Health Trainer Workforce Audits

A review of the Health Trainer (HT) workforce, was commissioned by the Department of Health HT programme for the period April 1st 2008 to March 31st 2009. It was written to inform workforce planning and workforce development at national, regional and local level and demonstrates how the programme has delivered on one of its key outcomes, which is:

Increasing capacity and capability through building a workforce with the right skills in place to tackle health inequalities.

A full copy of the report can be accessed via the link at the bottom of the page.

This report focuses on workforce, other reports are available relating to data in HT services stemming from the National Data Collection and Reporting System (DCRS) and regional hub leads End of Year Reports (EYR). Together with this workforce report, this suite of documents makes up a comprehensive, useful resource for providers and commissioners of HT services around the country.

Methodology

Data were gathered by a questionnaire, developed by the Training and Workforce Development Subgroup of the HT programme, agreed by the regional hub leads and administered by an external consultant. The questionnaire was sent out to all regional hub leads who in turn supported their local PCTs and delivery partners to complete and return the information. A return rate of 91% was achieved.

 

Key Findings for the year 2008/9

1. Workforce

• Workforce numbers - 2,212 Health Trainers, Health Trainer Champions, and related roles
• Number of paid roles - 1285 (58%), and the number undertaking the role in a voluntary capacity was 927 (42%).
• The majority of these are part-time jobs - 57% of paid Health Trainers are employed part-time, as are 69% of paid Trainee Health Trainers. The Health Trainer Champion role is mainly unpaid (94% are unpaid). The majority of Health Trainers are paid at NHS Agenda for Change Pay Band 3 (62 services), or equivalent, with a smaller number of services paying at higher Band rates
• Where Health Trainers are paid on a higher rate, or are categorised as 'Senior Health Trainers', the report shows that additional duties are expected and it is clear that some Health Trainers specialise in particular areas for example, healthy eating or physical activity.
• Different management and support models exist in different areas and some examples are given.

 

2. Recruitment

Recruitment criteria for HT vary, but the questionnaire reveals four common characteristics:

• A knowledge and understanding of the local community (reflects policy intention and national, draft person specification)
• Skills in communication and relationships
• Being motivated to help others in relation to their health
• Some knowledge and/or interest in health and health improvement

A small number of services said they actively sought to recruit people who were unemployed from deprived postcodes.

"Local people and originally around 70% from NEET [Not in Employment, Education or Training] category, in order to reflect our local population and support people back into employment."

Barriers to recruitment include PCTs having to use the NHS Jobs website that does not provide demographic data. Filling in paper-based application forms was also evidently perceived as a barrier in some services. In addition, five returns said that the role had attracted over-qualified and inappropriate candidates, including graduates, who moved on quickly

Solutions to these barriers included more community engagement activity, including:

• Local advertising
• Holding road-shows/workshops/events, which can include help and advice on completing the application form
• Publicising jobs through community networks.

The report gives examples of particular recruitment successes reported by services.

 

3. Retention (Staff Turnover)

Numbers engaged in all roles grew in 2008/09. Using year-end figures in the calculation, the turnover of Health Trainers nationally was 13.9% and of Trainee Health Trainers turnover was 13.3%. This might be perceived as a relatively high figure although it compares relatively well with the average leaving rate of healthcare assistants in the NHS in 2007-2008 was 10.4%1. Possible reasons for this are explored in the full report.

Data on age, gender and ethnicity of Health Trainers and related roles show that the workforce is representative of the population it is reaching.

Figure from the Information Centre for Health and Social Care, more details are at http://www.ic.nhs.uk 　

 

4. Training

The report highlights how the Health Trainer workforce is unique in that it is drawn from some of the most disadvantaged communities and groups. This means that the service has to pay particular attention to supporting the skill development of the potential workforce from a fairly basic level. In order to facilitate this, a national pathway of development has been developed and is described within the report. Currently work is underway on the development of a health literacy qualification. The report sets this within the context of the Public Health Skills and Career Framework.

Core training for Health Trainers is the City & Guilds level 3 Certificate, and for Health Trainer Champions core training is the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) level 2 Understanding Health Improvement Award. In addition to this core, additional training has been identified and captured.

All regions are making good use of the Health Trainer Behaviour Change Handbook as the basis for training Health Trainers.

The roles undertaken by Health Trainers and related roles reflect the competences in the National Occupational Standards for Health Trainers.

The main source of funding for Health Trainer and Health Trainer Champion training is from the Joint Investment Framework (JIF).

5. Conclusions and Recommendations

This focused review of the Health Trainer workforce has demonstrated that the programme is indeed developing a workforce with the right skills, deployed in the right places and delivering evidence-based interventions with the right clients. When considered alongside the other programme reports it is clear that those interventions are effective. The report summarises the findings and makes the suggestion that the method and processes applied in undertaking the 2008/09 workforce audit could be used to inform the development of a more targeted workforce questionnaire in the future if this was agreed to be an appropriate next step.

 

 

Health Trainer National Workforce Audit 2009