Scottish allied health professions public health strategic framework implementation plan: 2022 to 2027

Strategic Goal 1: Developing the AHP Workforce

To ensure the AHP workforce will have the skills, knowledge and behaviours to promote, improve and protect the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and populations.

We recognise that a foundation in public health is already included in courses for AHPs. In order to move this knowledge from the theory to being embedded in all AHP services, it is important that more exposure to public health theory and practice is included at every level of AHP education and in placements and secondments. It is also key this extends to continued professional development offers available on TURAS and Learn Pro.

Working with stakeholders such as Higher Education Institutions, professional bodies and NHS Education for Scotland, we can ensure that public health principles are a fundamental part of each AHP's education across the career pathway. This will have the potential to vastly improve the scale on which AHPs feel confident to apply public health concepts to their practice and to make a difference to the health outcomes of the people of Scotland.

Key outcomes include:

• AHPs on qualification have basic skills, knowledge and attributes to promote, improve and protect the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and populations;
• AHP students have opportunities to experience public health work during practice placements;
• AHPs already in practice have basic knowledge and skills to promote, improve and protect the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and populations.

Increasing AHP access to funded quality improvement and educational opportunities

The Scottish Government commissions NHS NES to deliver a Dementia Champion programme which is open to AHPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals. It is an intensive 8-month long programme delivered by the Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice, University of the West of Scotland in partnership with people with lived experience. It enables participants to develop enhanced knowledge as defined by Promoting Excellence (Scottish Government 2021) in delivering rights based dementia care and to make a significant difference to their care of people living with dementia and their families.

The Scottish Government is supportive of increasing the role of some AHP professions in non-medical prescribing. As part of this, the Scottish Government provides funding to NES for a Non-Medical Prescribing module. The funding for this module has been increased to include certain AHPs: physiotherapists, podiatrists, therapeutic radiographers, and paramedics as independent prescribers and dietitians and diagnostic radiographers as supplementary prescribers.

Public Health Scotland – Introduction to Public Health

Public Health Scotland has developed a learning hub with resources on an Introduction to Public Health. It is intended to provide an overview of public health and how it is delivered in Scotland. It provides examples of sectors that have a public health role, support learners to reflect on their learning of public health, and embeds the message that everyone has a role to play in public health.

Course: Introduction to Public Health (publichealthscotland.scot)

What?

We will conduct a review into the strategic requirements for AHP education, to ensure the required skills mix and expansion to deliver on Health and Social Care priorities. The review will consider whether our AHP education provision is congruent with the future health needs of the people of Scotland and the requirements of current and future students including identifying gaps in programmes and actions required to meet these needs. The review will also consider AHP workforce policy which will help to ensure the development of a more sustainable and informed approach to workforce planning for AHPs.

By when? (short, medium or long term)

Short

Partner

• All

What?

We will work with partners to undertake a Scoping and Learning Needs Analysis for AHPs to identify learning needs that will enable the AHP workforce to better fulfil their public health role. This will include all AHPs within and between health and other sectors including voluntary, social care, education and criminal justice.

By when? (short, medium or long term)

Short

Partner

• NHS Education for Scotland

What?

We will initiate a joint approach to promoting existing resources to support AHPs in developing their knowledge and skills in tackling a range of health inequalities issues. We will do this by promoting access to learning modules, event information and resources on Public Health Scotland's Virtual Learning Environment, Allied Health Professions Public Health Hub and all websites for each AHP professional body.

By when? (short, medium or long term)

Short - medium

Partner

• Oversight Group
• Public Health Scotland
• NHS Education for Scotland
• AHP Directors
• NHS Boards

What?

We will increase AHP access to funded quality improvement and educational opportunities to support the development of knowledge, skills and confidence to make a difference to population health.

By when? (short, medium or long term)

Short - medium

Partner

• Scottish Government
• NHS Education for Scotland

What?

We will task a working group to review the integration of public health into AHP Advancing Practice through role development – outlined by NHS Education Scotland, a commitment to maximising the contribution of the Nursing, Midwifery and Health Professions (NMAHP) workforce and pushing the traditional boundaries of professional roles, ^[17] supporting a Once for Scotland approach.

By when? (short, medium or long term)

Short - medium

Partner

• Scottish Government
• NHS Education for Scotland
• AHP Directors
• Health Workforce

What?

We will support partners to develop or reconvene a suitable network to enable HEIs delivering AHP programmes in Scotland to share best practice and discussion on public health education.

By when? (short, medium or long term)

Medium

Partner

• Higher Education Institutions

What?

We will explore the opportunities and barriers to expanding Allied Health Professional (AHP) student placements in public health settings from the perspective of students, Higher Education Institutions, practice placement coordinators, Health Boards and potential providers of public health placements including providers in the voluntary sector with the aim of facilitating an increase in student placements in public health settings.

By when? (short, medium or long term)

Medium

Partner

• NHS Education for Scotland
• Scottish Government
• Higher Education Institutions Practice Placement Providers

What?

We will promote public health related opportunities that help AHPs to make the most of work-based learning. This includes shadowing, professional activity such as mentoring or involvement with a professional body and self-directed learning.

By when? (short, medium or long term)

Medium

Partner

• AHP Practice Education Leads (PEL) Network
• NHS Boards

What?

We will collaborate with partners (HEIs) to support the implementation of Council of Deans Guidance on Public Health Content within the Pre-Registration Curricula for Allied Health Profession.

By when? (short, medium or long term)

Medium - Long

Partner

• Higher Education Institutions