Vital skills gaps in the health and social care sector can be supported by a new course from the University of the West of Scotland (UWS).

With over 200,000 people working in the sector in Scotland, the new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course Cultures and Leadership for Integration, is designed in direct response to growing recognition that Scotland’s integrated health and social care systems need not only structural reform but also stronger, more adaptive leadership based on shared culture and values.

A recent UWS-led independent review, which was commissioned by the Scottish Government and co-produced with sector leaders and people with lived experience, found that despite structural changes, truly integrated working remains elusive in many parts of Scotland. The report, Cultures and Leadership for Integration, called for a radical shift in how integrated services are led and delivered, emphasising a need for cultural alignment, collaboration and local leadership. The new course developed by UWS’s Centre for Continuing Professional Development tackles these issues head-on.

 

Health and social care professionals are working in increasingly complex environments, where system change and collaboration are essential but not always easy. This course has been specifically designed to help people lead confidently across organisational boundaries. It provides the tools and reflective space needed to understand leadership style and how to apply it to real-world challenges. We know that cultural alignment and shared values are at the heart of successful integration, but these are not things that happen by accident. This course is a practical step toward building the kind of leadership Scotland’s health and care services need now and into the future.

Suzanne McQuade, Senior CPD Manager at UWS

 

Through a blend of online workshops, self-directed learning and practical exercises, the course will support participants to explore leadership in multi-agency environments, assess their own leadership styles, and build skills to influence culture and collaboration across organisational boundaries.

The course is aimed at anyone working within health and social care integration in Scotland – from NHS and local authority staff to those in the third sector or community-based roles. It is particularly suitable for:

 

·      Frontline team leaders

·      Managers involved in cross-sector projects

·      Strategic planners and integration leads

·      Professionals navigating change within integrated systems

 

Delivered online for maximum flexibility, the course requires just 12 hours of study over six weeks, enabling progression to further study if desired. Participants can choose from two upcoming cohorts starting in September and November 2025.

Funding from the Scottish Government also means a limited number of fully funded places are available for eligible applicants based in Scotland and working in or with integrated care systems.

To apply or to find out more about eligibility for funding, please visit: https://cpd.uws.ac.uk/w/courses/369-cultures-and-leadership-for-integration-funding-available

The course also supports progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being Goal 4: Quality Education and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals, by fostering collaborative leadership and integrated approaches to health and social care delivery.