Posted: April 13th, 2015

Leadership in Health and Social Care

5.1 Module Assessment

The assessment of this module is based around the submission of 2 pieces of coursework, a formative piece of work and a summative piece of work.

The compulsory, formative piece is submitted at the end of week 6 (Friday 6th March) and will comprise of a 750 word essay. This piece of work requires you to identify a topic for change and provide an evidence based rationale for its choice. This piece of coursework will not formally be marked and will not count towards your final module mark. However you will receive formal feedback on the piece of work from your group tutor.

The second assessment comprises of a 4,000 word summative essay and is due to be submitted on Tuesday 21st April and will comprise of 100% of the module mark. This assessment has been designed to enable you to critically apply and synthesise the theories, concepts and issues introduced during the module to an aspect of leadership and change in the context of your professional practice.

5.2 Formative assessment (see attached work)

Task

The formative assessment requires you to identify a topic of change and justify its selection, supporting your choice with an evidenced based rationale. Your choice of topic might reflect an issue at a professional, strategic or national level or could be an area you would wish to change in the future. The topic area should be relevant to your area of professional practice and programme of study. Finally you must ensure that your essay is entirely supported by an evidenced based rationale.

Word Limit: 750 words

Submission Strategy

Deadline for Submission: This piece of work should be submitted no later than Friday 6th March at 1.00pm

• Students studying the module by distance learning should submit their piece of work visa turnitin. Please see section 5.4.2 for details of how to submit via this method.

Formative Assessment Feedback

Constructive feedback will be provided to students following submission of the formative piece of work. Feedback is intended to inform development of the assessment. Feedback will be provided electronically via Turnitin in relation to the following aspects of the formative assessment and will adhere to the University Feedback Policy:

• The appropriateness of the chosen topic as an area of change.

• The relevance of the chosen topic of change in relation to the area of professional practice and programme of study.

• Extent to which the rationale provides an evidence-based justification for the area of change.

• Areas for future development.

5.3 Summative Assessment

Task

You should utilise your formative assessment submission as the basis for the construction of your summative assessment. This piece of work comprises of a 4,000 word essay based upon the topic of change identified in your formative assessment. You should develop an evidenced based plan of implementation for the specific change justifying why you believe your plan has the highest chance of successful implementation within your own work place.

In developing your essay you should consider the following:

Your introduction should clearly identify your aim and chosen topic for change and provide a brief structure for your essay.

The first section of the essay should include a critique of the internal and external drivers for your topic of change which should be identified using appropriate management tools.

Using a model of planned change, the essay should provide an evidence-based plan of actions which you think would lead to the successful implementation of your initiative in your specific area of practice. This section of your essay should address the key principles introduced during the module and reflect the learning

The essay should conclude with a critical reflection of your learning in relation to your planed change and could include reflections on the process of change, your leadership of change and your specific areas’ readiness to change

Your essay should be supported by seminal and contemporary literature which has been critically evaluated.

Word Limit: 4,000 words

Advanced Leader ship – The Summative Assessment
The summative assessment for his module is due for submission on Tuesday 21st April 2015 and should be submitted via Turnitin before 5.00pm on this date. You do NOT have to submit a paper copy as this will be marked and feedback provided electronically.

Assessment Criteria
The assessment criteria for this coursework are outlined below and these are linked to the learning outcomes for this module. Each criterion is weighted and will contribute to the overall percentage of your mark. In preparing to write this essay you also should consult with the Level Matrix.

Criteria
• Contextualises from a leadership perspective justification for the planned change (formative assessment) within a defined professional practice setting and evaluates the associated internal and external drivers /15%

• Demonstrates a critical and evaluative discussion on managing an evidence based planned change(formative assessment) /50%

• Demonstrates a critical reflection of the proposed / actual process associated with planning a managed change and evaluated the professional learning which has occurred to inform the leadership role within the context of the defined professional/ practice setting (formative assessment) /20%

• Presents a structured fluent and coherent essay which at this level of study demonstrates the logical development of a reasoned argument critical appraisal and evaluation of literature and error free referencing (formative assessment) /15%

(formative assessment)
The above should be based on the following piece of work.

