Foundation Programme in Public Health

The Foundation Programme in Public Health (Level 1)

This is an entry level course that covers the fundamentals of public health that will help to address health inequalities and support population health initiatives.

The programme provides an understanding of the foundational knowledge of what health inequalities are and its application within our various roles and responsibilities can play a key role in narrowing the widening health inequality gap.  The Foundation Programme is funded by Health Education England to support the development of social care and the wider public health workforce in the North East and Yorkshire & Humber regions. 

Target Audience & Prerequisites

Key beneficiaries of the Foundation Programme include the following but not limited to workforce in NHS trusts, GP practices, Voluntary Community and Social Enterprises (VCSE), the Police service, schools, and any organisation whose work may benefit directly or indirectly from an underpinning knowledge and understanding of health inequalities

There are no prerequisites for entry, though participants should be working in a position that allows them to influence the public’s health, or at the very least, have a strong interest in developing foundation level public health skills that can support relevant future employment opportunities. The Level 1 programme is suitable for those working in the NHS or delivering NHS services, the wider health & care workforce, as well as the wider public and third sectors – including local, city, or county councils, combined authorities, as well as voluntary and charitable organisations.

The four sessions on the Level 1 programme are:

  1. Introduction to public health. This session provides an overview of the development of the public health function, including the three domains of public health and their role in reducing health inequalities and creating positive health outcomes.
  2. Health protection. This session is focused on those core activities that protect individuals, groups and populations from infectious disease, incident or outbreaks, offering key insight into how this underpins the maintenance of good health.
  3. Prevention and a life course approach to public health. This session is designed to help participants understand how health is transformed through different stages of life, including across age, family, community, employment, and social circumstances.
  4. Tackling inequalities and the wider determinants of health. This session focuses on helping participants develop an informed understanding on how health inequalities (the avoidable, unfair and systematic differences in health between different groups of people) are created, and how public health interventions can help to reduce their prevalence.

Each session is delivered online and will be available on multiple dates, covering Monday-Friday, including both morning and afternoon sessions. This approach is designed to offer participants the maximum flexibility to complete the programme according to their own schedule. The programme is not formally assessed but a certificate of completion will be provided to support those who require evidence for CPD purposes.

Click here to register.

The Foundation Programme in Public Health (Level 2)

The Level 2 programme has been designed for those who want to take their learning about public health further, or who have team leadership or management responsibilities that allow them to incorporate public health interventions into their work. Participants should already have completed Level 1 of the Foundation Programme, have completed a similar entry-level course, or can evidence sufficient experience

The four sessions on the Level 2 programme are:

  • Introduction to epidemiology and statistics. This session focuses on the health-related data about populations that can be used to inform health practices and influence key stakeholders to support interventions.
  • Systems leadership in complex organisations. This session is designed to help participants better understand how to create advantage through the development of collaborative relationships across teams, complex organisations, and diverse stakeholders, that will help to deliver more effective and high-impact partnerships.
  • Designing, delivering and evaluating public health interventions. While public health work is underpinned by science, successful delivery always relies on core project and programme management skills. This session will take participants through the design, delivery and evaluation stages to ensure efficient and effective management.
  • Behavioural insights toolkit. This session brings together a number of approaches that leverage insight about human behaviour to help practitioners improve communication and deepen engagement, thus helping practitioners support the public to make better choices about their health for themselves, and for society.

Want to know more about the Level 2 programme?

Email FPPHqueries@barnsley.gov.uk for any enquiries about the programme.


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