Program Overview

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We understand that you may not have the time to do a full-time degree, so our CPD pathways allow you to study flexibly, in the way that best suits you. The structure, mode of delivery and level of support allow you to progress towards a qualification at postgraduate certificate , postgraduate diploma or Masters level. We also offer an apprenticeship pathway at Masters level . Our MSc Advanced Clinical Practice is designed for health care professionals in primary, secondary and tertiary settings who wish to advance their knowledge-base and clinical skills. Irrespective of your clinical speciality, you will become actively involved in the advancement of practice which will be recognised within the degree award. Advanced Clinical Practice is an evolving process in which new skills are continuously being developed and refined in response to the needs of clients. The NHS Plan seeks to challenge traditional role boundaries and recognises that professionals of all clinical disciplines have the potential to develop advanced clinical skills to support the client from referral to discharge. By the end of your time with us you will be able to:

• Pioneer new roles which are responsive to changing health needs
• Act in a consultancy and leadership role for other team members and other professionals in the development of their practice
• Demonstrate expert judgement in the assessment and management of specific client groups
• Demonstrate a critical awareness of factors that influence service provision and use innovative problem solving skills to effect best use of resources

The School of Health and Social Care is proud to work closely with our Service User Reference Group (SURG). SURG is made up of service users, carers, and volunteers who generously share their first-hand experiences of health and social care. We work collaboratively with SURG to design our courses to ensure that we truly are putting the needs of patients and clients at the heart of what we do. SURG are involved as part of our course application processes and often form part of our interview panels. This helps us to be confident that we are selecting the right applicants for the course and their future careers. SURG members also support the delivery of our teaching sessions and research activity, which means you’ll benefit from an insight into their lived experiences of living with a diagnosis, health condition, or circumstance. You’ll find that not only does your clinical knowledge expand, but your empathy, compassion and ability to advocate develops also. You can find out more about SURG by reading their blog here .

Professional, statutory and regulatory bodies

We are committed to embedding the NHS Constitution Values (which are strongly reflected in our University values) into everything we do. They define the behaviours and expectations of all our staff and students underpinning the work we do in the university, clinical arena and other workplaces. We understand that not all of our students and staff are employed within the NHS but these values uphold the underlying principles of excellent care as a standard, and as such we expect that anyone who cares for others will aspire to uphold these values. For us, involving not only our students, but service users, experts by experience, carers and NHS
on NHS professionals in the creation and delivery of all programmes is vital. Why we're great.

• Develop your knowledge base and clinical skills with a flexible, part-time CPD pathway
• Challenge traditional boundaries – gain the skills and recognition in advancing clinical practice
• Work alongside experts in your field and benefit from their wide range of clinical and academic experience

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Our expert staff

With us, you benefit from the expertise of staff from a wide range of clinical and academic backgrounds. This means that you gain a well-rounded education that is research-led and clinically relevant. Where we feel you will benefit, we bring in additional specialists direct from the field. We are delighted to be the first department in the University to have obtained the Athena Swan Silver Award for gender equality. This award recognises initiatives we have in place such as our mentorship system, our additional promotion of flexible work and study options, and our work to recognise the barriers to opportunity for BAME and LGBT members of our community.

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Specialist facilities

The School of Health and Social Care is located at two sites; in the Kimmy Eldridge building on the Colchester campus and in the Gateway Building on the Southend campus. As one of our CPD students, you may be taking modules at either campus or online to suit your needs, which means that you can access facilities across both campuses as required.