Wales
General information
Websites
Public Health Wales
Local Health Boards
Continuing Professional Development
There are three key objectives for the Professional and Organisational Development function of Public Health Wales:
- To lead, develop and facilitate multidisciplinary public health training in collaboration with Wales and UK partners
- With key partners, continue to promote knowledge and embedding of the National Occupational Standards in Public Health in service and education settings
- For specialists in public health, provide tailored support through Associate Alumni Awards, Bursaries & the Top up Support Programme, particularly for those seeking registration to the UK Public Health Register
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Training
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Education and training
In October 2009, Wales established a unified public health organisation – Public Health Wales. Its Professional and Organisational Development (POD) function (formerly a function of the Wales Centre for Health (WCfH)) acts as a signposting service in relation to career guidance queries and personal development advice for individuals, teams and organisations. In addition, the POD function offers (through a competitive application process) a number of annual Fellowships, Bursaries and Top Up Support Programmes for individuals wishing to undertake professional development. Further to the direct financial support offered, the POD team also designs, facilitates and develops a wide variety of continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities for the breadth and depth of the public health workforce in Wales. These opportunities are aligned to policy, skills gap analysis, by request / demand and in line with National Occupational Standards where practicable.
Much scoping work has been undertaken over the past seven years to map the competences and capability of the public health workforce in Wales, to guide and support this work, the POD team established a multidisciplinary stakeholder and partners group (formerly named the WCfH Workforce Development Group). Access to members of this group is through the Head of Professional and Organisational Development at Public Health Wales (Claire Barley).
A number of years ago, the WCfH scoped and reported on the provision of learning and development opportunities for (predominantly) public health practitioners in Wales. The resulting directory of opportunities and contacts is updated annually and currently available through the WCfH website (http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/home.cfm?OrgID=568) It is anticipated that this directory will be further developed in the near future.
The approach to workforce development for public health in Wales is through a collaborative and co-creative process, lead and facilitated by Public Health Wales through the Head of Professional and Organisational Development and the WCfH Workforce Development Group. This group consists of representatives from the third/voluntary sector, Local Government, Welsh Assembly Government, Academia, employing organisations, Skills for Health, NLIAH and the public health workforce.
Learning and development is offered on an All-Wales / national basis, although it is often delivered regionally and locally (depending on accessibility and demand). All continuous professional development (CPD) and professional development opportunities are advertised through the national networks, Public Health Wales Professional and Organisational Development networks, (former) WCfH) Workforce Development Group and through national websites (e.g. HOWIS).
During the initial development of Public Health Wales, all workforce development and personal/professional development queries and requests for information should be channelled through the Head of Professional and Organisational Development (Claire Barley).
Claire Barley
Head of Professional and Organisational Development
Public Health Wales