This essay will highlight an opportunity for positive change in my area of work. Breathing Space is a telephone based helpline and is part of NHS24’s frontline services. The service is a Scottish only service and offers support to clients who have mental health difficulties. The essay will pull together an evidence based rationale for change that can help demonstrate that Continuous Professional Development not only enhances development but also promotes team morale, productivity and effectiveness.
Breathing Space has seen many changes since its introduction 10 years ago. The service was initially a charitable organisation fully funded externally from the NHS. The team consisted of a wide range of mental health professionals including psychologists, mental health nurses, counsellors, social workers and therapists. In the early days before joining the NHS, the service management team expected that the advisors would need no training and would have the skills and experience to start working with callers as soon as they joined the team.
Over a number of years the service was brought into the NHS and adapted as a national helpline partially funded by the Scottish government. The service was hosted by NHS24. The service was an integral part of the Scottish government’s priority to reduce suicide in Scotland.
This was seen to be a success with the result that the team was fully integrated into NHS24 as a NHS managed service. Even though Breathing Space has been fully integrated into NHS24 for several years there is still no process or strategy for CPD.
Over the past 4 years there have been several changes in the team structure, process and capability. However, with each change there appeared to be greater and greater resistance to change and an impact on team morale.
According to Hoelbeche (2006) “change management is the process of changing an organisations structure direction or capabilities”. Hafford-Letchfield, Leonard & Begum (2007) argue that there is an established link showing that management is responsible for staff development. Stashevsky & Ronald( 2006) argue that leadership is about coping with change by setting direction and developing a vision of the future while inspiring others to achieve.
According to the Chartered Institute for Personnel Development (CIPD, 2015) the benefits for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) are twofold. The individual and the organisation both benefit. The benefits for the individual include increases in confidence and credibility, enhancing the ability to cope with change more positively and achieve career goals. The organisation benefits by realising staff potential, increased productivity and promotes staff development leading to greater staff morale.
There are several theories of change management. These include Lewin and Kotters models, Hayes process model and Nadler & Tuschman congruence model. Lewin’s 3 stepped model will be described and used to support the proposed change. Lewin’s three step model included; unfreezing, moving and refreezing. Hughes, and Wearing(2007) suggest that unfreezing meant disrupting the equilibrium that maintains the current group behaviour this may cause conflict.

However, using focused research and communicating findings on potential topics relating to CPD such as standards, policy and equivalence may stimulate a wider open discussion about CPD in the extended team. Moving means action research methods to learn the group new behaviours. Once the initial discussion has been stimulated an opportunity for brainstorming, problem solving etc where change opportunities may be identified discussed and implemented. Finally, refreezing means stabilising the group in a new equilibrium. This would lead to agreement and CPD being an integral part of process and procedures( Hughes, and Wearing,2007)

During this process of change leadership qualities will be required to manage the change process. According to a study by Hoffman and Frost(2006) there are certain skills and qualities that may predict good leadership. These include intellectual, human resource skills, ability to Persuade, being tactful and creative. However, the results should be treated with caution as the difference in the scaling of each quality was very small. Another weakness was the research relied on questionnaire data and its empirical validity may be limited due to biases and reverse causality. In a recent report by Lachance and Oxendine(2015) they argue that a leaders is a person who empowers motivates and inspires. To the reader these qualities appear more emotional and inspirational and certainly useful in gaining support for future change. These changes should be in line with current NHS24 policy and procedures for learning and developed. The policy and content should be agreed in collaboration with a project team representing the whole team.
In conclusion changing the Breathing Space policy on CPD is achievable using these proven models of change and leadership.

REFERENCES
Beeral, A. (2009). Leadership and change management. London. Sage Publications Ltd.

Burnes, B. (2009). Managing change (5Ed.). Essex: Pearson Education Ltd.

Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2012). Making sense of change management. A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organisational change (3Ed.). London:.Kogan Page Ltd.

