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The University of Manchester, established in 1824.

 

Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice

 

The University of Manchester
School of Health Sciences
Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Division

 

Programme Information
2021/22 Academic Year

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Academic Staff

Anna Beddow
Programme Director
Tel: 0161 2757767
Email: anna.beddow@manchester.ac.uk

Mark Cooper
Lecturer
Tel: 0161 2753931
Email: mark.cooper-2@manchester.ac.uk

Andrew Holt
Lecturer
Tel: 0161 2753939
Email: andrew.holt@manchester.ac.uk

Administrator

Vicki Sargeant
Approved Mental Health Programme Administrator
Tel: 0161 2755221
Email: amh@manchester.ac.uk

INTRODUCTION

Welcome from the Director of Postgraduate Taught Education

I am delighted to welcome you to the School of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. We are extremely pleased you have chosen the University of Manchester to commence or continue your postgraduate study journey; whether you are progressing straight from your undergraduate studies, seeking to develop your knowledge/skills in your chosen career or, are bravely, taking a completely different direction in life. In the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom and humanity, we will place you at the centre of a transformational learning process to support you to achieve your individual goals and aspirations. Our challenge to you is to embrace all of the opportunities available to you; be bold, think differently and realise your potential. We want your postgraduate journey with us to be intellectually stretching, rewarding and fun. We are aware that most of you will need to juggle a number of competing priorities during your postgraduate taught studies. Some of you will already be in full time employment, while others will need to secure part time employment to fund your studies. We know that many of you will have family and caring responsibilities that will have to be prioritised before your own learning. We hope the information detailed in this programme handbook will help you in managing these competing commitments. Whether you are joining us on campus, or studying at a distance, you are an integral part of our School and University, and we are here to support you. We are extremely proud of our postgraduate student community and alumni who are making a difference, both locally and globally. We look forward to working with you, confident that you too will play a role in transforming the lives of people who use health and social care services, whether during your studies or upon graduation. I wish you every success in your postgraduate studies here at the University of Manchester.

Mr Andrew Mawdsley Director of Post Graduate Taught Education School of Health Sciences

Staying Safe – Covid-19

Feeling prepared and equipped at the present time inevitably brings thoughts of health and safety. We have followed the advice from Universities UK, Public Health England and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to make sure our campus is a safe and happy environment for you to start your studies. When arriving on campus, you’ll notice the changes we’ve made to keep everyone safe. For example, our buildings will have clearly marked entry and exit points; we’ll be asking everyone to sanitise or clean their hands immediately on entry; and markings on floors, stairwells and doors will help maintain social distancing. It’s important for everyone to follow the guidelines on campus to keep themselves and others safe. We have faith that all members of our University community will do the right thing. Our ‘Staying Safe’ microsite outlines the safety measures that are in place as well as useful information regarding:-

 Student Frequently Asked Questions is regularly updated online but if you can’t find what you are looking for, please contact your school as soon as possible.

The University’s Vision for the Future

Our mission is to make the University of Manchester, already an internationally distinguished centre of research, innovation, learning and scholarly enquiry, one of the leading universities in the world by 2020. Our aim is to become the preferred destination for the best students, teachers, researchers and scholars in the world. The new, merged University was established with an unprecedented £300 million investment programme to enhance our already excellent teaching and research facilities and to further improve the services that will support you during your time as a student here. The Division’s mission is:

  • To aim for excellence and international renown in both research and teaching.
  • To encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning.
  • To foster good relations with others.
  • To contribute actively to the life of the city and region.
  • To secure, and wisely manage the resources necessary for these purposes by promoting individual and collective responsibilities and accountabilities.

The Division aims to:

  • Prepare students to become registered as nurses, midwives and social workers enabling them to fulfil a wide range of roles within health care settings.
  • Actively contribute to the advancement of knowledge and scholarship.
  • Meet student and employer requirements for diversity of provision and career enhancement by providing a structure of flexibility and choice within continuing education provision.
  • Provide higher education programmes that meet the changing demands of the NHS and fulfil requirements for professional registration and practice where appropriate.
  • Enhance the learning of students with a wide range of ability and previous experience and recognise prior learning where relevant to the programme of study.
  • Encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning and foster the use of problem solving approaches.
  • Provide students with appropriate information, advice and ongoing academic and pastoral support to enhance their progression and development in both clinical practice and academic study.
  • Provide students with opportunities to progress through programmes and acquire knowledge, skill and qualifications appropriate to their ability and future role.
  • Develop effective use of evidence in practice.
  • Provide a well-resourced teaching, learning and research environment for staff and students.
  • Operate an effective system of programme management that assures quality.
  • Generate innovative education programmes from investigative research.

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

Welcome to the Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice, we hope that you very much enjoy the time on the programme and we are here to support you in any way that we can.

Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice

The Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice comprises of 4, 15 credit compulsory units, a practice placement and a portfolio. The portfolio is the evidence of competence. It is marked as a pass or fail and is zero credit rated. In order to pass the Practice Portfolio, Students must meet all the requirements and competencies outlined in the Practice Learning Handbook and be deemed competent by their Practice Educator. Once all 4 course units, and the practice portfolio have been passed the student then will be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice is approved by Social Work England. This is the only qualification which enables you to be eligible to be approved by a local authority as an AMHP.

