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This course will help you to develop a high level of leadership and transformational change expertise.
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Postgraduate Certificate in Transformational Leadership

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Key Facts

  • Level

    PostgraduatePG PGCert

  • Duration

    Part Time: 1 Year

  • Starting

    March

    MAR

  • Location

    Face to Face and Online

Updated 02/10/2025

Open Days

Updated 02/10/2025

Get in touch

For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:

UK STUDENTS ENQUIRIES

study@northampton.ac.uk
0300 303 2772

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IAPT

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

Course Content

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 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.

Students should undertake both Modules to gain the PG Certificate (60 credits). Each module is worth (30 credits at Level 7 (Masters Level).

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.

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).

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