SPECIALISED HEALTH PROMOTION WORKFORCE DRAFT COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK FOR SENIOR PRACTITIONERS The framework is based on the consultation by the Voluntary Register for Public Health Specialists for defined registration and on the project Promoting Health in the NHS, which included a substantial programme of consultation. Most of the wording has therefore been agreed already. (For background information, see www.fph.org.uk and www.publichealthregister.org.uk.) THIS FRAMEWORK IS FOR SENIOR PRACTITIONERS. IT ASSUMES THAT THE COMPETENCES FOR PRACTITIONERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ACQUIRED; THEY ARE NOT REPEATED IN THIS FRAMEWORK. THIS FRAMEWORK PROVIDES ADDITIONAL COMPETENCES. The framework is based on the distinction between knowledge and experience, i.e. knows/knows how and shows/shows how. It has 3 sections: I. Knows and knows how competences. This section contains a limited number of competences additional to the practitioner-level framework. II. Shows and shows how core competences in public health. This section concerns the application of knowledge through experience. The Faculty of Public Health has recently decided that four core shows and shows how competences should be common to all working in public health: a. surveillance and assessment of the population s health and well-being; b. assessing the evidence of effectiveness of health and healthcare interventions, programmes and services; c. policy and strategy development and implementation; d. leadership and collaborative working for health. III. Shows and shows how competences in specialised health promotion. This section concerns the application of knowledge through experience, specifically in specialised health promotion. It is based on the consultation undertaken during the project Promoting Health in the NHS. Jenny Griffiths GriffHobbs@aol.com, May 2006 1
SECTION I: KNOWLEDGE BASE: KNOWS/KNOWS HOW COMPETENCES IN PUBLIC HEALTH 1. Health protection 1.1 To describe the principles of modes of transmission, latency, incubation periods, exposure, herd and individual immunity 1.2 To describe (general overview) the management of an outbreak 1.3 To describe the principles of assessing, investigating and communicating risks to health including long-term exposure to non-infectious environmental hazards 1.4 To describe the principles of the public health aspects of emergency planning and managing environmental/chemical and radiological incidents, including the roles and legal responsibilities of people and organisations involved 2. Research and development 2.1 To describe different research methods and their appropriate application for understanding public health issues 2.2 To identify important and answerable research questions that bear on a complex public health problem 2
SECTION II: APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE: SHOWS AND SHOWS HOW CORE COMPETENCES IN PUBLIC HEALTH - Four core competences common to all working in public health 3. Surveillance and assessment of the population s health and well-being 3.1 To assess and describe the health needs of a defined population using methods of measuring, analysing and interpreting health status, e.g. mortality, morbidity and subjective health status including lay and community perspectives and the determinants of health 3.2 To analyse data taking into account demographic and other differences between groups being compared using appropriate statistical or qualitative techniques 4. Assessing the evidence of effectiveness of health and healthcare interventions, programmes and services 4.1 To conduct a literature review, which includes the use of electronic databases, defining a search strategy and summarising results 4.2 To apply research evidence, evidence of effectiveness, outcome measures, evaluation and audit to influence programme interventions or services 4.3 To interpret and balance evidence and effectiveness from a range of sources to inform decision-making 5. Policy and strategy development and implementation 5.1 To interpret and apply national policy or strategy at local, regional or national levels OR influence or develop policy or strategy at national or regional levels 5.2 To focus on results and improvement, negotiating targets with key stakeholders 6. Leadership and collaborative working for health 6.1 To manage people, providing supervision and support 6.2 To lead and support teams within the employing organisation in managing their time and workload 6.3 To coach and mentor others 3
6.4 To make complex decisions in difficult situations 6.5 To lead or play a key role in a multi-agency group to influence the public s health 6.6 To define, recruit and engage relevant stakeholders and influencers, displaying political astuteness 6.7 To use negotiation, influencing, facilitation and management skills to achieve a successful outcome within a multiagency arena taking into account different organisational cultures 6.8 To engage and lead a multi-professional or multi-agency team effectively 6.9 To adopt different leadership styles according to different settings and circumstances 6.10 To demonstrate effective use of a wide range of media for public health 6.11 To manage a project to successful completion within available resources and timescales 4
SECTION III: APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE: SHOWS AND SHOWS HOW COMPETENCES IN SPECIALISED HEALTH PROMOTION 7. Application of the theoretical models and principles of health promotion To apply the theoretical models and principles of health promotion practice, in order to develop and implement health programmes and services, especially to reduce inequalities in health, including building partnerships and alliances to develop capacity for implementation across sectors, and acting as a change agent. A specialised health promotion senior practitioner will have experience across a number of different groups, topic priorities, service frameworks and settings. 7.1 With group(s) or community(ies)* 7.2 For topics e.g. stopping smoking, food* 7.3 To implement relevant parts of National Service Frameworks, e.g. mental health, Coronary Heart Disease* 7.4 Within settings, such as the workplace, schools, and the NHS* 7.5 To specify, commission and evaluate health programmes and services that are implemented by others 8. Influencing the wider determinants of health To plan, develop, implement and evaluate programmes to influence the wider determinants of health (in partnership with others), in order to reduce inequalities in health 8.1 To influence the impact of the built environment on health, for example housing and transport 8.2 To influence the impact of the natural environment on health 8.3 To work with local authority planners on planning policies and decisions and their impact on health 8.4 To influence the impact of climate change and unsustainable energy use on health, including carbon reduction management strategies and water utilisation 5
9. Empowering and mobilising local communities for health 9.1 To use a range of community involvement methods in needs assessment, planning, development, implementation or evaluation of services, programmes and interventions 9.2 To support communities in the articulation of their own health concerns and prioritizing these into an agenda for action; helping communities to organise themselves and obtain resources to improve health 9.3 To design and target programmes and messages to ensure that they are culturally, educationally and socially appropriate and sensitive for different groups, in order to reduce inequalities in health 9.4 To act as an advocate for the public s health and articulation of the needs of vulnerable groups 10. Building capacity by training and supporting the wider public health workforce 10.1 To train and support others (other professionals, volunteers, local networks etc) in the knowledge and skills to promote health and reduce inequalities 10.2 To commission or undertake quality assurance of education and training undertaken by others 11. Developing health promotion information and resources 11.1 To develop and maintain a strategy for health promotion information and resources, for example, electronic communication techniques, graphic design, leaflets, posters etc., appropriate to groups from varying educational, social and cultural backgrounds. 6