Overall Understanding of the Programme

To become an effective Approved Mental Health Professional it is necessary to have a high level of knowledge and understanding about mental health problems. It is also necessary to be knowledgeable about the kinds of treatments that are available, how these are delivered to service users, and what their effects and outcomes are likely to be. It is essential that you are able to make complex decisions that are legally literate and place human rights at the centre of your practice. It is essential that you are able to identify and challenge discrimination in the course of carrying out your role as an AMHP.

The Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) is the final decision maker in a process that can ultimately lead to the detention of a person in hospital and for that person to be given treatment for against their wishes. International convention and legal precedent demand that such far-reaching powers should be counter-balanced by appropriate legal safeguards to ensure the individual’s human rights are respected.

In deciding whether to make an application for detention, the AMHP has to balance a person’s autonomy and rights to freedom from interference by the state against the identified risks arising from their current condition.

The teaching on the Certificate is devoted to these vitally important issues, and is backed up by supervised practice within the employing agencies. The Approved Mental Health Professional must be able to work well with professionals from other disciplines, and our programme is committed to promoting the highest standards of multi-disciplinary practice. The multi-disciplinary approach permeates all our teaching and is an explicit feature of each of the programme’s teaching units.

Degree Regulations

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations for Students (September 2016)

Postgraduate Taught degrees at the University of Manchester are based on the National Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ). This framework requires students to achieve credit at masters’ level in order to get an award. For a standard postgraduate taught Masters programme this will normally mean passing 180 credits. A standard postgraduate diploma will normally have 120 credits and a postgraduate certificate 60 credits. The way in which you study these credits will be defined later in the programme handbook and the programme specification.

The University sets standards relating to your performance on every unit but also on your progression through the programme. The programme and course unit specifications will set out the requirements for passing the credit on individual units.

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations

Please find below the link to the degree regulations:

http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate-degree-regulations/

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the regulations policy document.

Criteria for Awards

Award Postgraduate Certificate

To obtain a Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice (this award allows the student to act as an AMHP) the Student must have accrued 60 Credits, including any provision made for referred units (compensation is not permitted on this programme).

As specified in the exemptions, the awards of Postgraduate Certificate degrees are based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 50% for which there is no classification other than pass/fail.

Exit Awards

Exit awards are available for students who do not satisfy the criteria for the programme they are registered on or who needs to exit the programme early due to unforeseen circumstances.

  • If the Student successfully completes all of the 4 units (accruing 60 Credits), but not the Practice Portfolio, the student can exit with a Postgraduate Certificate in Critical Approaches to Mental Health Theory. This certificate does not enable you to be approved as an AMHP.
  • To be considered for a PG Certificate Approved Mental Health Professional Practice (60 credits; exit) students must have accrued 60 credits across the programme and pass the Practice Portfolio.

Please note the pass mark for course units making up the Postgraduate Certificate exit awards is 50%.

Compensation

Compensated credit is not permitted on the Postgraduate Certificate (Approved Mental Health Professional Practice and Critical Approaches to Mental Health Theory). This means that you have to pass all of the taught units. The pass mark is 50%, except for the practice portfolio where it is pass or fail.

Reassessment

Where the overall unit mark is below the pass mark (50%) reassessment may be taken.

Reassessment as a result of a fail is known as a “Referral”. Reassessment as a result of approved and verified mitigating circumstances is known as “Deferral” and may be permitted where students are reassessed as a first attempt, for which no penalty applies.

Students may be referred in up to half of the total taught credits. The combined total number of credits referred cannot exceed half the taught credits. Decisions with regard to which components should be reassessed are made by the Examination Board. When a student is referred they will normally be permitted to retake the assessment/exam on one further occasion.

The pass mark for a reassessment is the same as the first attempt (i.e. 50% across all levels).When a reassessment is passed, the mark is capped at the lowest pass mark (i.e. 50R). This mark is used in the weighted average/total mark for the final award. The capped mark is applied to the whole unit and not the failed component.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The Units

More details on each module, can be found on our website:

The delivery of the teaching is currently in an on-line/blended pattern. This means that we offer teaching in a variety of ways online, using software such as Zoom, NearPod and Softchalk. We will aim to offer as much face to face provision when we can. Going forward certain elements of the programme will always be in an online format. Detailed information on this will be provided in induction and in each unit.

Practice Learning for the Postgraduate Certificate in Approved Mental Health Professional Practice

See The Practice Learning Handbook for details.

STUDENT PROGRESS AND ASSESSMENT

Personal Details

It is important that the Students ensure that the Programme is provided with up-to-date home and work addresses. It is also the responsibility of the Student to notify other relevant University offices of any change of address.

Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulations XV11)

Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found at http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/guidance-to-students-on-plagiarism-and-other-forms-of-academic-malpractice/

The University Library has produced online resources to help students in avoiding plagiarism and academic malpractice at:

https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/using-the-library/students/training-and-skills-support/my-learning-essentials/online-resources/

Fitness to Practice

Information on Fitness to Practise related matters can be found at; www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/appeals-complaints/fitnesstopractise

Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

The teaching day is 9.30am – 4.30pm with breaks throughout.

