MSc Learning Disabilities Studies

Summary 2012/13

• Join a programme for professionals working within learning disabilities services across the health and social care, education and private and voluntary sectors;
• Tailor your studies to specialise in autistic spectrum conditions or analysis of behaviour support;
• Enhance your knowledge base within a changing and integrated practice agenda, improve service delivery and develop the skills to lead people through change.

This programme has been developed to meet the needs of individuals working within learning disabilities services in a variety of senior positions.

It will develop your strategic leadership and management skills within integrated learning disabilities services whilst ensuring that you have the requisite specialist knowledge to understand the needs of people with learning disabilities and the evidence-base which underpins your practice.

There will be the opportunity in year 2 for you to choose from different specialist areas, autistic spectrum conditions and / or analysis of behaviour support, and choose an optional module related to your own sphere of practice.

2012 Entry Requirements

To join this programme, you will normally require a minimum of a lower second-class honours degree in a related subject. However, you can access the programme without a degree through successful completion of a standalone Masters module. The programme links theory to practice, so you are expected to be working in an environment that allows you to meet the learning outcomes of the course.

Summary 2013/14

• Join a programme for professionals working within learning disabilities services across the health and social care, education and private and voluntary sectors;
• Tailor your studies to specialise in autistic spectrum conditions or analysis of behaviour support;
• Enhance your knowledge base within a changing and integrated practice agenda, improve service delivery and develop the skills to lead people through change.

This programme has been developed to meet the needs of individuals working within learning disabilities services in a variety of senior positions.

It will develop your strategic leadership and management skills within integrated learning disabilities services whilst ensuring that you have the requisite specialist knowledge to understand the needs of people with learning disabilities and the evidence-base which underpins your practice.

There will be the opportunity in year 2 for you to choose from different specialist areas, autistic spectrum conditions and / or analysis of behaviour support, and choose an optional module related to your own sphere of practice.

2013 Entry Requirements

To join this programme, you will normally require a minimum of a lower second-class honours degree in a related subject. However, you can access the programme without a degree through successful completion of a standalone Masters module. The programme links theory to practice, so you are expected to be working in an environment that allows you to meet the learning outcomes of the course.

Details

Who is this course for?

This programme will appeal to professionals working within a wide range of learning disabilities services such as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), Specific Learning Disabilities / Mental Health Trusts, private / voluntary organisations, education providers and local authority provision.

Nurses, social workers, teachers and health and social care providers as well as carers involved in policy development / implementation may wish to access the programme.

What will I gain from this programme?

The modules will develop your knowledge base in relation to working with people who have learning disabilities within a changing and integrated practice agenda. You will also consider your role as leaders and change agents within it. Peer-led discussion and group-work, in a multi professional environment, will encourage you to share experiences and critically reflect on current practice within the learning disabilities field.

The development of leadership and decision making skills, especially in regard to changing environments, will enable you to improve service delivery and lead people through change. The modules will also enhance your critical reflective skills and ensure that your practice is evidence-based. Key policy drivers and their implications for people with learning disabilities will be analysed to ensure promotion of best practice.

How we will support you

We will offer teaching and learning support throughout the programme. You will have access to individual tutorials, as well as online support and learning services. We have a wealth of experience supporting students and are proud of our equality and diversity portfolio.

There is a named Programme Leader who will support your progression and provide academic advice to assist your personal development plan. In addition each module leader will provide support regarding their module and there is a dedicated Pathway Administrator to assist any individual needs.

What will I study?

In year 1, the programme will provide you with opportunities for an in-depth and critical reflection of your own role within learning disabilities services, including leadership and management skills. It will also provide you with the knowledge and skills which are required to meet the current learning disabilities and safeguarding adults agenda, including the ability to effectively implement change and inform your practice with an evidence base.

In year 2 there will be an opportunity to plan a research proposal. You will also study a specialist area related to autistic spectrum conditions and/or analysis of behaviour support. In addition, there is a requirement to study one other optional module from the existing postgraduate portfolio within the Faculty of Health and Social Care.

The final year of the programme provides you with the opportunity to undertake a small scale research project related to your field of practice.

How will I study?

