Overview

The module will provide students with the opportunity to critically evaluate the organisation and wider contexts for improving quality in health and social care context from different theoretical and methodological perspectives.

The module content also provides students with the opportunity to identify, apply and critically evaluate strategies and interventions to support improvements in the quality of health and social care.

Through the use of action learning, students will be encouraged to reflect and learn from their own leadership challenges and facilitation skills employed in their professional work.

Topics may include:

• The use of theory and research from different professional fields and disciplines in the designing and facilitating improvements in health and social care settings.
• Examine evidence and evaluate leadership and management concepts and practice.
• Explore & evaluate the role of culture, value and beliefs in organisations including their role is securing change & improvement
• Examine the multiple perspectives in assessing and evaluating quality improvement and change, including how quality and risk are assessed and improvement measured
• Identify organisational characteristics and factors influential to addressing the issues of risk and quality
• The importance and role of multi-disciplinary and inter-professional teams
• Examine the strategic environment including the role of regulation, legislation and policy.

Assessment Strategy

Threshold C grade, minimum 50% (pass)- Demonstrate knowledge of key areas/principles.- Have some, if only limited, evidence of background study.- Be focused on the question (assessment brief) with only some irrelevant material and weaknesses in structure- Attempt to present relevant and logical arguments.- Not contain a large number of factual/computational errors.- Describe major links between topics.- Attempt to analyse and/or explain problems.- Be free of major weaknesses in presentation and accuracy.

Good B grade, minimum 60% (merit)- Demonstrate strong knowledge and understanding of most of the subject area.- Demonstrate evidence of background study.- Be well structured and focused.- Contain coherently presented arguments.- Be mostly free of factual/computational errors.- Include some elements of original interpretation.- Describe well known links between topics.- Analyse and/or explain problems using existing methods/approaches- Be presented to high standards with accurate communication.

Excellent A grade, minimum 70% (Distinction)- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and detailed understanding of the subject area.- Demonstrate extensive background study.- Be well structured and highly focused.- Contain logically presented and defended arguments.- Be free of factual/computational errors.- Include significant elements of original interpretation.- Demonstrate an ability to identify, develop and present new links between topics.- Include new approaches to analysing and/or explaining a problem.- Be presented to very high standards with very accurate communication.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyse and critically discuss the contribution of a range of disciplines to the theory and practice of leading quality improvements in order for the student to be able to select the most appropriate tools to achieve improvement outcomes

• Critically examine the student's own role, the role of other individuals, the organisation and wider context in shaping quality improvement in order to lead effectively and deliver quality improvements in service delivery

• Evaluate the application of theory to demonstrate the practical skills necessary to lead the engagement of a multidisciplinary team in the improvement of health and social care in order for the student to have an understanding of the risks and risk management required to deliver effective, efficient and acceptable quality improvements

• Explore and critically review the management of change process involved in the delivery of improvements in order for the student to be able to lead change in the most appropriate manner and to realise the benefits from improvement

• Review and critically evaluate techniques & tools employed in the process of leading quality and improvement in health and social care