You are required to attend all of the taught element of the course and to actively engage with your personal tutor. This is absolutely pivotal so that we are able to support you through the programme. If a session is missed it is your responsibility to demonstrate how the learning and teaching has been achieved. You must complete a proforma, which is available in the Appendices, and submit it to the unit lead.

Students who have a less than 80% attendance for their lectures (i.e. they have missed more than 1 day) can be refused the opportunity to complete the module assessment.

If you are encountering issues or difficulties the sooner that we know the sooner we can address them. Please get in touch with your personal tutor or with Anna Beddow the programme director and we will work together to find a solution.

Attendance at all placement days is mandatory. Any days not attended must be replaced to achieve the threshold of fifty days. If the student is absent from placement this must be reported to the personal tutor. This will be checked at mid and final placement stage.

The programme director and teaching staff will monitor the work and attendance of students on the programme. This is for your benefit and helps to ensure you are coping with the work. Regular or a pattern of non-attendance and/or engagement will result in you being contacted by the School to meet with your programme director. All absence from the programme is reported to your agencies as matter of course.

For further information see:

Regulation XX Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

The University offers a range of advice and support to students experiencing problems with attendance. Further information can be found below:

http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/taking-care/

Sharing Information

The University may share appropriate information relating to your health and/or conduct with external organisations such as your professional employer(s). This may occur where concerns in relation to your health and/or conduct arise and the University considers it necessary for them to be disclosed to one or more of the above organisations. The University’s Privacy Notice for Registered Students (which is accessible via this link: www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/data-collection-notice/) includes further information about how the University may use and process your personal data, including the legal basis and conditions which may be relevant to such processing (see section 6 of the Privacy Notice). The University will only disclose special category data (such as data relating to your health) to a third party organisation where one of the additional conditions are satisfied (see section 9 of the Privacy Notice), including where processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

Student Charter

One of the University’s three core goals is “To provide a superb higher education and learning experience to outstanding students, irrespective of their backgrounds, and to produce graduates distinguished by their intellectual capabilities, employability, leadership qualities, and their ability and ambition to contribute to society” (from the University of Manchester Strategic Vision 2020).

http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/enhancing-my-experience/charter/

Management of Assessments

Assessed work will be marked anonymously therefore you MUST include your student number within your assignment AND within the uploading title. See appendix 2 for additional information regarding the grading structure.

Policy on submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=24561

Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=6518

Only ONE document can be uploaded for submission therefore students MUST ensure they submit the correct one, as substitutes will NOT be allowed.

TurnitinUK

The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for marking.  Such systems include TurnitinUK, the plagiarism detection service used by the University.

As part of the formative and/or summative assessment process, you may be asked to submit electronic versions of your work to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University (this requirement may be in addition to a requirement to submit a paper copy of your work).  If you are asked to do this, you must do so within the required timescales.

The School also reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University.

Please note that when work is submitted to the relevant electronic systems, it may be copied and then stored in a database to allow appropriate checks to be made.

All typed summative assessment, including dissertations, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software.

Late Submission Penalty (Including Dissertation)

Work submitted after the deadline without prior approval will be subject to a late penalty in accordance with the University Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes.  The penalty applied is 10% of available marks deducted per day/24 hours (from the time of the original or extended deadline), until the assignment is submitted or no marks remain. Penalties for late submission relate to 24 hours/calendar days, so include weekends and weekdays, as well as bank holidays and University closure days. The mark awarded for the piece of work will be reduced by: 10% of the available marks deducted if up to 24 hours (1 day) late 20% of the available marks deducted if up to 48 hours (2 days) late 30% of the available marks deducted if up to 72 hours (3 days) late 40% of the available marks deducted if up to 96 hours (4 days) late 50% of the available marks deducted if up to 120 hours (5 days) late 60% of the available marks deducted if up to 144 hours (6 days) late 70% of the available marks deducted if up to 168 hours (7 days) late 80% of the available marks deducted if up to 192 hours (8 days) late 90% of the available marks deducted if up to 216 hours (9 days) late 100% of the available marks deducted if up to 240 hours (10 days) late If the assessment is submitted within 10 days of the deadline the assessment should be marked and feedback to the student provided. If this mark before the penalty is applied reaches the appropriate pass mark but the applied penalty results in a fail of the assessment, the student should not be required to resit the assessment as the original mark can be taken as the resit mark. Further information and examples can be found in the Policy and associated Guidance documents. For work submitted more than 10 days late, it is regarded as a non-submission and need not be marked. In this case a mark of zero will be awarded and normal resit regulations will apply. The sliding scale should only be applied to first-sit submissions. For all referred (resit) assessment, any late submission will automatically receive a mark of zero. For further information: Guidance on Late Submission

Policy on the Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes

Extensions

All submission deadlines will be 12noon GMT/BST. There will be no grace periods following the deadline (unless extension requests/mitigating circumstances are approved prior to the deadline) and the University late submission policy will take effect.