Carnall, C.A. (2009). Managing change in organisations. Prentice Hall.
Dickinson, H., Allen, K., Alcock, P., Macmillan, P., & Glasby, J. (2012). The Role of the Third Sector in Delivering Social Care. Access: http://www.lse.ac.uk/LSEHealthAndSocialCare/pdf/SSCR-Scoping-Review_2_web.pdf

Clegg, S., Kornberger, M & Pitsis, T. (2011). Managing and organisations. An introduction to theory and practice. (3Ed.). London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Fauth, R., & Mahdon, M. (2007). Improving social and health care services. London. Social Care Institute for Excellence.

Ham, C., Dixon, A., & Brook. B. (2012). Transforming the delivery of health and social care. The case for fundamental change. London. The King’s Fund.

Hafford-Letchfield, T, Leonard, K, Begum, N. (2007) Leadership and management in Social Care. Sage Publications . London

Hayes, J. (2010). The theory and practice of change management (3Ed.). Basingstoke.Palgrave Macmillan.

Hoffman,B and Frost,B. (2006) Multi-intelligence’s in transformational leaders: An empirical examination. In Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organisations. (8 ed.). London. Pearson. Acessed:http://site.ebrary.com/lib/nhsscotland/reader.action?docID=10132639

Holbeche, L. (2006). Understanding change. Theory, implementation and practice. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Hudson, M. (2009). Managing without profit. Leadership, management and governance of third sector organisations. London.Directory of Social Change.

Hughes, M. and Wearing, M.(2007) Organisations and Management in Social Work. London. SAGE Publications. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 5 March 2015.

Iles, V., & Sutherland, K. (2001). Managing change in the NHS. Organisational change. A review for healthcare managers, professionals and researchers. London: National Coordinating Centre for the Service Delivery and Organisation.

Lachance,J. and Oxendine,J.(2015)Redefining leadership education in graduate public health programs: prioritisation, focus, and guiding principles. American Journal of Public Health Date: March 2, 2015. Accessed: http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=596289dd-7b8e-4f57-97ef-12af0c427719%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4214

The Health Foundation. (2012). Cross sector working to support large-scale change. London. The Health Foundation: Access
http://www.health.org.uk/public/cms/75/76/313/3719/Cross%20sector%20working%20to%20support%20large-scale%20change.pdf?realName=fLXkhc.pdf

Myers, P., Hulks, S., & Wiggins, L. (2012). Organisational change. Perspectives on theory and practice. Oxford.Oxford University Press.

Scottish Government. (2012). AHPs as agents of change in health and social care. The National Delivery Plan for the Allied Health Professions in Scotland 2012-2015. Edinburgh. Scottish Government.

Stashevsky, S. Burke, R.(2006) Leaders in Organisations .International Journal of Manpower. London. Emerald Group Publishing’s.

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organisations. (8 ed.). London. .Pearson.

Websites
Mind Tools website
http://www.mindtools.com/index.html
Business Balls
http://www.businessballs.com/changemanagement.htm
http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm
Kotter International
http://www.kotterinternational.com/our-principles/changesteps

12.0 Indicative Reading

Adair J (2009) How to grow leaders: The 7 key principles of effective development. London: Kogan Page

Cox, C; Hill, M & Lack, V (2011) Advanced Practice in Healthcare: Skills for Nurses & Allied Health professionals. London: Routledge.

Lewis JP (2007) Fundamentals of Project Management (3rd Ed.) Amacon Books: New York

Lock D (2007) Project Management (9th ed.) Gower Publishing: Aldershot

Complexity and Healthcare Organisation: a view from the street (2004). David Kernick. Radcliffe Medical Press

A Reader in Health Policy and Management (2009). Ann Mahon, Kieran Walshe and Naomi Chambers. Open University Press

Street Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the individual in public services (1980). Sage

Useful web sites

NHS Education Scotland www.nes.scot.nhs.uk

Scottish Government www.scotland.gov.uk

Department of Health www.doh.gov.uk

Institute of Advanced leadership http://advancedleadership.org/

NHS Leadership Academy http://www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk/

Institute for Innovation and Improvement http://www.institute.nhs.uk/

The Kings Fund: Ideas that change health care http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/

Scottish Government http://www.scotland.gov.uk

Department of Health http://www.doh.gov.uk