module specification

SH7032 - Leading Self, Teams & Workforce (2023/24)

Module specification Module approved to run in 2023/24
Module title Leading Self, Teams & Workforce
Module level Masters (07)
Credit rating for module 20
School School of Social Sciences and Professions
Total study hours 200
 
30 hours Assessment Preparation / Delivery
140 hours Guided independent study
30 hours Scheduled learning & teaching activities
Assessment components
Type Weighting Qualifying mark Description
Coursework 20%   A Group Podcast of self-audit of developmental CPD intentions (20 minutes).
Group Presentation 0%   Report Plan of 700 words
Group Coursework 80%   Team / Group Developmental Report (3000 words)
Running in 2023/24

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)
Period Campus Day Time Module Leader
Spring semester North Tuesday Morning

Module summary

The Module follows a linear path to develop micro and macro level leadership and management skills required within and across today’s health and social care organisations; focusing on personal, team and workforce leadership. This is based on the understanding that to lead teams and organisations effectively, leaders should be able to lead and manage themselves first, successfully. Thus, the Module will be delivered in clusters that examine these three levels of leadership, giving you the opportunity to apply your reflection of own self-leadership styles to discussions on teams, organisational and workforce leadership challenges faced in today’s health and social care organisations. The strength of the module is in developing teamwork and collaboration skills and competencies that are required for interprofessional learning and practice in today’s health and social care sectors. 
Furthermore, the Module will address leadership and management issues in the context of values-based organisations whether in the public, voluntary, or community sectors or social enterprises. Hence, you will be introduced to leadership and management theories and relevant workforce policy frameworks in order to facilitate critical reflection on aspects of your leadership and management role.  In addition, you will be able to explore key practice areas, drawing from relevant three-level leadership theories and reflecting on their relevance to your own experience and practice. Particular attention will be paid to habits and traits of successful self-leadership, group leadership theories, change management leadership theory, communication, motivation and negotiation skills. You will also be required to review your developmental role as a leader and manager capable of working with and within teams, networks, and inter-professional groups within and across organisations.

The Module aims to:
1. Introduce and explore the relevance and application of current self and teams leadership and management theories and concepts within and across health and social care organisations, and in relation to your own work experience and roles.
2. Enable you to develop step-by-step from within and apply an analytical and reflective approach to your personal, team and organisational leadership and management skills and styles, within the context of equality, diversity and inclusivity.
3. Develop an awareness of how wider organisational and sector workforce constraints can affect self and teams leadership and management decision making and organisational performance.
4. Explore a range of strategies and approaches to improve performance across diverse organisational contexts, taking service sustainability into account.

Syllabus

The indicative syllabus includes the following areas:

 Self, Teams and Organisational Leadership and Management Theories and Concepts Relevant to Diverse Organisational and Policy Contexts [LO1]
 Learning Own Leadership Traits and Styles: self-awareness, personal values, character, integrity, accountability, decision making, leadership agility [LO1, LO2, LO5]
 Learning Teams Leadership Traits and Styles: motivation, inspiration, group decision making, team-building, developing others, negotiation skills, driving engagement [LO1, LO2, LO5]
 Leading the Workforce: intra-organisational, inter-organisational and sectoral workforce challenges, translating organisational strategy [LO1, LO3, LO5]
 Communication, Decision Making, Reflective Leadership and Practice [LO1, LO2. LO3, LO4, LO5]
 Role of Service Users and Other Stakeholders in Shaping Leadership and Management Models and Priorities. [LO1, LO3, LO4]
 Staff Development, Interprofessional Practice, Service Sustainability and Quality Improvements and Achieving Organisational Goals and Objective [LO2, LO4, LO5]
 Theories of Learning and Development and Their Application to Individual, Teams, Management and Organisations [LO2, LO5]
 Change Management Leadership Theory: initiating and enabling change – through teams, multi-agency networks; addressing concerns of risk and resistance to change [LO1, LO4]
 Handling Challenges of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Sector Wide Workforce Constraints to Improve Decision Making and Organisational Performance at Different Levels [LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5]

Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity

Your learning on this Module will be based on a blended learning programme of weekly sessions that comprise of:
1. Lectures - exploring theory, contexts and challenges of leadership and management at different levels 

2. Workshop and seminar classes - where team-based learning (TBL), simulations, student led interprofessional surgeries, problem-driven activities and specific group-work exercises will be done to give you an opportunity to examine in more detail practice issues faced at the workplace and some of the main conceptual and methodological issues covered in lectures.