Students are permitted a maximum extension of four weeks and will only be granted for unforeseen adverse circumstances which affect your ability to complete the assignment task. Please note that any extensions approved, the 15 working day marking period will no longer apply and your mark will be released 15 working days after four weeks from the original deadline has passed.

The necessary forms can be found within the Assessment area for each module in Blackboard, but if you experience any difficulties, you should contact amh@manchester.ac.uk. Upon receipt of the completed form, approval will be sought via the Exams Officer / Mitigating Circumstances panel (whichever is applicable). All requests are treated confidentially.

Extension requests should be submitted before the assignment deadline.

Please note that extension requests can take up to 2 working days to confirm and your request is not guaranteed to be accepted, so please submit any requests as early as possible. Students who submit late will risk having penalties.

Word Limits

In accordance with the University Policy on Marking:

Each written assignment has a word limit which you must state at the top of your first page. It is acceptable, without penalty, for you to submit an assignment within a range that is plus or minus 10% of this limit. If you present an assignment with a word count exceeding the specified limit+10%, the assignment will be marked but 1% will be deducted from this mark for every 100 words over the limit given.

In accordance with accepted academic practice, when submitting any written assignment for summative assessment, the notion of a word count includes the following without exception:

  • All titles or headings that form part of the actual text. This does not include the fly page or reference list
  • All words that form the actual essay
  • All words forming the titles for figures, tables and boxes, are included but this does not include boxes or tables or figures themselves
  • All in-text (that is bracketed) references
  • All directly quoted material

Certain assessments may require different penalties for word limits to be applied. For example, if part of the requirement for the assessment is conciseness of presentation of facts and arguments. In such cases it may be that no 10% leeway is allowed and penalties applied may be stricter than described above. In such cases the rules for word count limits and the penalties to be applied will be clearly stated in the assessment brief and in the submission details for that assessment.

Examinations

Where applicable, examinations are held at the end of each module.

Policy on Examinations:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=26153

Examinations: Guidance for Students:

http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectiond-theprocessofassessment/examinationsguidanceforstudents/

Academic Malpractice

Academic malpractice is any activity – intentional or otherwise – that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. It includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results, and anything else that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for those committing it. Academic malpractice can result from a deliberate act of cheating or may be committed unintentionally. Whether intended or not, all incidents of academic malpractice will be treated seriously by the University.

Guidance for students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice can be found at:
http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/guidance-to-students-on-plagiarism-and-other-forms-of-academic-malpractice/

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=2870

You are responsible for ensuring that you understand what academic malpractice is, and how to avoid committing it. If you are unsure, ask your lecturer or academic adviser.

As further support for students, the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has developed a module entitled “Understanding Academic Malpractice”. This unit should be completed by all postgraduate taught students and will allow you to test your understanding of what constitutes plagiarism and academic malpractice.  You can access the resource via Blackboard.  Log in to My Manchester and click on the Blackboard tab.  The online skills training resource will be listed under the My Communities heading (below your course units). This module should be completed as soon as possible after you begin your programme, but must be completed before you submit your first piece of academic writing for assessment

Plagiarism and Collusion

Plagiarism is regarded very seriously by all Universities. It is simply an attempt to deceive your examiners by passing off as your own the work of other writers and the severest penalties will result. Moreover, you should not plagiarise your own work by submitting the same or any similar material for assessment twice. Set out below are some guidelines on avoiding plagiarism:

  • Always acknowledge the ideas of others in individual footnotes referring to the author, the work, the specific reference, its date of publication and the volume and page numbers. Guidance on referencing can be found in two documents on the Student Portal – the Citation & Referencing Guide and the Harvard Referencing Guide.
  • The use of the exact words of another is quoting and must be acknowledged by enclosing the words in quotation marks as well as by referencing them as detailed above.
  • A bibliography identifying all books, journal articles and other materials contributing to your argument should be appended to all assignments.

Assignments, Examinations and Dissertations must be your own individual work. Copying, whether directly from other people’s work or paraphrasing their work without clear referencing can lead to accusations of plagiarism. Although students may work together in informal study groups, combined or duplicate assignments will not be accepted for marking. Direct quotation from an earlier piece of your own work, if this is not referenced, suggests that your work is original when in fact it is not. The direct copying of one’s own writings qualifies as plagiarism if the fact that the work has been, or is to be, presented elsewhere is not acknowledged.

Any documentation presented for assessment must be properly referenced to avoid allegations of this nature. This includes assignments and documentation presented to project supervisors during the research and writing up stages of your final project; as it is essential that your supervisor can see the origin of elements which have been included from other sources and which are your own ideas. Submissions that are not referenced will be regarded as plagiarism regardless of whether you intend including the omitted references in the final version of the document.

Collusion

Collusion is any agreement to hide someone else’s individual input to collaborative work with the intention of securing a mark higher than either you or another student might deserve. Where proved, it will be subject to penalties similar to those for plagiarism. Similarly, it is also collusion to allow someone to copy your work when you know that they intend to submit it as though it were their own and that will lay both you and the other student open to a charge of academic malpractice.

