Physiotherapy

This module introduces you to the biopsychosocial, cognitive, political, economic, and medical factors which influence the health and wellbeing of individuals, diverse populations and communities. You’ll work with peers from other professions to consider how collaborative practice impacts on health and wellbeing outcomes, and helps you thrive in your own professional practice.  

You’ll study topics such as:  

• Models of care, support and empowerment 

• Social capital and cultural humility  

• Social accountability and determinants of health  

• Safeguarding practice  

• Public health agendas, inquiries and evidence-based reports  

• Building effective, trusting relationships   

• Community profiles and place-based care systems  

• Person-centred service delivery  

• Behaviour change and microaggressions 

• Diversity and inclusion 

• The effects of planetary health on wellbeing 

Module Aim:  

The aim of the module is to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of anatomy and physiology and principles of physiotherapeutic assessment and clinical reasoning.  You will develop your understanding of body systems and normal function to enable you to understand how these inform physiotherapy assessment. 

The blended delivery approach will be applied for this module. This involves a range of activities to support and apply learning in large and small group sessions both on campus and online and practical specialist sessions on campus. 

Indicative content:  

• Introduction to body systems and function 

• Anatomy and physiology theory and application 

• Movement analysis 

• Pathophysiology and dysfunction 

• Principles of physiotherapeutic assessment 

• Practical and therapeutic handling skills  

• Introduction to clinical reasoning 

• Principles of professionalism and professional practice and therapeutic relationships 

• Guidelines

The aim of this module is to develop your skills to undertake a systematic physiotherapeutic assessment and introduce key theories concepts used across Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular respiratory and Neurological systems. 

 
You will develop your understanding of the theoretical and practical physiotherapeutic approaches to assessment of different body systems, identification of problems and basic management principles.  You will be introduced to common pathologies across these systems and consider how these may impact on clinical assessment findings. You will discuss the process of problem identification and develop your clinical reasoning. 

The blended delivery approach will be applied for this module. This involves a range of activities to support and apply learning in large and small group sessions both on campus and online and practical specialist sessions on campus. 

Indicative content may include:  
 

• Approaches to practice within different specialities of physiotherapy 

• Applied anatomy and physiology of body systems e.g. Musculoskeletal, Neurological and Cardiovascular respiratory 

• Common pathologies 

• Principles of rehabilitation 

• Principles of exercise prescription 

• Basic application of clinical reasoning skills to identify problems 

• Basic management planning and intervention strategies 

• Safety and risk assessment 

This module consolidates your progression to graduate-level study and professional practice, reflecting on your role as a professional who delivers safe and effective person-centred care. You’ll be supported to identify influencing factors on your professional practice – developing strategies which support you to thrive personally, professionally and academically. 

You’ll study topics such as: 

• Reflective practice and writing skills 

• Personal and professional development and identity 

• Emotional intelligence 

• Self-perception, privilege and introduction intersectionality and allyship  

• Self-management, feedback and leadership 

• Ethics in professional practice 

• Communication methods and techniques 

• Contemporary policy for professional practice 

• Teamwork and collaborating across professional boundaries 

• Personal behaviour and self-assessment techniques 

• The impact of behaviours, values, research and anti-oppressive and inclusive practice  

This module enables you to appreciate the roles and responsibilities of a physiotherapist. You’ll start to develop your knowledge, skills and professional practice by observing practice and taking part in practice learning and simulation activities in a variety of environments. 

You’ll apply skills and learning such as: 

• The legal and ethical issues related to practice 

• The underpinning essentials of assessment strategy 

• The rationale, purpose and influences on the assessment process 

• Undertaking assessment and person-centred practice 

• Communication, planning, goal setting and measurement 

• Documentation and record keeping 

• Digital technology and systems 

• Preparation for practice and practice-based learning 

• Collaborative working and reflective practice 

• Consent 

This module is your chance to apply your professional knowledge, skills and values in an integrated manner. You’ll work collaboratively with peers from other disciplines to assess, intervene and overcome the challenges of complex health and social care situations – supporting individuals, groups and communities.    

