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AHP Support Worker Competency, Education and Career Development Framework
This framework enables employers, networks, integrated care systems (ICSs) and services effectively plan, develop, and deploy their AHP support workforce. It provides guidance on training, education and competencies for AHP support workers and demonstrates a clear pathway for recruitment and progression, with common and transferrable skills across eight domains.
Implementing the framework
Implementation of the framework by employers will ensure that AHP support workers can achieve standardised levels of competency and access relevant training and development. Their roles will then become more consistent across England, ensuring that service users receive high quality care.
A series of national webinars are supporting the implementation of the framework which began at the launch of this programme in 2021.
One-off pump prime funding was offered to NHS trusts in England 2021/22 to accelerate recognition and understanding of the support workforce, and implementation of the framework. This builds on similar work for the maternity support workforce. Additional funding was also offered to AHP Faculties to support coordinated workforce improvement activity across an integrated care system (ICS). Our ambition is that recognising, supporting, and developing the support workforce starts to become business as usual over the next year. HEE has offered the following support in 2022/23 to employers and ICSs to build on collective progress so far:
- Further guidance and resources via our website.
- More webinars and masterclasses.
- Regional communities of practice.
- Provider framework and implementation groups for level 3 and 5 apprenticeships.
- Support to AHP Faculties.
- Funding and support to professional bodies.
- Development of delegation and supervision guidance.
- Economic modelling on investing in and developing support workers.
How the framework was developed
The framework was developed by King’s College London, working with HEE and AHP professional bodies. Support worker job descriptions and person specifications from across the professions were gathered via the NHS Jobs website and systematically reviewed. Alongside this, existing education, competency and qualification frameworks, codes and standards were also reviewed. These included relevant apprenticeship standards, Health Technical Levels, professional body standards, the Core Competences of Healthcare Assistants in the European Union project outputs, Care Certificate, Skills for Health Career Framework, and NHS National Job Profiles.
A national consultation was carried out in 2021 and nearly 200 AHP support workers, employers, and education providers took part and helped to shape the final framework.
The framework also builds on the development and implementation of the Maternity Support Worker Competency, Education and Career Development Framework.
Funding
One-off pump prime funding was offered to NHS trusts in England 2021/22 to accelerate recognition and understanding of the support workforce, and implementation of the framework. This builds on similar work for the maternity support workforce. Additional funding was also offered to AHP Faculties to support coordinated workforce improvement activity across an integrated care system (ICS). Our ambition is that recognising, supporting, and developing the support workforce starts to become business as usual over the next year. HEE has offered the following support in 2022/23 to employers and ICSs to build on collective progress so far:
- Further guidance and resources via our website.
- More webinars and masterclasses.
- Regional communities of practice.
- Provider framework and implementation groups for level 3 and 5 apprenticeships.
- Support to AHP Faculties.
- Funding and support to professional bodies.
- Development of delegation and supervision guidance.
- Economic modelling on investing in and developing support workers.