Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Social Practice, with optional endorsements in Professional Supervision, Midwifery, and Mental Health and Addiction, will have developed advanced knowledge and skills for practice and career progression. An interdisciplinary context will enable graduates to extend their capacity for critical and professional/clinical reasoning for specialist practice, leadership, management and supervision in complex professional environments. The programme will be relevant to practitioners from a wide range of professional contexts. Graduates will have developed a range of flexible skills and expertise which will position them well to be responsive to changing social service and health communities. Learning and participating within the interdisciplinary teaching/learning context will enable graduates to transfer this experience to workplace relationships and networks.

The programme has four embedded qualifications: the Postgraduate Certificate in Health and Social Practice, the Postgraduate Certificate in Processional supervision, the Postgraduate Certificate in Midwifery, and the Postgraduate Certificate in Mental Health and Addiction.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Social Practice will position graduates well to move into Masters level qualifications at other New Zealand universities and ITP's.

Graduates will also have gained advanced knowledge and skills for practice and career progression within their field of practice and for leadership and management roles within the health and social service sector. The Professional Supervision endorsement graduates are well equipped for supervision roles in both health and social services in independent and specialised practice.The Midwifery endorsement graduates will have specialised midwifery knowledge which can lead to higher level professional development. The Mental Health and Addiction endorsement graduates will have specialised and applied mental health and addiction knowledge with which to gain entry into the mental health and addiction industry.

A graduate of the Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Social Practice will:
* Articulate a critical, contextualised analysis of a relevant health and social service practice and its advancement
* Demonstrate analytic rigour in evaluating knowledge for expert practice within interdisciplinary environments
* Provide effective health and social service leadership, supervisory, management and consultancy within interdisciplinary contexts
* Articulate a professional body of knowledge and its relationship to ethical codes of practice
* Respond to the demands and challenges of professional practice using reflexive strategies to nurture and cultivate the professional self
* Influence health and social practice and/or policies at organisational, regional and national levels
* Use critical enquiry approaches to evaluate research findings for health and social service practice
* Implement highly effective communication and advocacy strategies with colleagues and clients in cultural, organisational, and professional contexts
* Critically analyse and address issues of power and authority in relationship with clients, colleagues and organisations

The Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Social Practice will position graduates well to move into Master's level qualifications at other New Zealand universities and ITP's.

a) Candidates are required to have gained:
i. an undergraduate degree assessed as relevant by the Team Manager, or
ii. a qualification approved as equivalent by the Team Manager.

b) Candidates who have not gained a relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification may submit a portfolio and, if the application is successful, may be admitted on an ad eundum statem basis.

c) Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Social Practice, (Professional Supervision), and the Postgraduate Certificates in Professional Supervision are required to have a minimum of two years post qualifying experience in their professional field of practice or the equivalent.). This is in recognition of the requirement to have consolidated and developed their own practice to a level sufficient to embark in the role of supervisor of others.
d) Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Social Practice (Midwifery) and the Postgraduate Certificate in Midwifery are required to:
i. be registered with the Midwifery Council of New Zealand; and
ii. hold a current Annual Practising Certificate; and
iii. have a minimum of one-year post-qualifying experience in midwifery practice (or the equivalent as approved by the selection committee).
iv. and be in practice for an average minimum of 16 hours per week over a year.