The non‐professionally qualified workforce: a focus on the new roles of the support, time and recovery worker and the community development worker
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17556228200900027 |
| Pages | 12-17 |
| Published date | 11 December 2009 |
| Date | 11 December 2009 |
| Author | John Allcock,Nicki Hollingsworth |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
12 The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice Volume 4 Issue 4 December 2009 © Pier Professional Ltd
The non-professionally qualified
workforce: a focus on the
new roles of the support, time
and recovery worker and the
community development worker
Abstract
One of the key initiatives of the National Institute
of Mental Health in England National Workforce
Programme (NIMHE NWP) has been to explore
the development and sustainability of the non-
professionally qualified workforce (NPQW). Both
the National Service Framework (NSF) for Mental
Health (Department of Health, 1999) and the
wider Department of Health Changing Workforce
Programme (Department of Health, 2001) provided
a unique opportunity to start this process off.
Key words
black and m inorit y ethn ic; co mmuni ty
development workers; Delivering Race Equality;
non-professionally qualified workforce; support,
time and recovery; workforce action team
Background
Support, time and recovery workers
One of the underpinning programmes put in place to
support the introduction of the NSF was the establishment
of a Workforce Action Team, where the aim was
‘to enable mental health services to ensure their
workforce is sufficient and skilled, well led and
supported to deliver high quality mental health care,
including secure mental illness’ (Department of
Health, 2001).
It was charged with expl oring b oth the short-t erm,
practical solutions necessary to help deliver the NSF, as
well as more radical ideas to ensure that the workforce can
be secured and sustained to deliver a mental health service
fit for the 21st century. The Ministerial Foreword to the
workforce action team’s Interim Report clearly identifies
the importance of ‘the introduction of new kinds of mental
health workers’ (Department of Health, 2000).
The Workforce Action Team decided to concentrate
their efforts on a specific number of areas of activity and
this included ‘recruiting more professionally non-affiliated
people into the mental health workforce’ (Department of
Health, 2000). The Workforce Action Team recognised
that while many of these people existed already, they
often did not have the necessary training and supervision,
did not always get recognition for their work, and were
not easily recognisable by service users and carers. After
exploring the existing roles, and consulting with service
users and carers, it became clear that what was important
was someone to provide support for service users by giving
them time with a focus on recovery. As other members of
the workforce have clear titles and acronyms, recognised
by other staff and service users alike, such as community
John Allcock
Former Associate Director, National Institute of Mental Health in England National Workforce Programme
Nicki Hollingsworth
Mental Health Workforce Lead, Yorkshire and Humber Improvement Partnership and CAMHS Creating
Capable Teams National Lead, NCSS National Workforce Programme
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