CSP calls for improved training, development and delegation in response to national support worker review

A decade ago, The Cavendish Review identified significant issues faced by the clinical support workforce in the NHS. Last month, a study from the Business School at King’s College London, revealed there has been little progress. Many NHS support staff – including those working in physiotherapy- feel undervalued and ‘invisible’. 

'The Cavendish Review: ten years on' found ongoing short falls in education, training, development and career opportunities for all clinical support workers. As a result, just one in five clinical support staff think the NHS values them and more than a quarter regularly consider leaving their job.   

The CSP was part of the study advisory group and, in a change from a ten years ago, this latest study included physiotherapy support staff within its scope. Central to this study was national survey of support staff which many CSP associate members working in the NHS had to opportunity to complete.  

In more depth: 

• Support workers feel the NHS is not getting the best from them and they could contribute more if they had greater access to learning and development – whilst over half had accessed some form of training in the past year, two-thirds reported they would like more opportunities to develop in their role.   

• Support workers experience barriers to their career progression. Less than half (45 per cent) agreed they had sufficient information to plan their career development and 46% reported frustration because of a lack of development opportunities. Only 37 per cent agreed that their manager helped them to develop their career.   

More positively, AHP support workers are more likely to be clear about the tasks they are able and unable to perform, feel full members of the team and have their work recognised by their manager than those in other NHS professions. AHP support staff are half as likely to think about quitting NHS employment than their nursing colleagues.  

Lead author Professor Richard Griffin, Professor of Healthcare Management at King’s Business School, said: 'Clinical support workers are crucial to the NHS, often spending more time than doctors and nurses with patients and their families, so it is hugely disappointing to find they still feel invisible and undervalued.

'These staff are an underutilised resource that, if invested in, could significantly contribute to addressing the capacity and capability issues that the NHS faces. The opportunity was missed in 2013. It should not be missed again.'

What needs to change 

CSP professional advisor, Rachael Wadlow, said: 'It is encouraging to see improvements in understanding support worker scope of practice, delegation and supervision within the wider AHP support workforce. 

'This is thanks to the extensive national programmes of work and collaboration between AHP professional bodies, resulting in the launch of competency frameworks and the national and regional focus that has been afforded to the support workforce. 

'However, this report shows that more needs to be done to tackle the inequity of access to career and development opportunities experienced by support workers versus registered colleagues.    

We want systems to provide clear development and training opportunities for their physiotherapy support workers which should include personal development plans as an enabler for career planning, ring fenced time for learning and development and access to both formal and informal training opportunities and courses.    

'These opportunities form one of the key underlying principles of safe and effective delegation. We call for systems to ensure that physiotherapy services are implementing delegation practices in line with professional guidance, ensuring governance processes are in place and supporting all their workforce to understand what good delegation looks like.' 

To find out more about support worker careers and see guidance on safe and effective delegation, visit the CSP Support Workers Hub.