1. Identify and define an appropriate public health topic for study within the area of practice.

(1)  Module Aims: This core module aims to enable students to:

• Integrate and apply the skills and knowledge base underpinning their public health education in a sustained piece of independent academic work (Practice based project).

• Develop students’ capacity to identify contemporary public health issues and to propose strategies of service improvement as a result of independent learning from different sources and experiences.

• Provide learning opportunities that support the public health role within the context of the social determinants of health i.e. to improve priority public health conditions and reduce health inequalities.

• Help students develop research and evaluative skills to support an evidence-based approach to their Public Health practice.

(2)  Module learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

1. Identify and define an appropriate public health topic for study within the area of practice.

2. Select appropriate methods of study and approaches to analysis, justifying the research methodology.

3. Critically evaluate the application of evidence and theories to justify a proposal for service improvement in an area of practice.

4. Produce a fluent and accurately written project for a specific practice context, demonstrating critical-thinking and awareness of current public health issues in relation to the proposed service improvement.

5. Critically debate public health issues, practice and policy through engagement in online learning activities, and becoming an active member of the online community

Learning outcomes need to be met in your assignments.

(3)  In Assessment 1:  the following outcomes will be met: LO1 & 3

 Assignment 1: Practice-Based Public Health Profile and Strategy

You are required to write a 2500 words report (excluded reference list; word limits are between 2250 and 2750 words), identifying a public health issue, social determinants of health, service provision, and outline an area for service improvement.

Learning Outcomes assessed:

1. Identify and define an appropriate public health topic for study within the area of practice.

3. Critically evaluate the application of evidence and theories to justify a proposal for service improvement in an area of practice.

(4)  Guidelines

What sort of things should I include in my profile?

• A short overall profile of the whole of your practice area:

Location for a borough (including the area where your employment/work- placement is); population size, demographic information for the borough. Health status: life expectancy, main causes of mortality, main morbidity trends.

• Identification of a public health (PH) issue (smoking, dementia, cancer, etc.); a population group (men adults, young people, BME groups, etc. and their characteristics), and the health inequalities observed in relation to your chosen PH topic. Justify why it is a PH issue.

Note that your chosen PH topic should be related to the area of services provided by your work-placement/employer,e.g. if you are working on a care home for older people you cannot propose a PH topic on maternity, children wellbeing. 

• Identify the main social determinants of health related to your chosen PH topic.
• A brief description of key Public health policies or strategies and services in your area in relation to your topic.
• Present your employment/workplace setting (school, prison service, hospital service, caring home, etc.): aims of the organisation, services, programmes, and its relation to the PH structure within the area.

• Outline an area of intervention or service improvement: based on the evidence produced in the previous sections of this report, present an outline of the intervention you will develop in order to improve the health condition identified in your report. You need to explain and relate the chosen type of intervention to one of the main public health domains (health promotion, health protection, health services).

(5) NOTE---------------

Profile structure and sections:

             - Title

            - Introduction – signposting the main areas of your report

- Area presentation: demographics, health status

- Public health issue and justification; health inequalities; main social determinants of health

- Local public health policies; services available; workplace setting