On the other hand, collaboration is a perfectly legitimate academic activity in which students are required to work in groups as part of their programme or in the preparation of projects and similar assignments. If you are asked to carry out such group work and to collaborate in specified activities, it will always be made clear how your individual input to the joint work is to be assessed and graded. Sometimes, for example, all members of a team may receive the same mark for a joint piece of work, whereas on other occasions, team members will receive individual marks that reflect their individual input. If it is not clear on what basis your work is to be assessed, to avoid any risk of unwitting collusion you should always ask for clarification before submitting any assignment.


 The procedures and penalties for dealing with academic malpractice are covered by the same regulation as apply to Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulation XV11):

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=6530

You are responsible for ensuring that you understand what academic malpractice is, and how to avoid committing it. If you are unsure, ask your lecturer or academic adviser.

Academic Malpractice: Procedure for Handling Cases can be found at:
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=639

Other Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found at www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic

Mitigating Circumstances

Mitigation describes the process by which a student may be compensated for poor assessment performance, or when they are not able to complete an exam/assessment, as a consequence of unforeseen or unpreventable circumstances. Mitigation can be submitted for exams/assessments that have been completed but have been adversely affected, or for exams/assessments a student has been unable to complete.

A student must submit a request for mitigation to their programme administrator, in advance of their assessment submission deadline or exam, together with supporting 3rd party evidence. Your programme administrator will provide you with the Mitigating Circumstances form to complete.

Retrospective mitigation requests will only be considered, if presented at least 2 weeks prior to the exam board and there are compelling reasons as to why the circumstances could not be made known or presented prior to the assessment submission deadline/exam. Exam board dates will be circulated by your Programme Administrator once confirmed.

Any requests for mitigation will be considered confidentially by a mitigating circumstances panel. This will include a nominated School contact and will meet the quoracy guidelines of the University regulations. Where a request for mitigation is supported, a recommendation will be made to the exam board for them to decide on the best course of action for the student.

Students are advised to consult the following guidance, which directs them to seek advice and support before and whilst submitting a request for mitigation. The University form and guidance for students, is available at:

http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/basic-guide-mitigating-circumstances/

Further information can be found at;

http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectionc-reachingdecisionsfromassessment/mitigatingcircumstancesguidanceforstudents/

Policy on Mitigating Circumstances

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=4271

Interruptions and Extensions to Programme

It is the expectation of the University that postgraduate taught students pursue their studies on a continuous basis for the stipulated duration of their programme. However, it is recognised that students may encounter personal difficulties or situations which may seriously disrupt or delay their studies. In some cases, an interruption or extension to your programme of study may be the most sensible option.

Students who wish to interrupt the progamme should initially discuss their plans and reasons with your Programme Director.

Please note that in line with the University’s Interruption Policy (http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=4780), the total period of interruption must not normally exceed 12 months, and any further interruptions beyond 12 months will only be permitted under the most exceptional circumstances.

Students must also provide documentary evidence when appropriate, for example, doctor’s letter, sick note etc.

An application must be submitted to your Programme Administrator and this will be sent to the Programme Director who will either support or reject the request. The form will then be submitted for consideration to the School Postgraduate Programme Manager who will make the final decision.

The forms required for formal application are available from your Programme Administrator.

During your period of interruption you will not be a registered student of the University and your right to be on University premises will be that of a member of the public. You may not undertake work on University premises as you are not covered by our insurance agreements. You should also note that you will lose onsite IT and student library access; however, you can retain remote email access to your student email account. You do need to ensure, however, that, if necessary, you save work and provide alternative forwarding contact email details to the AMH administrator.

External Examiners

The Role of the External Examiners

External Examiners are individuals from another institution or organisation who monitor the assessment processes of the University to ensure fairness and academic standards. They ensure that assessment and examination procedures have been fairly and properly implemented and that decisions have been made after appropriate deliberation. They also ensure that standards of awards and levels of student performance are at least comparable with those in equivalent higher education institutions.

External Examiners’ Reports

External Examiners’ reports relating to this programme will be shared with student representatives at the programme committee, where details of any actions carried out by the programme team/School in response to the External Examiners’ comments will be discussed. Students should contact their student representatives if they require any further information about External Examiners’ reports or the process for considering them.
External Examiner Details

The External Examiners for this Programme are: Alan Marshall and Matthew Quaife.

Please note that it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External Examiners under any circumstances, in particular with regards to a student’s individual performance in assessments.  Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the University’s appeals or complaints procedures and the UMSU Advice Centre. In cases where a student does contact an External Examiner directly, External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners should report the matter to their School contact who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact their Programme Administrator in the first instance.

STUDENT SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE

Study Days

It is recommended that students are given adequate study time and be offered appropriate supervision and guidance throughout the programme. Students are permitted 2 Study Days per unit, as per the Employment Support Form, signed by the student and their employer.

