Course Resources Archive

This module aims to support the development of the knowledge base and aspects of the skills needed to demonstrate the quality assurance elements of the Management and Leadership Award in care.It aims to enables students to design, manage and monitor performance management and continuous quality improvement systems on behalf of their organisations and as part of a reporting process to external organisations. In particular it considers those systems and processes designed to promote the rights and responsibilities of diverse people. It is suitable for those aspiring to a first line management position or those new to this position. This module is mapped to the National Occupational Standards.

This module will cover the following topics:

• merits and disadvantages of models for quality assurance and control;
• merits and disadvantages of models for setting standards and benchmarking;
• merits and disadvantages of models for measuring performance - methods of activity monitoring and evaluation;
• the ethics of setting standards, benchmarking and evaluation particularly with regard to power, participation and accountability;
• mechanisms that can enhance the rights and responsibilities of service users by involving them in quality assurance processes;
• the role of complaints as a method of enhancing quality.

i. Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of the module students should be able to:
a) Distinguish the principles of management control, quality assurance and quality control;
b) Differentiate between benchmarking and standard setting;
c) Define a range of models, mechanisms and examples for setting standards;
d) Identify models and mechanisms and examples for measuring activity, including qualitative and quantitative outcomes;
e) Discuss models and mechanisms for evaluation and reporting;
f) Recognise the relevance of power, values, equality of opportunity and the need for participation and service user involvement to the process of standard setting, performance management and evaluation;
g) Elucidate accreditation and its impact on service users.

ii. Skills
On successful completion of the module the students should be able to:
a) Develop the communication and leadership skills needed to manage a quality provision (Key Role D Unit 17, RM1, Role B Unit 3);
b) Use information skills to manage continuous quality improvement (F3);
c) Use ICT to monitor compliance with quality systems (F6).

Staff/student contact: 20% (workshops and group tutorials)
Student directed learning: 80% (practice based learning experiences, learning sets, student directed learning, assignment preparation)

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.