Health, Public Health & Safety
Managing Health & Safety in Healthcare
Safety management for clinics, hospitals and community health services.
Syllabus at a glance
Around 12 weeks of guided study, typically two sessions a week plus independent work, so you can keep working while you study.
| Unit | Study block | Module |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weeks 1–2 | Healthcare safety legal and ethical duties |
| 2 | Weeks 3–4 | Clinical and non-clinical hazards |
| 3 | Weeks 5–6 | Sharps, waste and biological safety |
| 4 | Weeks 7–8 | Patient and staff safety systems |
| 5 | Weeks 9–12 | Safety audit, incidents and improvement |
Module breakdown
- 1
Healthcare safety legal and ethical duties
Weeks 1–2Build a shared working vocabulary for healthcare safety legal and ethical duties and set the standards this course expects of you.
What you cover
- Key concepts, terminology and standards behind healthcare safety legal and ethical duties
- Step-by-step methods and templates for healthcare safety legal and ethical duties
- Common problems, risks and mistakes in healthcare safety legal and ethical duties, and how to avoid them
- Applying healthcare safety legal and ethical duties in low-resource and community settings
Assessed work: Case study discussion applying healthcare safety legal and ethical duties to a local scenario.
- 2
Clinical and non-clinical hazards
Weeks 3–4Work through the methods and tools used for clinical and non-clinical hazards in day-to-day programme work.
What you cover
- Step-by-step methods and templates for clinical and non-clinical hazards
- Common problems, risks and mistakes in clinical and non-clinical hazards, and how to avoid them
- Applying clinical and non-clinical hazards in low-resource and community settings
Assessed work: Practical task: draft one working document related to clinical and non-clinical hazards.
- 3
Sharps, waste and biological safety
Weeks 5–6Practise sharps, waste and biological safety on realistic case material drawn from Sierra Leonean community and field settings.
What you cover
- Common problems, risks and mistakes in sharps, waste and biological safety, and how to avoid them
- Applying sharps, waste and biological safety in low-resource and community settings
- Recording, reporting and communicating your sharps, waste and biological safety work
Assessed work: Group simulation using sharps, waste and biological safety under time pressure.
- 4
Patient and staff safety systems
Weeks 7–8Turn patient and staff safety systems into documents, plans and decisions your team or employer can actually use.
What you cover
- Applying patient and staff safety systems in low-resource and community settings
- Recording, reporting and communicating your patient and staff safety systems work
- Key concepts, terminology and standards behind patient and staff safety systems
Assessed work: Portfolio entry: reflect on how you will use patient and staff safety systems in your role.
- 5
Safety audit, incidents and improvement
Weeks 9–12Review, quality-check and improve your own safety audit, incidents and improvement work with tutor and peer feedback.
What you cover
- Recording, reporting and communicating your safety audit, incidents and improvement work
- Key concepts, terminology and standards behind safety audit, incidents and improvement
- Step-by-step methods and templates for safety audit, incidents and improvement
Assessed work: Guided exercise: produce a short worked example covering safety audit, incidents and improvement.
Who this course is for
- • Practitioners and volunteers already working in, or moving into, this area of work.
- • Health workers, facility staff and community health volunteers.
- • School leavers and graduates building a first professional portfolio.
Entry requirements
- • Basic literacy and secondary-level education, or relevant practical work experience.
- • Access to a phone, tablet or computer for online and blended study.
- • Commitment to attend sessions and submit assignments on time.
How you are assessed
- • Short module tasks completed during the course.
- • Practical component: Facility safety audit with improvement plan.
- • A final assessment or portfolio review covering the full syllabus.
- • Participation in guided sessions, discussions and group exercises.
Materials and support
- • Session handouts, checklists and templates you keep after the course.
- • Case material and worked examples based on community and field practice.
- • Tutor guidance by WhatsApp between sessions.
Certification
Learners who complete all assessments receive an SLIHSD professional certificate of completion. This records completion of an SLIHSD short course and is not presented as an accredited academic award.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the certificate you should be able to:
- Run a healthcare safety audit
- Manage sharps and clinical waste safely
- Lead safety improvement in a facility
Practical component
Facility safety audit with improvement plan.
How this programme is delivered
Online
Guided sessions and assignments you can follow from anywhere with a connection.
Face-to-face
Classroom sessions at our Mile 91 learning centre, including weekend and evening options.
Blended
A mix of online study with periodic in-person workshops, field exercises and simulations.
Ready to start Managing Health & Safety in Healthcare?
Applications for the Founding Student Intake 2026 are open. Register your interest and we will guide you to the right programme.