Student Support

The University of Manchester has a well-established system for assessing and responding to Students who encounter difficulties. The Student Services Centre is a key resource for dealing Student queries and for directing them to the most appropriate sources of help. Within our own Unit it is anticipated that the support of Students will be a shared responsibility between Unit staff and Employers. All of our Students will be part-time and sponsored by their employing agencies and will have the benefit of a solid agency infrastructure during the period of their study.

Within our Programmes, all Students will have access to an Adviser for ongoing advice.

Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS)

The University of Manchester welcomes students with a disability or specific learning difficulties. The University has a Disability Advisory and Support Service, who can supply further information, and DASS advisors will be pleased to meet you to discuss your needs. DASS will liaise with your School through the Disability Coordinator to make the necessary arrangements for your support during your time in Manchester.

The office can also provide a copy of the University’s Disability Statement, ‘Opportunities for Students with Additional Support Needs at the University of Manchester’ which sets out the policy and provision for students with a disability.

DASS Contact Details:-

Location: 2nd Floor, University Place

E-mail: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Phone: 0161 275 7512

Text: 07899 658 790

Website: www.dass.manchester.ac.uk

Library

http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/

Student Services Centre

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/why-manchester/student-support/student-services-centre/

Occupational Health Services for Students

http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/occupational-health/

Counselling Service

http://www.counsellingservice.manchester.ac.uk/

Students Union

http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/

Health & Fitness

http://www.sport.manchester.ac.uk/

Data Protection

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/privacy/

Equality and Diversity Policy

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=8361

Student IT Support

Details can be found at:  http://www.itservices.manchester.ac.uk/help/

Login to the Support Centre online to log a request, book an appointment for an IT visit, or search the Knowledge Base.

  • Telephone: +44 (0)161 306 5544 (or extension 65544).  Telephone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • In person:  Walk-up help and support is available at the Joule Library, Main Library or Alan Gilbert Learning Commons:

Use Support Centre online for support with eLearning, from where you may make a request, report a fault, or search the Knowledge Base.  The email address is: elearning@manchester.ac.uk

Blackboard

Blackboard is a web-based system that complements and builds upon traditional learning methods used at The University of Manchester. By using Blackboard you can

  • view course materials and learning resources,
  • communicate with lectures and other students,
  • collaborate in groups,
  • get feedback
  • submit assignments
  • monitoring your own progress at a time and place of your own convenience.

Training in the use of software
The Faculty eLearning team have produced a short introduction to Blackboard for new students.  The recording is hosted in two places: the VLS and on YouTube:

Technical Help with My Blackboard Course

If your Blackboard course unit is not behaving as you expect, you can:

  • Contact your Unit Co-ordinator by email to get help with content issues (missing notes, etc).
  • Contact the eLearning team for technical bugs using the eLearning Enquiry button.

Further details can be found at: https://elearning.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/student/technical-support/

Academic Advisors

Each Student will have access to an Academic Advisor. An academic advisor functions as a personal tutor. This person will also be responsible for monitoring your practice placement and attending the meetings associated with it.

We aim for the Student group to feed in to the programme as much as possible. Ideally we would like student representatives on the programme. We aim to take feedback in a number of ways which informs our delivery of the programme for each academic cycle. The Programme Director is also available, on an informal basis, to see Students.

Graduation

Due to submission deadlines of final works for the majority of students, records will be presented at the September / November Board of Examiners and students will be invited to join the December Graduation Ceremony in Manchester.

Graduation invitations will be sent direct from the Student Services Centre and registration will be via the online self-service portal on the StudentNet.

If you have any queries regarding graduation ceremonies or your certificate, please contact the Graduation Team in the Student Services Centre either via telephone 0161 2755000 or via email:  ssc@manchester.ac.uk, when contacting them you should quote your ID number, given above.

Further information can be found at the below link:

http://www.graduation.manchester.ac.uk/

Student Feedback

We aim to take feedback both formally and informally in a variety of ways to improve the student experience. We will discuss this more fully in induction.

List of Policies

To follow are a list of some of the main policies, many of which are detailed throughout the handbook.

Basic Guide to Academic Appeals

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23874

Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the Handling of Cases can be found at: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=639

A-Z of Student Services

http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/

Data Protection

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/privacy/

Equality and Diversity Policy

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=8361

Religious Observance

https://staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/policy-guidance/assessment/practice-of-assessment/religious-observance/

The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has produced guidance for healthcare students on fasting and caring: Fasting and Caring – Looking after yourself and your patients during Ramadan: guidance for health care students.

Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations

http://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/policy-guidance/assessment/

Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=6518

Mitigating Circumstances: Guidance for Students

Policy on Mitigating Circumstances

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=4271

Guidance for students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice can be found at:

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=2870

Basic Guide to Student Complaints

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23875

Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=24561

Work and attendance policy

http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1895

A full list of student services can also be found at: A-Z of Student Services

Please be aware that it is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the academic policies, procedures and guidelines governing the University of Manchester’s postgraduate taught courses.

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

The Programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, regulations and procedures of the School of Health Sciences and of the University of Manchester.

The Programme Committee reports and responds to the Nursing and Social Work PGT Teaching and Learning Committee. The Consortium committee then feeds in to the School, Faculty and University committees. This academic reporting structure can be found in Appendix 3

The Programme Management Committee meets once a semester and is comprised of stakeholder representatives.

