Diploma in Leadership in Multi-agency settings
LEAD ORGANISATION
ADDITIONAL ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED
Buckinghamshire County Council
DATE
2008 and 2011
PROJECT SUMMARY
Progress South Central provided staff resource and funding to organise and support an afternoon/evening event to launch a new CPD initiative, the Diploma in Leadership in multi-agency settings. The aim of the event was to assist team leaders within Buckinghamshire County Council Children's Services to make an informed decision as to whether the course was right for them. The session was attended by prospective students from the Buckinghamshire Children's Trust, the workforce development leader of the Children's Trust and a number of staff involved in development and delivery of the programme. The programme was delivered during 2009 and 2010, and in 2011 further funding was provided to evaluate the impact of this course.
IMPACT
Approximately 10 prospective students attended and stayed for the presentation by the course leader. Bucks New University's Associate Dean (Academic & Professional Development) reported that the session was informally evaluated well, with the visitors finding the session helpful and the majority reporting that they intended either to apply themselves or support their staff to apply.
There were subsequently 15 applications for the CPD module from staff from a variety of agencies. The first cohort was subsequently recruited, with approximately half studying at Level 6 and half at Level 7. All the prospective students who attended the launch event applied and were accepted onto the module.
The evaluation exercise found that the course had been developed further to form core modules of a new Master's degree in Leadership and Management in the Public Sector. This inter-professional, multi-disciplinary course is offered to those working, or with experience of working, within a public sector or third sector organisation and who would like to develop or progress in a leadership and management field. Thirty practitioners working within the Buckinghamshire Childrens' Trust have now completed the course: 27 practitioners from Oxfordshire County Council and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust commenced the course in March 2011. Graduates of the LIMAS course have produced positive feedback on their experience.