What is a Uni Bursary?

A Uni Bursary is a match funded initiative from Unique Improvements.  It provides one free place for every purchased training place on one of five university accredited courses.

Who can apply for them?

The bursaries are open to the following groups,

• Front line health and social care staff who would normally not be funded by their host organisation for university accredited courses.  This group is defined as anyone who provides services for patients which contribute to the management of a medical condition or disability, prevent an illness or disability or who contribute to the well being of individuals.  Host organisations could be Local Authorities, NHS organisations or Third Sector organisations.
• General Practice staff, pharmacy staff and dental surgery staff
• Members of the public not employed in any of the previous organisations but who are considering membership of patient groups, Foundation Trust Boards or other involvement organisations such as HealthWatch.

How long do the bursaries last for?

The current round of the Bursary application process is open until 31 August 2011.  Once a bursary has been approved you have until 31 March 2012 to use it.

Is the bursary from a limited pot of money?

Yes, the current round of bursaries is from the Unique Improvements social enterprise funds.  As a social enterprise, each year we commit to supporting a charity and in 2011 it is Make a Wish Foundation which supports children with terminal and life threatening illness.  We also endeavour to invest 20% of audited profits into social causes which can be investment in external organisations or in developing the company to equip us to continue our work.

Which courses does it apply to?

The current round of the Bursary process applies to the following courses,

• Developing skills for effective participation and involvement (20 credits Level 4)
• Introduction to service user and citizen engagement and involvement (20 credits Level 4)
• Service improvement through engagement and involvement (20 credits Level 6)
• Introduction to commissioning (20 credits Level 4)
• Improving commissioning (60 credits Level 6)

Which University accredits the courses?

The University of Teesside – University of the year 2009

Do I have to do the accreditation or can I still do the course without the accreditation?

You can decide whether to do the accreditation or not.  It is entirely voluntary and is no additional cost.  The course content is the same whether you take the accreditation or not.  If you decide not to take the accreditation you can still ask for a certificate of professional development for your portfolio.

How are the courses accredited?

Each course has its own method of assessment and full details can be obtained from Unique Improvements on request.  However, an example of the assessment from one course is to keep a reflective journal another course would be assessment by a 4000 word essay.

Where are the courses held?

We have a number of open courses already booked and provided in our Liverpool offices where there is easy access to public transport and affordable local hotel provision.

Alternatively, where an organisation wishes to commission a course to be provided on their premises or nearby we are happy to oblige.  This keeps the costs down further for purchasing organisations.

My organisation can’t pay for me can I pay for myself?

Yes we have a wide range of payment methods which include online credit card payments, Bacs transfers, cheques and cash.  We are also able to offer monthly payment plans at 0% interest.

My friend and I both want to attend the same course can we share a bursary?

Yes, this is possible where both are attending the same course and sharing the cost we will invoice both attendees for 50% of the course cost and share the bursary in the same way.

Can I attend one course and pay for it myself and use my bursary for a second course?

Yes, as long as it is one of the five identified University accredited courses and it is the same cost.  If you wanted to attend a second course of a higher cost the cost of the bursary would be used to reduce the cost of the higher priced course by that amount. E.g. Developing skills for effective participation and involvement is £525 so the bursary would be £525.  If you then used this against Introduction to commissioning you would have £74 to pay.

Why should I attend Uni Training courses?

Unique Improvements is a social enterprise which was established in 2005.  With our origins in the public sector and a continuous track record of delivering high quality and award winning service improvement programmes we are best placed to be able to turn theory into practice.  We know exactly what is needed to build capacity and capability in staff to help them tackle the challenges of a modern public sector and we understand the reasons why they sometimes have difficulty getting the funding and time to achieve their personal development goals.

All our trainers have significant experience and expertise in their topics and many of them have held or still hold senior positions in the public sector.  Our long history of providing training for lay people and service staff, often together, means we know how to make training simple and enjoyable.  All materials are easy to access and the emphasis is on quality and fun whilst attending to all learning styles.  Once you have attended one course you will want to attend another.

Where can I get more information?

You can ring the office and ask to speak to one of the trainers 0151 486 6737, alternatively you can contact us using the form below…