The Programme Director is Anna Beddow and she has the day-to-day responsibility for the management and administration of the Programme. The Staff involved in the functioning of the Programme meet regularly for Staff Group meetings, and all staff and students are encouraged to contribute suggestions and comments at any time in the Programme.

The Programme Management Committee

The Programme Management Committee will be composed of the Programme Director, members of Academic Staff from the course and representatives of Health and Social Service agencies who are funding Students on the Programme. The Committee aims to have input from service users and carers and students. . The Programme Management Committee is responsible for:

  • Overall management of the Programme
  • Reviewing the Programme Structure, Curriculum Content, Professional Practice and Teaching Methods
  • Monitoring, maintaining and enhancing standards of the Programme. Ensuring that the Programme is responsive to any changing internal or external requirements
  • Maintaining effective partnership with employers in the organisation and delivery of the Programme
  • Establishing and overseeing the Programme Examination Board.
  • Receiving, considering and responding to feedback from: Students, External Examiners, Employers and Service Users and Carers
  • Day-to-day management of Student affairs and contacts
  • The External Examiner’s Report will be discussed at the Programme Management Committee. The Committee meets twice per annum, with extra meets as appropriate.

The Professional Practice (Agency Coordinators)

All funding agencies will be asked to nominate a member of staff with responsibility for Mental Health training to be a member of the coordinators group. This group is chaired by the Programme Director. Whilst each employing agency is responsible for the Professional Practice arrangements for their own students/employees, the coordinators group reviews common arrangements and concerns.

Standards and consistency between employers in Professional Practice placements

Ensuring that Employers understand and implement the requirements for Professional Practice.

The Coordinators group normally meets three times per annum.

Confidentiality of Students

For those students training as AMHPs, and who are seconded to this by their Agency and with their Agency practice support, there must be an open dialogue between University, Agency and Student. The dialogue must be transparent and issues of concern shared with all parties on a need to know basis.

APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS

Appeals

We understand that sometimes there can be difficulties or concerns that need to be resolved when on the programme. We hope that these can be resolved informally. So in the first instance if you have a concern, raise it with your practice educator and your personal tutor. It may be helpful for instance to negotiate a three way meeting to resolve the issue. Your tutor is there to work to resolve any difficulties. If this is not successful the matter should then be referred to the programme director and agency co-ordinator who will work together to resolve the issue.

Students have a right of appeal against a final decision of an Examination Board, or a progress committee, or a graduate committee or equivalent body which affects their academic status or progress in the University.

Students thinking of appealing should first discuss the matter informally with an appropriate member of staff, in order to better understand the reason for the result or decision.

Should you wish to proceed to a formal appeal, this must be submitted within the timeframe outlined in the Academic Appeals Procedure to the Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team, Room 3.21, Simon Building, University of Manchester, M13 9PL (e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).

The Academic Appeals Procedure (Regulation XIX) and associated documents, including the form on which formal appeals should be submitted, can be found at www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic

Academic Appeals (Regulation XIX) can be found at:
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=1872

University Guide: Academic Appeals, Complaints and Misconduct can be found at:
http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/appeals-complaints/

Basic Guide to Academic Appeals:
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23874

Channels for Complaint

The University’s Student Complaints Procedure (Regulation XVIII) and associated documents, including a complaints form, can be found at www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/academic

University has separate procedures to address complaints of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or victimisation – see https://www.reportandsupport.manchester.ac.uk/

Students have formal and informal means for complaints. Initially, complaints should be raised with the individual concerned or Programme Director, where it is hoped it can be resolved at the informal stage. If it cannot be resolved informally by the Programme Director, a formal complaint should be submitted.

Formal complaints should be submitted on the relevant form to Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team, Room 3.21, Simon Building, University of Manchester, M13 9PL (e-mail: FBMHappealsandcomplaints@manchester.ac.uk).

It is hoped that complaints can be resolved at programme level.

The Basic Guide to Student Complaints can be found here;
http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=23875

HEALTH AND SAFETY

  • Students must always contact the Programme staff if they cannot attend because of illness and provide the necessary medical certification for absences. In cases of prolonged ill health, the Programme Director must be informed and the information may have to be given to other University Staff.
  • All Students must familiarise themselves with the procedure for dealing with an emergency. It is important that the correct procedures are followed on hearing the fire alarm, i.e: use of the stairs and go to the recognised meeting point.
  • If there is a concern about security, the Students must inform staff immediately, i.e: The Building Staff and the University Staff.
  • Smoking is prohibited in all the University premises.

FACULTY RESOURCES

All students are automatically enrolled onto an introductory unit that provides information on health and safety, academic malpractice and academic literacy. Completion instructions for each of these sections are clearly defined within the course. Completion of the academic malpractice and health and safety sections is mandatory for all students. All assessments must be completed as soon as possible after the programme begins, with the academic malpractice assessment completed before the first piece of coursework is submitted. Completion of these assessments is monitored by the School. All students are also strongly advised to complete the academic literacy section

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Online Skills Training Resource

The Faculty has developed a skills training resource to support you through your postgraduate taught programme. This online material should supplement the assessed learning material and activities undertaken in your taught programme.