You’ll study topics such as:  

• Drivers for integrated and person-centred health and social care  

• Inter-professional teamworking across multiple service interfaces   

• Shared ethical decision-making, collaboration and co-production 

• Assessment, treatment planning, evaluation and risk management 

• The realities of living with long-term conditions and multi-morbidities  

• Mental capacity, best interest assessment, equality and reasonable adjustments  

• Resilience, communication, breaking bad news, difficult conversations   

• Interpersonal and systemic discrimination in health and social care 

• Inclusive language and terminology including challenging microaggressions  

• Technology-enabled care and digitalisation within integrated care systems

The aim of this module is to guide students to build upon the foundation of clinical assessment skills in level 4 and to develop clinical reasoning skills that underpin the delivery of effective holistic patient management. The module will equip students with the skills to select and apply carefully chosen interventions and treatments based on problem identification from assessment findings.   

The blended delivery approach will be applied for this module. This involves a range of activities to support and apply learning in large and small group sessions both on campus and online and practical specialist sessions on campus. 

Indicative content: 

• Neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction 

• Respiratory dysfunction 

• Assessment principles 

• Impairment to body structures and function 

• Integrated care 

• Patient management principles and concepts 

• Evidence based practice 

• Management interventions 

• High prevalence impairments 

• Clinical reasoning 

• Safety and evaluation 

The aim of this module is to guide students to build upon clinical reasoning skills developed at level 5 to select and apply carefully chosen interventions, treatments and exercise prescription based on problem identification from assessment findings.   This module will supplement previously learnt impairment-based interventions to integrate specific interventions aimed and evidenced for distinct specific pathologies that lead to complex presentations.  It will develop your ability to prescribe and deliver exercise to individuals and groups of patients in varied practice learning experiences. 

You will develop underpinning knowledge of common complex clinical presentations across a range of practice settings. Using this knowledge with clinical reasoning and pattern recognition you will be able to apply a range of safe, effective and appropriate physiotherapy treatment and exercise interventions and evaluate their effectiveness using appropriate outcome measures. 

The blended delivery approach will be applied for this module. This involves a range of activities to support and apply learning in large and small group sessions both on campus and online and practical specialist sessions on campus. 

Indicative content may include:  
 

• Defined musculoskeletal pathologies with high prevalence  

• Advanced CVR practice for complex presentations 

• Complex neurological presentations  

• Neurological treatment adjuncts 

• Foundations of therapeutic exercise and physiological response to exercise 

• Principles and safe application of exercise prescription for individuals and groups 

• Digital technology and adjuncts 

• Education advice and health promotion 

• Outcome measures 

This module introduces you to research and enquiry design and methods. You’ll be able to apply them to an area of investigation – considering factors that impact on literature appraisal – preparing you to undertake and manage an investigation as a professional practitioner. 

You’ll study topics such as:  

• What makes a good question  

• Research design, types of evidence and suitability of methods 

• Co-production – patient and public involvement 

• Inclusive perspectives of research  

• Data collection methods, strengths and weaknesses 

• Analysis techniques 

• Usefulness/impact and implications for practice 

• Ethics and governance 

• Sample of existing appraisal tools 

• Searching and critically reviewing the literature  

This module develops and applies your professional, interpersonal and decision-making skills in a variety of practice environments. You’ll record evidence to support your professional development through portfolio development and action planning. 

You’ll apply skills and learning such as: 

• Reflective practice 

• Planning, organisation and prioritisation of workload 

• Modification in response to situations and feedback 

• Developing scope of practice 

• Adaptive communication strategies and collaborative relationships 

• Awareness of clinical governance and wider determinants of health 

• Promotion of inclusion and anti-discriminatory behaviour 

• Reasoning and application of interventions and intervention planning 

• Digital technology and systems 

• Developing leadership skills 

This module develops and applies your professional, interpersonal and decision-making skills in a variety of practice environments. You’ll record evidence to support your professional development through portfolio development and action planning. 

You’ll apply skills and learning such as: 

• Reflective practice 

• Planning, organisation and prioritisation of workload 

• Modification in response to situations and feedback 

• Developing scope of practice 

• Adaptive communication strategies and collaborative relationships 

• Awareness of clinical governance and wider determinants of health 

• Promotion of inclusion and anti-discriminatory behaviour 

• Reasoning and application of interventions and intervention planning 

• Digital technology and systems 

• Developing leadership skills

This module develops your systematic understanding of leadership and education concepts in practice. You’ll critically reflect on these in the context of collaboration within health and social care practice – considering how you can effectively support people who use services, their carers and families, and communities who have complex health and care needs to thrive.  

