School of Education and Social Work

FHEQ level

This course is set at Level 7 (Masters) in the national Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

Course Aims

Key developments in national policy have led to the reconfiguration and integration of public services at central and local government level. A new set of challenges have emerged for those now leading and managing multi-disciplinary `Integrated Children's Services'. This has had implications for the induction, training, support, continuing professional development and career pathways of integrated children's services managers across all levels of Children and Young Peoples' Trust arrangements. Championing Children (DfES, 2006) clarifies how leaders and managers are needed who `can build teams competent and confident in this (integrated) means of service delivery; who will put the child and family first; who can lead those from outside their own area of expertise; who can manage resources in new ways: and who can reconcile team members' different working practices and expectations' (DfES, 2006, p1). At the same time with the 2020 Children's and Young People's Workforce Strategy the Government has further promoted its aspiration to 'upskill' the children's workforce (see the (DCSF, 2008).

This programme of study will enable social work managers, studying alongside those from related disciplines, to develop the knowledge and skills needed for these new roles based on key inter-disciplinary frameworks. Work-based learning will be a significant feature of the programme, including Action Learning Sets and mentoring arrangements that challenge, support and provide coherence to the learning process in the context of the workplace. The course will run on a modular basis enabling participants to select the most relevant modules for their professional role and to take them in the order most useful for their development and their other professional commitments. For this reason there is minimal pre-determination regarding which modules should be taken in which year of the programme. An extended project will be taken as the final part of the programme, though. This enables candidates to undertake an in-depth critical inquiry enabling them to develop and demonstrate leadership in their professional role.

Candidates following this programme pathway will have a social work qualification and be able to obtain a GSCC-accredited Advanced Award in Leadership and Management integrated within their academic MA by demonstrating the standards and requirements specified by the General Social Care Council for a PQ Advanced Award.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of the programme, the successful student will be able to demonstrate they have met the following 7 learning outcomes. They cover all of the following standards and requirements which have been set by the General Social Care Council for a PQ Advanced Award programme in Leadership and Management. These concern both the values and professionalism of the practitioner in his or her own practice and also the knowledge and skills brought to bear on the management role and task. They are set out as follows:

1. Candidates will have met the PQ Generic Requirements for an Advanced Award programme set by the GSCC
Q i. Meet the academic standards for work at level M in the QAA framework.
Q ii. Use independent critical judgement to take a leading role in
systematically developing their own practice and that of others in the
context of the GSCC codes of practice, national and international codes
of professional ethics, the principles of diversity, equality and social
inclusion in a wide range of situations including those associated with
inter-agency and inter-professional work.
Q iii. Demonstrate a substantially enhanced level of competence in a defined
area of professional practice, professional management, professional
education or applied professional research to the agreed national
standards for higher specialist work in this area and take a leading role
in promoting good practice.
Q iv. Demonstrate a fully developed capacity to take responsibility for the use
of reflection and critical analysis to continuously develop and improve
own performance and the performance of professional and interprofessional
groups, teams and networks in the context of professional
practice, professional management, professional education or applied
professional research; analysing, evaluating and applying relevant and
up-to-date research evidence including service user research.
Q v. Use a critical knowledge and understanding of service user and carer
issues to actively promote, develop and implement service user and
carer rights and participation in line with the goals of choice,
independence and empowerment.
Q vi. Undertake research designed to address issues or problems in the
context of professional practice, professional education, applied
professional research or professional management.
Q vii. Work creatively and effectively as a practitioner, researcher, educator or
manager and take a leading role in a context of risk, uncertainty conflict
and contradiction or where there are complex challenges and a need to
make informed and balanced judgements.
Q viii. Take a lead responsibility for managing key aspects of complex change
processes, including those involving other professions or other
agencies, in the context of professional practice, professional
management, professional education and training or applied
professional research.
Q ix. Support, mentor, supervise or manage others, exercising practice,
research, management or educational leadership to enable them to
identify and explore issues and improve their own practice.
Q x. Take a leading role in the development and implementation of effective
ways of working in networks across organisational, sectoral and
professional boundaries, taking a lead responsibility for identifying,
analysing and resolving complex issues, problems and barriers,
promoting partnership, collaboration, inter-professional teamwork,
multi-agency and multi-disciplinary communication and ensuring the
delivery of integrated and person-centred services.


2. Candidates will have demonstrated that they have incorporated key principles of leadership and management related to social work and children¿s services into their practice
T. PQ Leadership and Management Specialist Requirements (GSCC)
T1. Managing, supporting, mentoring and developing staff and at the higher specialist and advanced levels, planning and implementing strategies for workforce development;
T2. Demonstrating the internal and external aspects of quality management together with an ability to integrate quality management with involvement of service-users and carers;
T3 Managing, working with and being accountable through multi-agency networks and inter-professional teams;
T4. Selectively using research and other forms of evidence to inform leadership and management interventions and decisions;
T5 Applying risk management strategies to decision-making processes and leadership and management interventions;
T6 Applying relevant knowledge and skills to leadership and management practice in a specific service context.