Accessing the online skills resource

You can access Blackboard through the My Manchester portal (http://my.manchester.ac.uk). The skills training resource is available in an academic community space available to all registered PGT students in the Faculty through Blackboard.

If you cannot see these units in your Blackboard please contact your Programme Administrator.

Content

Full details of all these resources can be found in the introduction to each unit. These resources have been designed to give you formative feedback on your progress through them. If you experience any problems and would like to talk to someone please contact your Programme Director. If you have questions about referencing and how it applies to your own work, please contact your Programme Director or dissertation supervisor/module lead.

Research Methods* This course is spilt into 3 units that cover introductions to study design, statistics and dissertation skills. It has a number of online quizzes where you can test your knowledge.
Statistics* The course provides a valuable foundation for understanding and interpreting biostatistics. It aims to provide you with the fundamentals of quantitative analysis.
Presentation Skills This short interactive unit is designed to help you to enhance your presentation skills. Regardless of whether you are presenting in public, preparing for conferences, an oral examination or more informal settings this unit will give you the tops tips to improve your delivery.
Qualitative Research Methods* This unit has been designed to give you an introduction to Qualitative Research.
Intellectual Property Awareness Resource This Intellectual Property (IP) awareness resource has been created in order to improve your understanding of IP. Topics include: Types of intellectual property • Copyright and IP clearance • University policy on IP • IP commercialisation • IP in research or consultancy • IP issues to be aware when dealing with academic materials

* NOTE: the material in this online resource is for reference and formative learning purposes only. In some of your taught programme you may be required to undertake assessed course units for Research Methods, Qualitative Research or Statistics. If your programme involves taught units then you should refer to the Blackboard material relating to that course unit. Please contact your Programme Administrator if you are unsure which material relates to your assessed work. You will still be able to refer to the online skills resource in later years.

University Health and Safety Unit

As part of the University’s responsibility to help keep you safe and well during your studies, you will be asked to complete a short online health and safety course.

This short course provides you with basic information about how health and safety is managed on campus and also includes some simple tests to assess your learning outcomes. It will take you approximately one hour to complete.

You will be enrolled automatically on the Health and Safety course unit, which is delivered through Blackboard (the University e-learning system)

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 – Postgraduate Marking

The aim is to complete your marking within 15 working days. The marks are posted on TurnitinUK. However, the marks have to be ratified by an Academic Board. All assignments are marked once. All fails, those above 70% and all borderlines plus 10% of the rest are double marked.

Marking is anonymous

The External Examiner sees all fails, firsts, plus 10% of all the assignments marked.

BAND MARKING CRITERIA
90%-100% EXCELLENT (allows award of Distinction)

Exceptional work, nearly or wholly faultless for that expected at Masters level.
80%-89% EXCELLENT (allows award of Distinction)

Work of excellent quality throughout.
70%-79% EXCELLENT (allows award of Distinction)

Work of very high to excellent quality showing originality, high accuracy, thorough understanding, critical appraisal, and very good presentation. Shows a wide and thorough understanding of the material studied and the relevant literature and the ability to apply the theory and methods learned to solve unfamiliar problems.
60%-69% GOOD PASS

Work of good to high quality showing evidence of understanding of a broad range of topics, good accuracy, good structure and presentation, and relevant conclusions. Shows a good knowledge of the material studied and the relevant literature and some ability to tackle unfamiliar problems.
50%-59% PASS

Work shows a clear grasp of relevant facts and issues and reveals an attempt to create a coherent whole. It comprises reasonably clear and attainable objectives, adequate reading and some originality.
40%-49% FAIL , POTENTIALLY COMPENSATABLE

Work shows a satisfactory understanding of the important programme material and basic knowledge of the relevant literature but with little or no originality and limited accuracy. Shows adequate presentation skills with clear but limited objectives, and does not always reach a conclusion.
30%-39% FAIL,

Work shows some understanding of the main elements of the programme material and some knowledge of the relevant literature. Shows a limited level of accuracy with little analysis of data or attempt to discuss its significance.
20%-29% FAIL

Little relevant material presented. Unclear or unsubstantiated arguments with very poor accuracy and understanding.
0-19% CLEAR FAIL

Work of very poor quality containing little or no relevant information.

Appendix 2 – Compensated Learning

If a student misses a session/or sessions during the taught programme, they will have to demonstrate on this form how they have compensated for these missed taught elements.

Date  
Topic and Speaker  
Handouts  
Discussed with Practice Educator
What else Student did to compensate

 

Date  
Topic and Speaker  
Handouts  
Discussed with Practice Educator
What else Student did to compensate

 

Student Name:
Student ID:
Signed by Student:
Signed by Practice Educator:
Date:

Appendix 3 – Committee Structure Diagram

This programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedure of the University of Manchester. The programme committee reports and responds to the Community Based Medicine Consortium and the Applied Mental Health Programme Director is a member of the Community Based Medicine Consortium. The Consortium committee then feeds in to the School, Faculty and University committees