You’ll study topics such as:  

• Differences between management, leadership and the role of the critical follower 

• Leadership theories, models and styles most relevant to health and social care  

• Self-awareness and seeing ourselves as leaders 

• Recognising our own personal impact, rank, power and privilege  

• Professional cultures, traditional hierarchies and becoming an agent of change  

• Leading psychologically safe, anti-racist and inclusive teams  

• Resilience, volatility and acknowledging the wellbeing needs of the workforce  

• Sustainable practice, quality improvement and leadership 

• Tackling inequalities in health and social care through advocacy and education 

• Technology-enabled care and digitalisation within integrated care systems 

This module enhances your holistic approach to management across a range of settings. You’ll evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and further your experience in person, client and project management, developing your autonomy in preparation for qualification.  

You’ll apply skills and learning such as: 

• Leadership and delegation 
• Professional judgement 
• Prioritisation, clinical reasoning and decision-making 
• Holistic approaches to assessment and management 
• Adaptation of communication, approaches, behaviour 
• Intervention modification 
• Psychosocially informed approaches to person management 
• Clinical governance and audit 
• Critical reflection 
• Portfolio development for qualification and employability 

This module enhances your holistic approach to management across a range of settings. You’ll evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and further your experience in person, client and project management, developing your autonomy in preparation for qualification.  

You’ll apply skills and learning such as: 

• Leadership and delegation 

• Professional judgement 

• Prioritisation, clinical reasoning and decision making 

• Holistic approaches to assessment and management. 

• Adaptation of communication, approaches, behaviour 

• Intervention modification 

• Psychosocially informed approaches to person management 

• Clinical governance and audit 

• Critical reflection 

• Portfolio development for qualification and employability  

This module aims to enhance your knowledge, skills and understanding of managing complexity in practice, optimisation of care within diverse communities.  You will consider evidenced based and best practice in the assessment and management of complex and specialist populations. 

The blended delivery approach will be applied for this module. This involves a range of activities to support and apply learning in large and small group sessions both on campus and online and practical specialist sessions on campus. 

Indicative content may include:  
 

• Complex and specialist populations/patient groups 
• Approaches to advanced practice within different specialities of physiotherapy. 
• Clinical reasoning in progression / regression of treatment 
• Differential diagnosis 
• Digital technology and tools 
• Information gathering from wider sources 
• Service delivery and complex discharge planning or preventative strategies 
• Evidenced based practice – justifying clinical decision-making based on evidence or paucity of evidence 

This module aims to progress your clinical reasoning and management skills considering complex and specialist populations to develop autonomous practice skills to prepare you for qualified practice.  You will consider critical synthesis and application of evidenced based practice in relation to the holistic assessment and management of specialist complex populations including health promotion and education.  The content will examine a wide range of pathologies, assessment tools and interventions in relation to advanced physiotherapy practice. 

The blended delivery approach will be applied for this module. This involves a range of activities to support and apply learning in large and small group sessions both on campus and online and practical specialist sessions on campus. 

Indicative content may include:  
 

• Complex and specialist populations/patient groups 

• Adapting and modifying assessment and management in relation to external factors 

• Health promotion/education 

• Outcome measurements and measuring change 

• Psychosocially informed management and impact on outcomes. 

• Modifiable and non-modifiable factors 

• Working with other professionals with complex populations/patient groups 

• Critical appraisal and application of evidence base 

• Autonomous practice 

This module enables you to undertake a sustained, in-depth piece of independent learning, demonstrating a critical understanding and applying appropriate research methods within a piece of work. This work will challenge and contribute to improvements in areas of practice through the dissemination of findings to professional communities. 

You’ll apply learning and skills such as:  

• An individual independent project/dissertation 

• Creating and contributing to research and evaluation for practice 

• Application of approaches to research 

• Research, improvement and evaluation methodologies 

• Addressing inclusivity in your research process 

• Dissemination of project outcomes 

• Challenges in applying research outcomes to practice