U. Ten Principles of Social Care Management (Skills for Care)
U1. Inspire staff
U2. Promote and meet service aims, objectives and goals;
U3. Develop joint working/partnerships that are purposeful;
U4. Ensure equality for staff and service users driven from the top down;
U5. Challenge discrimination and harassment in employment practice and service delivery;
U6. Empower staff and service users to develop services people want;
U7. Value people, recognise and actively develop potential;
U8. Develop and maintain awareness and keep in touch with service users and staff;
U9. Provide an environment and time in which to develop reflective practice, professional skills and the ability to make judgments in complex situations;
U10. Take responsibility for the continuing professional development of self and others.

S. Generic Management and Leadership Standards (Management and Leadership Centre)
S1 Managing self and personal skills
S2 Providing direction
S3 Facilitating change
S4 Working with people
S5 Using resources
S6 Achieving results


3. Candidates will have ensured that their practice promotes improved health, safety and wellbeing for children, young people, their families and carers, by following the guidance and standards set out in the `Every Child Matters - Five Outcomes for Children¿, `Championing Children¿, the Common Core of Skills & Knowledge for the Children¿s Workforce and the National Service Framework

A. Common Core of Skills & Knowledge for the Children¿s Workforce
A1. Communicate and engage with children & families (including direct work)
A2. Child and young person development
A3. Safeguarding and promoting child welfare
A4. Supporting transitions
A5. Multi-agency working (including accountability)
A6. Sharing information

B. Every Child Matters - Five Outcomes for Children
B1.Be healthy
B2.Stay safe
B3.Enjoy and achieve
B4.Make a positive contribution
B5.Achieve economic well-being

H. National Service Framework
H1 Promoting Health and Well-being, Identifying Needs and Intervening Early
H2 Supporting Parenting
H3 Child, Young Person and Family-Centred Services
H4 Growing Up into Adulthood
H5 Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children and Young People
H8 Disabled Children and Young People and those with Complex Health Needs
H9 The Mental Health and Psychological Well-being of Children and Young People

R. Championing Children
R1 Achieving outcomes
R2 Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child
R3 Providing direction
R4 Leading and managing change
R5 Working with people
R6 Managing information
R7 Communicating and engaging effectively with children, young people and families.
R8 Developing a shared understanding of the scope and nature, values and principles of the specific changes needed to achieve desired outcomes and of what will drive and sustain the changes, both within the team and across services
R9 Establishing a shared language for the team, partners and the children, young people and carers who use the service
R10 Negotiating changes to how things work now with team members and related services, including the very sensitive issues associated with bringing together different cultures and asking professionals to work in different ways
R11 Developing team members¿ ability to plan, manage and instigate change
R12 Influencing the culture of children¿s services, in line with the strategic vision of the Children and Young People¿s Strategic Partnership
R13 Involving service users in change
R14 Acting as an ambassador for user involvement and professional collaboration to build a responsive service
R15 Generating, inviting and promoting ideas.

4. Candidates will have demonstrated that through their effective supervision and management of staff, they have ensured that social workers operate in line with the 6 key roles of the National Occupational Standards for Social Work (TOPSS/Skills for Care)

Key Role 1: Ensuring staff prepare for, and work with individuals, families, carers, groups and communities to assess needs and circumstances.
Key Role 2: Ensuring staff plan, carry out, review and evaluate social work practice, with individuals, families, carers, groups communities and other professionals
Key Role 3: Ensuring staff support individuals to represent their needs, views and circumstances.
Key Role 4: Ensuring staff manage risk to individuals, families, carers, groups, communities, self and colleagues
Key Role 5: Ensuring staff manage and be accountable, with supervision and support, for their own SW practice within their organisation
Key Role 6: Ensuring staff demonstrate professional competence in social work practice

5. Candidates will have demonstrated that professional values are embedded in their practice
E. Embedded Values set by the GSCC
E1. Engaging with others to develop trust;
E2. Exploring ways to share control over decision-making with young people and their families;
E3. Respect for others, including respect for difference;
E4. Honesty and openness;
E5. An ability and a willingness to look at the needs of children and young people in a holistic way, setting problems alongside overall interests, talents and abilities and drawing on an awareness and appreciation of the diversity of lifestyles and experiences of children


6. Candidates will have operated in line with the GSCC Code of Practice for Employees and Employers

Code for employees
G1. Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers;
G2. Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers;
G3. Promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm;
G4. Respect the rights of service users whilst seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people;
G5. Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services; and
G6. Be accountable for the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills.

Code for employers
N1 Make sure people are suitable to enter the social care workforce and understand their roles and responsibilities
N2 Ensure written policies and procedures are in place to enable social care workers to meet the GSCC¿s Code of Practice for Social Care Workers
N3 Provide training and development opportunities to enable social care workers to strengthen and develop their skills and knowledge
N4 Put into place and implement written policies and procedures to deal with dangerous, discriminatory or exploitative behaviour and practice.
N5 Promote the GSCC¿s codes of practice to social care workers, services users and carers and co-operate with the GSCC¿s proceedings.

For information on the composition of this course please see either the on-line Undergraduate prospectus for undergraduate related courses or the on-line Postgraduate prospectus for postgraduate related courses.

More detailed information on the course structure and modules within this degree will be available on this page shortly.