Core & Oak

Core & Oak develops evidence-informed professional development for healthcare professionals on the capabilities that sit alongside clinical expertise: professional judgement, communication, reflection, influence, leadership and career development. Learning is designed around changing career stages from early-career practitioners (0-3 years) through to team leaders, with pathways in development for more experienced professionals.

The provider combines clinical practice, healthcare education, curriculum design and research led by Dr Michael McCluskey (Chartered Physiotherapist, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy). Courses, articles and free resources explore the often-informal expectations of healthcare practice—how to make decisions under uncertainty, ask for help, explain clinical reasoning, escalate concerns and navigate professional progression. All content is grounded in the realities of contemporary healthcare rather than ideal conditions.