Health and Social Care and Management
Health and social care management brings together two large and intertwined sectors, health and social care, with the management and organisational skills needed to plan, deliver, and improve the services they provide. The UK's health and social care systems together represent one of the largest areas of public spending and employ millions of people, and both are under persistent pressure to become more efficient, more person-centred, and more effective at managing the needs of an ageing and diversifying population. Professionals who combine a serious understanding of health and social care with management expertise are in genuine demand at all levels of these systems.
At Birkbeck College, University of London, this programme is offered in part-time mode, which is a defining feature of Birkbeck's provision and one that makes it particularly well suited to people who are already working in health, social care, or related fields and want to develop their qualifications while continuing to practise. Part-time evening study is Birkbeck's historic model, and its approach to teaching is designed for adults who bring professional experience to their learning and who can connect academic content directly to their working lives. You will study health and social care policy, the law governing care services, ethics and values in care, management theory and organisational behaviour, and the evidence-base for effective care practice.
The degree develops both analytical skills and practical management knowledge, training you to evaluate services critically, to understand the policy context in which they operate, and to contribute meaningfully to decisions about how care is organised and delivered. Research methods and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly in written and oral form are also developed.
Graduates in health and social care management work in NHS management roles, local authority adult and children's services, the voluntary and charity sector, residential care, housing and support services, and health and wellbeing commissioning. Postgraduate study in health management, public health, social work, or public policy is another route for those who want to develop their career further.