If you're employed in the field of social care (for example, as a care home manager, registered nurse, care assistant, or allied health professional) and are looking to elevate your professional skills, this concise online course is ideal. Our skilled academics will concentrate on nurturing your leadership abilities, deepening your comprehension of legislative acts and policies, honing your collaborative aptitude, and enabling you to drive organisational transformations.

Key information

Award:

AdvDip(CPD)

Mode of Study:

Part-time Distance Learning

Duration:

12 weeks

Location:

University of Bolton

Start date:

29/04/2024, 23/09/2024, 20/01/2025

Course Details

The University of Bolton provides an online advanced professional development course that has the primary goal of enhancing your professional practice abilities. This programme is designed to foster leadership excellence, deepen your comprehension of critical legislation and policies, refine your capacity for multidisciplinary collaboration and effective communication and empower you to take the lead in driving organisational change to improve the wellbeing and safety of residents and service users.

This 20-credit professional development course serves as an indispensable foundation for individuals committed to initiating positive transformations in the social care sector. It's ideal if you're employed as a care home manager, registered nurse, care assistant, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech and language therapist, nutritionist or dietitian.

Enrolling in this course will assist you in advancing your knowledge of leadership theories and styles, as well as how to apply change management models, recognising the pivotal role of leadership in initiating and overseeing organisational change endeavours. Our expert guidance will aid you in exploring the factors conducive to collaboration and adept communication, and in developing the necessary skills for self-improvement and the growth of individuals working within a social care environment.

This distance learning module imparts a solid practical understanding of the relevant legislation, regulations, and policies that underpin professional practice in social care. Additionally, it will provide insights into the drivers of change in social care organisations and their impacts on the wellbeing and safety of residents and service users.

Highlights

Our dedicated academic team have a wealth of experience working in health and social care settings. They are engaged in relevant research, bringing their expertise and passion for service excellence to their teaching.
This online course is flexible and designed to fit in with busy home and working lives.
As you study this course, we'll encourage you to develop the skills, values and behaviours popular with employers. These include action planning, personal impact and confidence, self-awareness, social and ethical responsibility, problem-solving, initiative and communication skills.
Upon successfully completing this course, you'll receive the Advanced Diploma of Continuing Professional Development qualification in Enhancing Professional Practice in Social Care worth 20 credits at Level HE7.

Key Features

This asynchronous course allows you to undertake your studies in your own time at your own pace – especially useful if you work shifts or have other responsibilities that might otherwise prevent you from studying.
We've been offering high-quality courses specifically designed to meet the needs of the health and social care sector for over 30 years.
Regular review of the course curriculum ensures that contemporary theories are adopted.
Your employer may give you financial support to undertake this course, or you may be self-funded.
Completing this course will enhance your professional practice proficiency and demonstrate your commitment to lifelong learning.

You must have current appropriate employment in the health and social care sector and demonstrate the ability to study at level HE7.
Ideally, you will hold a relevant qualification; for example, a social care qualification at level HE5 or above, assistant practitioner, nursing associate, registered nurse, or allied health professional.
You’ll be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
As this is an online course, you'll need access to a computer with the appropriate software and accessories, including a webcam, microphone and a sufficient broadband connection. You'll also need basic IT skills. In particular, you'll need to be able to access and use the University of Bolton's virtual learning environment, Moodle. Please contact the programme leader for details if you are uncertain that you'll be able to meet these requirements.
If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

This course offers academic progression in social care professional practice.

Course fees

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £800 for the academic year 2024/25.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:

You should have to hand:

Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton Advanced Professional Diploma Enhancing Professional Practice in Social Care (online asynch) STV HE7 - 29 April 2024
Apply online: University of Bolton Advanced Professional Diploma Enhancing Professional Practice in Social Care (online asynch) STV HE7 - 23 September 2024
Apply online: University of Bolton Advanced Professional Diploma Enhancing Professional Practice in Social Care (online asynch) STV HE7 - 20 January 2025

International applications are not possible for this course

As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.

We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.

This course adopts an online asynchronous learning approach, using theoretical and practice-based learning principles to develop your skills and place them within the context of social care. During your studies, you'll have access to guided online content as well as benefit from regular live tutor and peer support sessions – all accessed through the University of Bolton's online learning platform. These interactive sessions are designed to develop your knowledge and understanding as you explore new areas of research and practice. You'll also use self-directed learning to explore each topic in greater depth and work on the coursework submissions that will inform and demonstrate your professional practice.

Formative assessment will support your learning but does not contribute to your final mark. You'll receive feedback from your tutors, allowing you to reflect on your progress and identify what you are doing well and where you may need extra help. Summative assessment will involve a written project and a portfolio. These elements will contribute to your final mark.

Modules

Enhancing Professional Practice in Social Care

Assessment methods

Level	Assesment method
Level one	Coursework 100%

Learning activities

Level	Learning activity
Level one	Guided independent study 76%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 24%

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.