3. Online activities – a wide range of online activities are designed to support and enhance your interprofessional and team-based learning in a more flexible manner. You will be able to listen to subject related podcasts, watch videos, interact with AI-generated work of ChatGPT and concept maps, read recommended literature, access websites and policy documents, revise and deepen knowledge prior and after sessions e.g. lecture notes, prepare for sessions in advance, participate on discussion forums and prepare for assessments. 
The approach to learning and teaching is mostly based on facilitating interprofessional learning and the application of theories, concepts, methods and principles to practice-related contexts, and your integration of learning in relation to real world scenarios. This approach to learning and teaching aims to develop your ability to think critically about data and evidence, and to draw appropriate inferences in accordance with the stated learning outcomes. Independent study and interprofessional learning areis vital for success on the Module. This will give you enough time to audit and reflect on your own team-based practice and leadership traits and styles in relation to the learning on the Module in order to identify areas for enhanced learning and personal development. You will also be required to read, on a weekly basis, recommended chapters in the core textbooks, or to access other relevant educational material, and contribute to team development of your group. As such, it is recommended that you organise adequate time for both independent study and teamwork each week. The Module will be using WebLearn for online activities mentioned above. Guidance will be given during classes about how to best use this. You are encouraged to use other learning resources such as the Library and Academic Mentors.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this Module you will be able to:

• Reflect critically on the relevance and application of a range of self, teams and organisational leadership and management theories and skills to your own experience and current work role/s in the context of equality, diversity and inclusivity [LO1].
• Review your leadership strengths and weaknesses in relation to these theories and skills, drawing on appropriate diagnostic tools in order to identify areas for learning and personal development [LO2].
• Evaluate the influence of organisational diversity and sector wide workforce challenges on leadership and management decision-making and organisational performance at different levels [LO3].
• Appraise areas of practice where improvements are required and service user issues, including service sustainability, fairness, diversity and risk, are properly considered LO4].
• Identify and apply appropriate interprofessional skills and understanding aimed at developing the performance of self, others or the organisation and demonstrate critical reflection and learning from this process [LO5].

Assessment strategy

Your learning on the Module will be assessed as followings: 
1. Summative Assessment 1 - A group podcast offering a self-audit of your developmental CPD intentions (20 minutes). The group self-audit requires you to identify relevant experience in teams leadership, management and organisation to assess your own strengths and weaknesses in relation to a number of leadership theories, concepts, traits and skills, and to identify areas for your development as a group and as individuals within the team in relation to providing a specific health and / or social care service. You will be required to reflect and justify development requirements of the group /  team in relation to the service. This will be due in Week 5.

2. Formative Assessment – A Group Report Plan of 700 words will require you to reflect on your development requirements set in Assessment 1 and the development you have gone through since then as a group / team in relation to the service provided. You will then develop a plan for a summative report to evidence this development and improvements made to your practice  in relation to the three levels of leadership learning on this Module. This will be due in Week 9. 

3. Summative Assessment 2 - Team / Group Developmental Report (3000 words). At the end of the Module you will submit an individual group developmental report, which provides evidence of your critical reading and reflection on the relevance of leadership and management theories to your team development in relation to your a specific service provision and leadership challenge within the context of your team role, or organisation or and the wider sector. You will be required to reflect and evidence your team development and application of relevant skills in relation to the team leadership challenges; and understanding of your own work and within organisational roles, taking into account issues related to equality, diversity, inclusion and sector wide workforce policy and constraints. This work will be due in Week 13.

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