The programme will be delivered through a combination of lectures, workshops, seminars, group-work and critical debates, providing a framework to underpin the development of critical thinking and sharing in the learning process. The approach will be ‘flexible - blended learning’, where face-to-face sessions are the predominant delivery method supported by the University’s virtual learning environment (VLE).

We envisage that the diverse range of experience and expertise amongst participants will lead to a highly stimulating learning environment with the potential for a broad level of critical appraisal and debate.

Who will be teaching me?

The programme team comprises of staff from several departments within the Faculty of Health of Social Care, including the learning disabilities and mental health team and continuing professional development team.

In addition guest speakers such as service users/carers, executives/senior professionals and specialist practitioners within learning disabilities services will provide you with opportunities to learn from their experience.

How will I be assessed?

The assessment strategy will focus on the synthesis and critical application of theory to practice in relation to your role within learning disabilities services. A variety of assessment strategies will be utilised to provide balance and cater for individual learning styles, including essays, seminar presentations, critical reviews, case studies, online workbooks and the undertaking of a small scale research project. You will be assessed both formatively to support your development and summatively to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes.

What are my career prospects?

In an increasingly competitive health service, health and social care staff need to continually seek opportunities to add to their portfolio of qualifications in order to advance their careers. This is especially true for allied health professionals, nurses, professional carers and social workers where a postgraduate qualification is increasingly deemed desirable and essential.

This programme will equip you with key specialist knowledge and skills, leadership and change management skills and an underpinning evidence base related to learning disabilities. It will therefore provide a highly relevant qualification which enables you to demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skills to work as a leader and change agent in a variety of learning disabilities settings within health, social care, independent sector, commissioning and strategic organisations.

Related Programmes

• DipHE Positive Behaviour Support
• BSc (Hons) Behaviour Analysis and Intervention
• BSc (Hons) Learning Disabilities Nursing / Social Work
• BSc (Hons) Pre-Registration Learning Disabilities

A Great Study Environment

The Faculty of Health and Social Care is one of the main providers of education for health care professionals in Merseyside and the North West, with approximately 4,000 trained and educated at Edge Hill University every year.

The £14 million purpose-built accommodation at the Ormskirk Campus houses some of the best facilities in the country. Our learning resources are second to none, with leading edge clinical skills facilities including ward simulations with industry standard equipment. The Faculty has been commended by the QAA for the quality of teaching and learning, student progression and learning resources.

Learning resources include over 23,000 books, journals and electronic resources, with access also available to facilities at several NHS study centres. The Faculty of Health and Social Care building includes ten teaching rooms, an 860-seat lecture theatre, social learning spaces and four rooms recreating hospital environments for practicing clinical skills.

The Faculty of Health and Social Care provides accommodation for several regional learning disabilities forum meetings including the Behaviour Support Group and the North West Network of Learning Disabilities Nurses. It has hosted the International Positive Choices Conference (for learning / intellectual disabilities student nurses).

How do I apply?

Apply directly to Edge Hill University. Download the Health Professional Development pathway application form and notes for guidance (pdf).

Fees and Finance

Tuition fees for this programme are £560 per 20 credit module and £900 for the 60 credit dissertation for academic year 2012/13.

Edge Hill graduates joining an eligible postgraduate programme at the University in academic year 2012/13 could benefit from a 20% reduction in tuition fees. If you're a UK or EU student and will be paying the fees yourself, you might be eligible to receive this discount. See www.edgehill.ac.uk/reducedfees for more information.

Not got the entry requirements?

If you do not have an honours degree there may be an opportunity to claim APEL(Accreditation of Prior and Experiential Learning), however you must demonstrate the following knowledge and skills at a level equivalent to that of degree study prior to commencing the programme:

• Comprehensive knowledge of the discipline and an in-depth awareness of current issues relating to learning disabilities;
• Critical analysis skills and an ability to evaluate evidence drawn from the area of work or previous academic study;
• Ability to learn in a flexible manner, utilising autonomy and self direction.

Please contact the programme leader to discuss your options.

Still want more?

