Policies & Practices in Health

This module will help you reach a critical understanding of issues relating to public health policies and health promotion policy development – whether international, national or local.  As well as looking at historical influences, you’ll examine the role of stakeholders in policy development.  Health promotion policies will be critically reviewed and analysed, and you’ll use examples from current health promotion practice to explore important issues.

What does the module cover?

Gain a critical understanding of policy and policy development at international, national, and local levels.  Critically evaluate health promotion policies and the implication for future policy development and their impacts on health.  Explore the role of the consumer and relevant agencies (statutory and non-statutory) in policy development.  You’ll have the opportunity to put your skills into practice in writing, discussion, debate, presentation and critique of health policy and programmes.

More Information

Module Code:

HS3015

Key topics include:

• A critical examination of the wider issues surrounding policy development and implementation
• Key priorities and resources
• Definitions of policy and policy development
• An examination of the international, national and local health policies and the issues surrounding their development and implementation, e.g.
• Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation
• WHO’s Health for All 2000
• Choosing Health: Making Healthier Choices Easier
• Key health topics including ‘At least 5 a Week’ and other current public health issues
• Development of public health policies with a focus on planning, budgeting, issues of access, settings for practice, resource allocation, ethical dimension, health inequalities and community development
• The role of multi-agency approaches to public health

Pre-requisites

Level 2 Core Modules

Number of credits & study time

20 credits / 200 hours

Assessment

In addition to completing a number of formative assessments as part of your coursework that you can forward to your tutor, you’ll also need to successfully complete two summative assessments, each counting towards 50% of your final grade:

Critical Review of national and local policies in a given health promotion area
(2,500 words)
Health Promotion Programme Design + Health Impact Assessment (2,500 words)