level:PG;top_up:false;international:false;foundation:false;clearing:false;full_time:false;part_time:true;start_month:March;location:false
Postgraduate Certificate in Transformational Leadership
Key Facts
-
Duration
Part Time: 1 Year
-
Level
PostgraduatePG PGCert
-
Starting
March
MAR
-
Location
Face to Face and Online
Updated 18/02/2026
Overview
This course is part of the broader CYP-IAPT initiative funded by Health Education England. The programme will enable a wide range of children and young people’s mental health and emotional well-being leaders and managers to develop a high level of leadership and transformational change expertise. This will support them in transforming and sustaining effective, evidence-based services that are based on an understanding of needs from a service user, operational and organisational perspective.
The course is suitable for leaders from across organisations that work with children and young people, including NHS, Social Care, education, and the voluntary and independent sector. It is relevant to all professionals who are in a position to influence change, including service and team leads, commissioners, clinical leads, participation leads, and professionals wishing to build their capability as leaders in this field.
Highlights
- Highly interactive, with a range of colleagues and experts from the field
- Focuses on developing the students leadership skills through reflective practices, workshops and coaching
Entry Requirements
- In addition to holding a first or second class honours degree from a UK university or international equivalent, applicants’ will normally be expected to have graduate status (or provide evidence of successful level 6 study) and a relevant professional qualification/registration, or an accepted graduate status working leadership role within partner services.
- It is anticipated that those students not possessing a Degree in HE will be able to demonstrate equivalence.
- University application processes, and where necessary interview, will enable student and academic staff to assure themselves of the student’s ability to progress to level 7 study.
- Normally, students will have a minimum of one year of experience within a leadership role, however each applicant will be assessed individually.
Given the specialist and bespoke nature of this degree, prospective students will initially be identified through the joint discussion of the programme leader, and participating NHS services and linked organisations. The following criteria are considered:
- Formal qualifications and experience
- Evidence of written English
- Commitment and enthusiasm for transformational change in CYPMHS
Candidates are invited for interview:
- Applicants are selected for offer or invited to interview on the basis of information provided in the application form, the personal statement and academic reference.
- Applicants should be able to evidence that they have a key role in influencing organisational development and in supporting change at local level. This will be evidenced through written reference, personal statement and at interview
What You'll Learn
The aims of this programme have been developed to align closely to the aims of the NHS England/HEE Children and Young People’s Transformation Programme and CYP IAPT. The overall aim of the CYP Mental Health Transformation programme is to transform the mental health services for children, young people and their families, across all organisations, to maximise their quality, efficiency and effectiveness, and ensure that their outcomes are measurable.
The specific aims of this programme are to:
- develop competency in leadership and service transformation and change to deliver evidence-based, quality and needs driven, outcomes informed services
- have critical knowledge of the theoretical, research and implementation literature that underpins such service transformation and the leadership of change
- apply critical knowledge of the theoretical, research and implementation literature that underpins such service change in children and young people’s mental health and emotional well-being services
- enable service leaders to influence and foster sustainable change in their services and organisations.
Students are exposed to a variety of teaching methods and practical experience, culminating in the assessment of both the theoretical and skills based aspects of the modules.
The course is taught by experienced leaders, practitioners and academics from the field of leadership, service transformation and CYP Mental Health. It may also include young people with lived experience of mental health services, service improvement specialists and other colleagues from either the research field, business, health and care sectors or transformational leadership arenas. This allows students to engage with a diverse range of perspectives.
The programme uses lectures, skills workshops and seminars, with role play and discussion, Action Learning Sets, Group Tutorials, Directed Self-Study and Coaching to support students in developing a knowledge and critical understanding of Service Transformation and Leadership in their organisation and the wider context of CYP Mental Health transformation.
The course is made up of two modules that explore the theoretical basis of transformation and leadership and how they work in practice. The course is highly interactive and encourages the sharing of learning and the development of strategies around transformational change. It also focuses on developing the student’s leadership skills and reflecting on their own practice as a transformational leader.
Each module is delivered through a combination of six face-to face days, action learning sets, group tutorials and individual support, coaching sessions, and directed self-study. There will also be supplementary self-directed study tasks, including learning materials and resources to assist independent study.
This module will enable children’s mental health and emotional well-being service leaders and managers to develop a level of strategic leadership and transformational change expertise to support them in transforming and sustaining effective, evidence based services that are based on an understanding of need from a service user, operational and organisational perspective.
The module considers a range of leadership and change management theories and their relevance to the individual?s practice within their organisation. It will build upon knowledge of leadership and will develop the skills and behaviours that students require to critically evaluate their role as a leader in CAMHS in order to effect service transformation to achieve current policy direction and Children? and Young People’s Improving access to Psychological Therapies programme (CYP IAPT) principles, and further develop effective leadership and change management skills to an enhanced level.
The module will also develop an understanding of change management theory and develop knowledge and skills in the critical appraisal of the causes of change, identifying strategies that underpin effective change and employing an appropriate leadership strategy to support and sustain transformational change in children?s mental health services. It will also consider a practical application of service transformation and improvement methodology in the workplace.
The module will have a specific focus on developing the leader as a reflective practitioner. It will enable service leaders to understand and apply critical thinking methodology and research skills in relation to the leadership and management of their organisation, and develop strategies for using theoretical and evidence based literature to make sense of their leadership role.
This module will enable children’s mental health and emotional well-being service leaders and managers to enhance and apply leadership and transformational change expertise in practice to support them in transforming and sustaining effective, evidence based services that are based on an understanding of need from a service user, operational and organisational perspective within current policy frameworks and the CYP IAPT programme aims and objectives.
The module considers the practical application of a range of transformational leadership, change management and service and system improvement theories and methodologies. It will build upon knowledge of leadership theory and critical evaluation skills and behaviours, so that students can lead their services through a programme of transformational change that is based on evidence and is outcomes focused and informed.
The module develops competency in applying leadership and transformational change approaches in practice, with an expectation that the student will demonstrate this through the implementation of a service change project, relevant to CAMHS/CYP IAPT objectives and policy direction.
The module will have a specific focus on developing service improvement methodologies such as Lean, as well as an introduction to Health Economics and values based systems. It will also include using evidence and outcomes, and collaboration with children and young people in the transformation of services.
Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 25/26. The modules relating to the academic year 26/27 will be available from June 2026.
The Certificate places a strong emphasis on work-based learning, and students will develop and assess the knowledge and skills developed in the classroom, individual and online learning contexts in their places of work. Their role is to lead the transformation of CYPMH services in their home organisation and within local service pathways. They will be supported in developing and applying these work-based skills through action learning and one to one support in their place of work.
The assessment strategy is designed to include a range of work-based and reflective assessment types in order to ensure that students have the maximum opportunity to demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes for the programme. The breadth of assessment is demonstrated in the following examples:
- Leadership portfolios
- Reflective reports
- Individual project proposal and project report
Fees and Funding
This is a closed course externally funded by Health Education England (HEE).