If you have any questions you would like to ask the programme leader about this course, please contact:

• Julie Toms-Ashcroft, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP
• Tel: 01695 657082
• Email: tomsj@edgehill.ac.uk

Modules

HEA4039 Contemporary Issues within Learning Disabilities Services (20 credits) will critically examine the philosophical framework underpinning current services for people with learning disabilities drawing upon relevant policy and legislation. Key developments within the health and social care arena, including the personalisation agenda and direct payments, will be appraised and there will be an emphasis on exploring how the needs of excluded groups such as offenders and people from black and minority ethnic groups can be better met.

There will also be a critical appraisal of recent developments in the design and commissioning of services and how these impact on the lives of people with learning disabilities. A key aspect of this module will be a review of the extent to which people with learning disabilities and their families are involved in all aspects of service design, commissioning and monitoring and how this can be promoted and maximised.

HEA4040 Safeguarding the Vulnerable Adult (20 credits) gives you the opportunity to critically analyse current government policy in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults / people at risk. You will also appraise current safeguarding policy and the effectiveness of its implementation within your own area of practice. The module will involve working with your peer group of students, from a variety of different professional backgrounds, to discuss and critically evaluate the effectiveness of cross boundary and integrated working practices in the promotion of safeguarding vulnerable adults and the detection, reporting and investigation of abuse. It will also provide a forum for you to develop a critical understanding of the balance between safeguarding the vulnerable adult and empowering them to be able to develop through positive risk taking.

HEA9083 Leadership in Health and Social Care (20 credits). Leadership remains a priority across learning disabilities services, especially within the current climate of reconfiguration of services and changing policy drivers. There is a need for strong, leadership to enable the delivering of change. This module prepares you to examine the multi-factorial influences that impact on leadership. You will analyse the underpinning theoretical modeling frameworks within an organisational context and critically appraise how the qualities of a leader drive forward change in the dynamic learning disabilities environment.

HEA 4045 Research: Development of a Research Proposal (20 credits) is delivered primarily through the virtual learning environment with several classroom sessions. It will introduce you to the research process including philosophical debates surrounding both quantitative and qualitative traditions and a range of research methodologies. You will develop a proposal that will demonstrate your ability to plan a small-scale project in your chosen discipline as well as showing your awareness of the theoretical and practical implications of undertaking such a study. The blended approach that you will experience during this module is designed to encourage group online interaction as well as independent learning.

You need to choose one of the following two modules:

HEA4041 Critical Analysis of Behaviour Support (20 credits) is designed to enhance your knowledge in relation to contemporary models of behaviour support and provide you with the knowledge and skills to critique how individuals are supported in relation to their behavioural need. The ethics of behaviour support will also be critiqued, data collection and analysis will be reviewed and the multi-element nature of behaviour support plans analysed. Critical reflection on individual practice and current behaviour support plans will be a key element of this module.

HEA4042 Principles and Practice of Autistic Spectrum Conditions (20 credits) critically examines the theoretical constructs, which contribute to the present understanding of autism throughout an individual’s life span. Key developments will also be taken into account such as the concept of a triad of symptomatic impairments, the implications of a spectrum encompassing sub-groups and the impact that such developments have had upon the assessment, diagnosis and the label of autistic spectrum conditions (ASC).

There will also be a critical appraisal of recent developments in the clinical, therapeutic and education domains, which have been underpinned by evidence based research and practice. An emphasis on the recent strategy, policy and law will form an undercurrent throughout the module, raising the issues of law, individual rights, entitlements, discrimination and the impact on families and carers. The module will conclude with a critical reflection on how individuals, families and carers live with ASC and the integrity of pathways to promote a self development, maximising the individual’s full potential.

You will also complete a dissertation:

HEA 4081 Dissertation (60 credits) enables you to further develop and enhance your abilities to undertake research effectively. Within this module you are encouraged to produce a rigorous dissertation that has a positive consequence for your own area of practice. Research is interpreted to include either evidence based practice, library research, action research or a systematic review of the literature. You will be allocated a personal supervisor who will meet with you throughout the module to discuss your choice of research area and subsequent progress with research and analysis. The final dissertation will be approximately 12,000 words in length.

An additional 20 credit module, related to your own sphere of practice, must be chosen from the CPD health postgraduate portfolio.