AC7126 - Advancing Public Health Services Through Leadership

What will I learn on this module?

You will develop the ability to advance public health services through monitoring, reporting outcomes and triangulating data to evaluate service provision efficacy. You will focus on leadership and service improvement as the learning gives you an opportunity to explore an area of contemporary specialist practice to draw upon. During the module the data emerging from an audit in your area of specialist practice will provide the basis to develop the skills to critically assess service requirements, appraise strategies and business financial acumen and to create a poster for presentation outlining a business case for a service improvement. You will learn and be able to apply leadership theory, tailored to a range of stakeholders in practice such as service commissioners, community populations, families and peers. You will also gain knowledge about the development of sustainable practice-based interventions and the principles of risk stratification, that would improve health outcomes for your population. Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCPHN) (Health Visitor or School Nurse) are required to demonstrate a proactive, autonomous approach to their practice, presenting and building a business case will enable you to develop knowledge, understanding and skills related to business acumen, that promotes sustainable relationships through practice-based interventions and creates a culture that is inclusive and equitable for diverse populations. You will have recognised the need for action, entrepreneurship, and innovation in public health practice and have embedded techniques to lead, influence and challenge local services and/or health policies in your area of specialist practice.
Through field specific Action Learning Sets you will critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise data related to:
Health Visiting- you will lead, discuss, collaborate and co-produce flexible and creative services that engage parents and carers in infant and child health promotion. Through interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration, you will develop skills to develop services for infants and children with high impact health and care needs.
School Nursing- you will lead, discuss, and co-produce interventions so that the voice of school aged children and young people is heard. You will use your professional judgement to lead, discuss and co-produce services that positively influence policy and strategy to improve school aged children and young people's health and wellbeing.

How will I learn on this module?

Northumbria University embeds Universal Design for Learning principles (UDL’s) into their programmes to present content and information in different ways. This will help you to engage in learning. On this module, a number of different learning and teaching strategies are available based on the UDL principles. For example, Blackboard Ultra is the e-learning platform providing you with access to a range of module materials including e-lectures and learning resources. Blackboard Ultra as an e-learning platform enables flexible learning and opportunity to undertake directed and independent learning in your own time. It includes digital learning materials, and resources for you such as electronic reading lists and electronic management of assessment through Turnitin. When used, Turnitin, (a web-based plagiarism software system) can help you to improve your academic writing and can be used both formatively and summatively as part of module assessment. This presents blended learning opportunities. You will be able to access online supported learning as e-learning and learning resources as structured independent study, in advance of attending classroom sessions. In seminars and action learning sets, you will have opportunity, and be encouraged to debate, and discuss contemporary specialist community public health practice specific to your discipline. In the classroom, you
are able to focus on the most relevant, key learning areas in greater depth either by discussion, debate or peer review in seminars and action learning sets. Action learning sets are designed to provide field specific learning and are facilitated by academic staff and practice staff with knowledge and experience in the context of Health Visiting or School Nursing. Your field specific action learning sets will apply context within your specialist area.
There is also authentic module assessment enabling you to integrate the theories of leadership, service improvement and business acumen, learned in the classroom, into the clinical area when you lead and develop an audit for you to evaluate and report a business case, as part of your assessment. You will also be able to engage in shared learning alongside other students from other specialist nursing disciplines giving you the opportunity for interprofessional learning. Peer support is encouraged and facilitated via active learning activities where together, an interactive and engaging learning environment is facilitated by academic staff. The programme utilises a core lecture and applied seminar approach across the Health Visiting and School Nursing specialisms. You will be required to attend the seminars that are identified as being a core component of your recognised curriculum or standard. Students will be required to complete the assessment applied to their programme
specialism.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

