Community Health and Wellbeing Worker: employer demand scoping

Community Health and Wellbeing Workers are a rapidly expanding workforce supporting the increasing emphasis across government departments on improving the health of local people and communities by preventing poor health and tackling 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.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to work in partnership with individuals and their communities to identify and address health and wellbeing needs, improve health, prevent ill health and reduce inequalities. To do this, Community Health and Wellbeing Workers need to:

• address the causes of poor health and wellbeing in the broadest sense (causes of the causes) – they do this by taking a holistic ‘whole person’ approach regarding physical, mental, emotional and social health and wellbeing and resilience
• work with individuals, groups and communities to identify what matters to them, building on their strengths to improve health and wellbeing
• understand the local and accessible services and resources available to which people in the community can be signposted to support their health and wellbeing needs
• identify gaps in available services and resources preventing individuals and communities from achieving optimal health and wellbeing
• build relationships with local organisations and groups

This occupation is found in different organisations and is commissioned by a range of agencies, including local government, the NHS, and other funders such as voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations.

Typical job titles include:

• Health Trainer
• Care or Service Navigator
• Social Prescribing Link Worker
• Community Connector
• Live Well Coach
• Community Health Champion

To support the national uptake of the Community Health and Wellbeing Worker Apprenticeship, HEE intend to run a national procurement to source both national and regional providers. To enable this, we are asking employers to indicate their future workforce demand.

Please note: all returns are treated as provisional estimations and are only used as an indication of potential demand for the apprenticeship and to ensure viability of cohorts.