Allied Health Professions’ Support Worker Competency, Education, and Career Development Framework

NHS England (formally Health Education England (HEE)) has developed the AHP Support Worker Competency, Education, and Career Development Framework to enhance the role of the AHP support workforce. The framework is designed to ensure that:

• Patients and service users have access to skilled and well-trained support workers, clearly defined within their teams and services.
• AHP support workers benefit from clear role descriptions and structured career pathways that offer opportunities for growth and development.
• Support worker roles contribute significantly to service delivery and transformation, including the implementation of new care models.
• Service consistency is achieved by addressing variations in support worker roles, banding, and career progression across the system.

This framework aims to provide a consistent approach to commissioning and delivering apprenticeships and supports integrated care systems in deploying support workers effectively. It includes all Allied Health Professions (AHPs), such as art therapists, dietitians, physiotherapists, and radiographers, among others. For more information, HEE’s website outlines the full scope of its efforts to recognize and develop the AHP support workforce.