The module tutor will introduce the module, including the module learning outcomes and authentic assessment strategy early in week one of the module, so you are aware of module structure, content, and assessment. Authentic assessment is one of the high impact areas in Northumbria Universities UDL principles. During action learning sets you will be able to undertake self-assessment in relation to your own learning and development using a personalised learning plan associated with authentic assessment planning. Specific seminars and action learning sets will support you to apply practice context to your learning, applying knowledge to the advancement and leadership of Specialist Community Public Health Nursing practice. Action learning sets are designed to provide field specific learning and are facilitated by academic staff and practice staff with knowledge and experience in the context of Health Visiting or School Nursing.
In clinical practice you will have an allocated Practice Assessor, Practice Supervisor and Academic Assessor who are responsible for supporting your learning and progression in practice. The Academic Assessor will work in partnership with the Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor to support and monitor your progress. The Academic Assessor verifies your academic activity. The Academic Assessor will be experienced in your specialist field of practice.
There are also a range of central Student Support and Wellbeing Services “Student Central” operating from Northumbria university libraries. This is available to support you around university academic processes for example, registering a change of circumstances, counselling and mental health support or disability and dyslexia support. The student support and wellbeing service at Northumbria Ask4Help is an excellent point of contact, which is located at Coach Lane and City Campus Libraries. Your programme lead or module tutor can discuss options with you. There are also a range of Skills Plus activities and resources that are available with a research focus within the libraries. Libraries are open outside of formal scheduled teaching hours and there are student hub areas with access to technology available on both University
campuses. Your clinical practice areas may also have active library facilities that you can access.

What will I be expected to read on this module?

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

What will I be expected to achieve?

Students will be able to:
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Synthesise and apply the theory of leadership to advance practice for service improvement and innovation.
2. Evaluate, monitor and report on an audit, contextualised within local and national policy to evaluate and inform practice, understand implications and develop recommendations.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Critically appraise new information and knowledge and disseminate this using effective communication strategies.
4. Critically evaluate and demonstrate professional knowledge and skills of leadership for the advancement of local service improvement.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Demonstrate links between theory and practice of leadership, influencing others and working in partnership to benefit local populations.

How will I be assessed?

There is both formative and summative assessment on this module.
Formative assessment. During action learning sets, you can undertake self- assessment of learning, engage in peer and tutor review of progress based on a personalised learning plan.
You can also use Turnitin (a web-based plagiarism software system) accessed via Blackboard Ultra to gain formative feedback on the written component of the poster. (MLO’s 1, 4, 5).
Summative assessment includes:
Part 1: Following an audit of clinical practice in SCPHN (School Nursing or Health Visitor),
you will develop an academic poster. The poster will be focused on a suitable business case. The business case should reflect your audit, address areas for improvement and be contextualised in policy (word limit- 1000 words). (MLO 1,2,3,4,5)
The poster will submitted electronically via Blackboard and the e-learning platform Turnitin. Oral feedback on the poster will be provided via Blackboard Ultra e-learning platform as a voice note.
Part 2: In a 20-minute oral presentation of your poster to peers and academic tutors you will articulate a rationale for your business case, outline module concepts of leadership and service improvement, and demonstrate advancement of SCPHN (School Nursing or Health Visiting). A 5-minute question and answer session are included. (MLO1,2,3,4,5).
Feedback on the presentation will be provided via Blackboard Ultra e-learning platform as a voice note.

Pre-requisite(s)

N/A

Co-requisite(s)

N/A

Module abstract

Specialist Community Public Health Nurses play a key role in the Governments vision of community understanding, population health and service improvement. You are offered a supported learning environment with clear focus on developing evidence-based knowledge and advanced communication skills, to influence, challenge and persuade a range of stakeholders in relation to SCPHN policy, service provision, and addressing population health needs. You will develop knowledge and skills of service improvement and leadership by evaluating an audit, to influence and lead strategic planning and policy development to address population and community health needs. Completing this module, will provide you with the opportunity to explore leadership knowledge and skills from both theoretical and clinical practice perspectives, and apply these to your area of specialist practice (School Nursing or Health Visiting). The module adopts and applies authentic assessment
processes, presenting opportunities for you as a learner to lead change in an area of specialist practice.

Course info

Credits 30

Level of Study Postgraduate

Mode of Study 1 year Full Time
1 other options available

Location Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start September 2025

Fee Information

Module Information

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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