Fully funded scholarships are available for all our courses. For more information, please email ahepw@bangor.ac.uk.
All these can also be completed through distance learning, see below for further details.
For instructions on how to apply for our flexible delivery modules, please read these instructions.
Alongside offering exciting opportunities to undertake postgraduate qualifications in Preventative Health and Health Equity, the AHEPW (Academy for Health Equity, Prevention and Wellbeing) will also be running individual postgraduate-level modules in a range of topics. In total we are delivering five of these ‘flexible delivery’ modules which can be completed without being registered on one of our postgraduate qualification programmes. To maximise flexibility, all of our flexible delivery modules will be offered through distance learning and accrued credits can be put towards one of our postgraduate programmes in the future. See below for further details.
About the Academy for Health Equity Prevention and Wellbeing (AHEPW)
The precept that prevention is better than cure continues to grow in relevance. Indeed, as populations become progressively affected by multi-morbidity and avoidable long-term disorders, both the urgency and the need to focus on prevention of illness is increasing. Prevention is about helping people stay healthy, happy, and independent for as long as possible. It means stopping problems from arising in the first place; focusing on keeping people healthy, not just treating them when they become ill. Indeed, prevention is not merely the absence of illness or infirmity, it is the possession of a set of personal resources that need nurturing and development to ensure good mental and physical health. In addition, prevention cannot be solved by the health and social care system alone, as many aspects influencing good health lie outside of the health and social care sector’s control. Awareness of and commitment to health equity must be embedded within healthcare provision for prevention to be successful across society.
The flexible delivery modules delivered by the AHEPW will cover a range of topics related to Preventative Health and Health Equity with an aim to train leaders in health and social care to effectively manage and lead innovation in practice within their organisations. This training will equip you with the tools and knowledge to plan, develop, and evaluate a shared and inclusive vision for your organisation, drawing on the latest research and development in preventative health, equity, and effective leadership theory. Through workshops, lectures, and supported assessments, you will be empowered to develop a collaborative culture within your organisation which builds capacity of the collective workforce to effectively deliver the aspirations of “A Healthier Nation”.
The AHEPW is part of the Welsh Government Intensive Learning Academy (ILA) programme. This initiative has seen the development of hubs at Welsh Universities to offer research and education to support the professional capacity and system leadership which is fit for the challenges for health and social care systems for today and the future. The AHEPW will focus on accelerating the promotion and adoption of preventative health into practice across an integrated healthcare ecosystem (e.g., health and social care, third sector, housing, education, and life science industries) and within a bilingual context. It will develop a network of informed, dynamic leaders equipped to drive change to address health and linked social challenges.
What do the flexible delivery modules offer?
Each flexible delivery module will offer guided learning in a specific topic area with specific learning objectives. Collectively, the modules aim to:
- Enable students to effectively manage and lead innovation in practice within their organisation, ensuring systems of learning, monitoring, and professional appraisal align with the strategic intentions of their organisation.
- Provide students with the tools and knowledge to build resilience throughout their organisation.
- Enable students to develop and evaluate a shared and inclusive vision for their organisation, with reference to the latest developments in preventative health (both nationally in Wales and internationally) alongside effective leadership theory.
- Empower students to develop a collaborative culture that builds capacity of the collective workforce to effectively deliver the aspirations of “A Healthier Nation”.
- Enable students to gather and use data for informed decision making.
What will you study?
These modules will be delivered through a flexible mixture of online workshops, seminars and lectures to suit applicants who are engaged in employment. Credits for these modules will be logged in the same way as other forms of accredited prior learning. Each module is worth 10 credits at postgraduate level.
All our flexible delivery modules contain:
- Two online workshops of approximately 5 hours each (Introductory and Advanced)
- Ten hours of online lectures/seminars plus associated readings.
- Individual supervision and tutorials
- Facilitated discussion forums with other students
Below are additional details about the content of each flexible delivery module. At the application stage you will be asked to state which module(s) you would like to sign-up for.
Please note the modules listed above are subject to change. Programme structure and individual modules are subject to change from time to time for reasons which can include curriculum enhancement, staff changes and student numbers, where relevant.
ILA-4005 Coaching and Mentoring
This module provides students with an opportunity to form and develop professional relationships as a coach or mentor. Students will learn about communication skills and coaching/mentoring models and begin to integrate these skills into their practice as a coach/mentor. Workshops and lectures will present theories and practical examples of this work, and students will then be expected to apply this knowledge in practice by working as a coach or mentor in their workplace for at least 10 hours. This important activity gives students a valuable opportunity to practice coaching/mentoring skills and ro gain a deeper insight into the process from an applied perspective.
ILA-4006 Creating a Learning Culture
Students completing this module will gain an understanding of the importance of creating an appropriate continuous improvement culture leading to a self-improving system. They will then have the opportunity to demonstrate, through a series of progressions, how to ensure a sustainable cultural change in their organisation.
ILA-4007 Health Equity and Human Rights
This module focuses on the theoretical and empirical foundations of health equity and human rights within the context of preventative health. This module aims to identify and analyse theories of equality, equity, social justice, and human rights. The conceptual, theoretical and philosophical frameworks that underpin policy and practices in preventative health will be examined. Students will develop a critical understanding of human rights systems, and rights-based approaches to health and development. This will enable students to critically evaluate models and approaches of social inclusion, community participation, and community mobilisation. Critical skills on how to stimulate sustainable and positive social change will be developed.
ILA-4008 Healthy Behaviour Change
There are many flavours of behaviour change – some rely on persuasion and changing attitudes, others on goal-setting and conscious intention. But some drivers of behaviour operate below conscious awareness and can override intentions and goals. When designed carefully, behaviour change interventions work best when they bypass cognitive systems and work directly to develop automatic routines and habits. This strategy not only makes it easier for people to make healthy and positive choices by default, but also reduces the likelihood that opposition to authority or low motivation will negatively impact behaviour. This module will introduce students to some of the key behaviour change theories and tools with specific focus on how they can be used to promote healthy behaviour change. This will be presented within the context of a systems leadership approach to explore how healthy behaviour change can be facilitated within and across organisations.
ILA-4009 Mental Health and Wellbeing
This module provides students with an opportunity to broaden their understanding of mental health and psychological wellbeing. Students will develop an insight into the work of different practitioners in the field of mental health. In applying these different perspectives, students will consider a range of classified disorders (e.g., mood, anxiety) to recognize and support those presenting with specific difficulties. Students will also be encouraged to view such disorders as part of a continuum and will explore the limitations of the medical approach to diagnosis and treatment. In addition to this focus on mental distress, students will be introduced to interventions designed to enhance mental wellness through wellbeing, resilience, and positive psychology training.
Entry Requirements
Prospective applicants should hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject (of 2(ii) or above), as well as a strong personal statement and reference(s) (academic and/or work related).
For International students, IELTS score of 6.0 (with no element less than 5.5), or equivalent.
If you do not meet the academic requirements detailed above but have at least 3 years relevant work experience and have evidence of recent study or professional development (to demonstrate an ability to study at level 7) we may consider your application.