Apprenticeships that support public health careers: 2021 status update
Updated 11 May 2021
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This is an update on the development of new apprenticeship standards in England that support careers focussing on the promotion and protection of the public’s health and wellbeing.
The GOV.UK website provides general information about apprenticeships for employers and potential apprentices, such as:
In development
Community Health and Wellbeing Worker
Details:
- status: developing standard and end-point assessment
- occupational level: 3
- duration: 12 months
- visit: Community Health and Wellbeing Worker apprenticeship standard
Community Health and Wellbeing Workers work in partnership with individuals and their communities to identify and address health and wellbeing needs, as well as inequalities. Their work is informed by the wider social determinants of health, such as the social, cultural, political, economic, commercial and environmental factors that shape the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.
Example job titles include (but are not limited to):
- Health Trainer
- Care or Service Navigator
- Social Prescribing Link Worker
- Community Connector
- Live Well Coach
- Community Health Champion
The March 2019 workshop report outlines additional role titles emerging across the system.
The occupation is found in many different organisations, commissioned by a range of agencies, including local government, NHS bodies, and other funders such as voluntary and community organisations. Community Health and Wellbeing Workers are a rapidly expanding workforce supporting the increasing emphasis on improving the health of local people and communities, in line with government policy. These calls to action on preventing poor health and tackling inequalities extend across sectors and wider society and include specific reference to social prescribing, communities, and place:
- NHS Long-term Plan
- A connected society: A strategy for tackling loneliness
- Prevention is better than Cure
The broad purpose of the role is to:
- work with individuals, groups and communities to identify what matters to them and build on their strengths to improve health and wellbeing
- take a holistic ‘whole person’ approach regarding physical, mental, emotional and social health and wellbeing and resilience
- understand the local and accessible services and resources, to which people in the community can be signposted to support their health and wellbeing needs
- build relationships with local organisations and groups
- identify gaps in the services and resources available that will prevent individuals and communities from achieving optimal health and wellbeing
Further background information on this apprenticeship standard is available in the GOV.UK collection: Apprenticeships that support public health careers.
If you would like more information about this apprenticeship, contact sp-phskf@phe.gov.uk.
Recently approved for delivery
Public Health Practitioner
Details:
- occupational level: 6
- duration (typical): 36 months
- maximum funding: £20,000
- visit: Public Health Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard
Public Health Practitioners are employed across a range of organisations including local authorities, government bodies (such as Public Health England), NHS bodies, and private, voluntary, and community sectors. They focus on the public’s health at a community and population level. This apprenticeship standard will enable employers to build their own practitioner or implementation workforce by providing a development pathway for existing staff and new recruits.
Example job titles:
- Public Health Practitioner
- Health Protection Practitioner
- Health Improvement Practitioner
- Public Health Intelligence Officer
- Healthy Lifestyles Coordinator
- Tobacco Control Lead
- Workplace Health Advisor
- Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention Lead
- Immunisation Programme Coordinator
- Community Development Worker
- Public Health Project Manager
- Health and Wellbeing Coordinator
The apprenticeship standard is made up of 14 occupational duties, which describe the competences and activities a PHP would commonly do in the workplace. A set of descriptors for the knowledge, skills and behaviour requirements for each duty is available on the Institute’s website.
The duties correspond to the functions of the Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework (PHSKF) across technical, context and delivery areas of practice. The fourteenth duty reflects the ethical and professional standards that are universally applicable across all practice, also described in the PHSKF.
On completion, the apprentice can apply for professional registration with the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR), subject to UKPHR’s application and verification requirements. This is a voluntary register. UKPHR have published a blog outlining how the apprenticeship standard links to practitioner registration.
Employer, training providers and potential apprentices should consult the implementation guide.
An employers guide is also available as an animation:
The Public Health Practitioner L6 Degree Apprenticeship - Employers Guide
For more information about this apprenticeship, contact sp-phskf@phe.gov.uk.
Health & Care Intelligence Specialist apprenticeship standard
Details:
- occupational level: 7
- duration (typical): 36 months
- visit: Health and Care Intelligence Specialist Apprenticeship Standard
Health and Care Intelligence Specialists take data on individual or population health and use of services and other forms of evidence such as scientific publications and evidence reviews and turn it into health and care intelligence. This intelligence is used to inform and influence decision makers across the health and care system, leading to improved population health and better patient outcomes and experiences. They are involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of health and care services at both strategic and operational levels.
Heath and Care Intelligence Specialists are employed by government departments, arms-length bodies such as Public Health England, NHS England, NHS organisations and local authorities, Community Interest Companies (CIC) and Academic Health Science Networks.
Example job titles:
- Senior (or Principal) Public Health Intelligence Analyst
- Senior (or Principal) Information Analyst
- Senior Cancer Information Analyst
- Senior Information Scientist
- Senior Business Intelligence Analyst (often used for NHS roles)
- Insight and Intelligence Manager
Health and Care Intelligence is not a regulated profession and so a licence to practice is not required. The Association of Professional Healthcare Analysts (AphA) have a registration scheme and it is expected that completion of the apprenticeship will fulfil the requirements for registration. The AphA registration then provides entry to the professional register of the Federation for Informatics Professionals in health and social care (FedIP), a collaboration between leading professional bodies in health and care informatics.
Typically, an apprentice might be expected to have already achieved a first degree, in a relevant subject or have acquired relevant experience. Successful apprentices from the level 6 Public Health Practitioner apprenticeship standard would be eligible for this standard if they can provide evidence of numeracy and exposure to statistics, to meet the entry requirements of the training providers for the Level 7 standard.
The standard was approved in 2020 and work is going on with potential providers to ensure that the standard is available for delivery. For more information about this apprenticeship, contact john.battersby@phe.gov.uk.
Other standards in delivery that support public health careers
Full details of other approved standards already in delivery can be found in the 2019 update, including the following standards:
Level 6
Level 7
The Skills for Health Healthcare Apprenticeship Standards Online (HASO) website provides information on other approved apprenticeships in the health sector.
Progression routes
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education occupational maps show possible progression routes for all standards (including those still in development).