan. (3,000 to 4,000 words).

Your assessment work will be complemented by a third party testimony to confirm real application in practice.

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.