PgDip Senior Leader: Health and Social Care (Degree Apprenticeship)

• Applicants must be employed in an appropriate management and team leadership role in a health and social care organisation.
• Normally, applicants are also expected to have a UK honours degree/postgraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject. Applicants with non-traditional qualifications and relevant experience or a suitable portfolio of work that is deemed a reasonable substitute for the qualifications listed above will be considered on an individual basis.
• An applicant must possess GCSEs in English and Mathematics at grade 4-9 (or grade C or above) or hold an equivalent such as Functional Skills Level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy. If an applicant has yet to achieve these qualifications, then with their employer's support, they can complete suitable equivalents locally or with assistance from the University. Please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for a list of acceptable GCSE equivalents, further information and support.
• Applicants should provide references from their employer to indicate the level of business and management experience they possess. The reference should clearly state how long they have been employed and give a breakdown of their job content and roles and responsibilities.
• All application forms will need to be accompanied by a reflective overview of the managerial responsibilities that applicants have undertaken to date.
• We'll consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
• Admission to this programme is only available to applicants who meet ESFA eligibility criteria, including the following: 1) They are employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week in a role relevant to the apprenticeship. 2) They have the right to live and work in the UK. 3) Their employer is willing to sponsor them to spend a minimum of six hours per week of their time in off-the-job training, including attending the University (times and dates to be determined) for the duration of their course. Please note that an apprentice cannot be self-employed. ESFA eligibility criteria may change so please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for up-to-date information.
• Applicants will attend a joint discussion with their employer and the University of Bolton. This combined interview and onboarding discussion fosters trust and sets the tone of the relationship between the applicant, their employer and our tutors. As part of the interview, applicants may be asked to undertake additional assessment(s) or provide a portfolio of appropriate work to determine their suitability for the course.
• This course involves regulated activity, so applicants must have an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting their studies. This is confirmed with the employer and does not require an additional certificate.
• If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 7.0 with normally no less than 6.5 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.
• To be eligible for tuition fee funding through the Apprenticeship Levy, applicants should not have already completed a qualification at the same level as the proposed apprenticeship (Degree Level 6) unless that qualification was gained in a completely unrelated discipline.

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 Postgraduate Diploma is designed to meet the apprenticeship standard for Senior Leader (ST0480). Developed by employers in collaboration with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the standard underpins a highly relevant qualification and professional development pathway that educates senior leaders who can lead, manage and direct organisations.

This qualification supports the development of professional strategic leaders in the private, public or third sector and organisations of all sizes. Graduate apprentices will be ready to take responsibility for direction and vision, provide a clear sense of purpose and drive strategic intent. They will be able to take into account trends and environmental influences and identify longer-term opportunities and risks. Through inclusive leadership, they will be able to take responsibility for developing ethical, innovative and supportive cultures to deliver results.

What can I do with this qualification?

A wide range of health and social employers will find graduate apprentices holding our Postgraduate Diploma valuable. The universal appeal stems from the programme’s focus on collective business principles. On successful completion of the end point assessment after completing the course, apprentices will be well placed to move from middle management to a more senior management role. The programme also facilitates the option to top up to a Master's in Business Administration (MBA)

Specific job roles may include senior leader, section leader, executive, director, chief operating officer, chief financial officer, chief executive officer, chief information officer, senior military officer, HE registrar and head of department/faculty.

Apprentices will need to be employed by your organisation for a minimum of 30 hours per week. Your organisation will also need to commit to sponsoring apprentices to complete this qualification.

For further information on how your organisation can access funds to support apprentices, please e-mail apprentices@bolton.ac.uk.

Whether you’re an employer, employee or school leaver, please visit our Apprenticeship web page for support and advice regarding apprenticeships.

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.

Useful information

Apprentices will not be expected to pay tuition fees towards this programme. If your organisation has a wage bill of more than £3 million per annum, then it may be able to fund this apprenticeship through its Apprenticeship Levy contributions. If your organisation does not pay the levy, it will be eligible for government support to fund apprenticeships. This support, called co-investment, covers 95% of the apprenticeship's tuition fees, with your organisation funding the remaining 5% of the fees.

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.

We use a range of learning, teaching, and assessment methods to make this course as beneficial as possible for you and your apprentices. These are designed to fully engage apprentices, helping them develop the skills, knowledge, self-awareness and behaviours essential to become a Chartered Manager, with particular reference to your organisation and their place within it. Your apprentices will spend most of their time in the workplace, with a minimum of six hours per week being devoted to off-the-job training and university learning. Learning focuses on your workplace environment and builds the transferable body of knowledge and skills demanded to achieve Chartered Manager status and apply this expertise within your organisation.

To complement lectures that introduce the course content, seminars and group-based activities allow apprentices to explore subjects in greater detail. Tutorials help them to clarify their understanding of the topics we cover in lectures and seminars. We use case studies and practical scenarios to help apprentices apply their newly acquired academic knowledge to real-life problems and gain valuable insights into contemporary practice in a working business environment. Apprentices will also be expected to undertake considerable guided independent study; for instance, library research and background reading, preparing for seminar and tutorial activities, and working on assignments.

Guest lectures and presentations by various visiting speakers offer apprentices the chance to develop their knowledge and understanding further. Our assessment methods are designed to reflect what is required of Chartered Managers in business and management settings. For example, the course requires apprentices to submit written reports, give presentations, develop their portfolios, and develop interpersonal skills. We also expect them to write essays and reflective accounts and play an active part in group discussions. Some assessments contribute to their final module marks, while others are designed to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses, and where they need to seek extra support from course tutors.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Developing Critical Analytical Skills for Leading Health and Social Care
• Leading People
• Governance in Health and Social Care
• Strategic Planning and Service Improvement
• Developing Strategic Business Proposals

Assessment methods

Learning activities

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.