Level 3 Community Health and Wellbeing Worker

Use preventative approaches to promote the health and wellbeing of individuals, groups and communities, addressing the wider determinants of health and causes of ill-health.
Understand how social determinants of health influence physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing; identify causes of ill-health, long-term conditions, and premature death in the local community, including the prevention and management of risk factors. Evaluate the positive and negative impacts of different agencies on health and wellbeing. Analyse how psychological, behavioural, and cultural factors affect health and address the impact of health inequalities. Support individuals, groups, and communities in recognising factors that may influence their health, whether they can or cannot control them, and in identifying their needs and strengths, overcome barriers, and access local resources to improve their overall health and wellbeing.

Provide informed advice about local services and projects that support health and wellbeing.
Understand the roles and funding of local and national statutory organisations delivering public services (including education, housing, welfare, justice, health and care), as well as the contributions of voluntary and charity organisations addressing issues such as debt management, crime reporting, domestic abuse, social isolation, bereavement, and mental health. Map community resources using a strengths-based approach, identify gaps in provision, and research local and online services to support health and wellbeing. Ensure information on local and digital resources remains current, and identify barriers preventing access to services, including how services are promoted or communicated.

Apply behavioural science to help people find practical solutions for better health and wellbeing.
Build rapport with individuals and groups, eliciting information about their health and wellbeing concerns while respecting their priorities and right to refuse advice. Apply ‘evidence-based behaviour change principles and tools’, such as capability, motivation, and action planning, to help individuals identify key issues, set goals, and make informed decisions about their health. Use person-centred, empowering approaches to support self-care behaviours that continue beyond engagement with services, avoiding dependency and promoting independence. Help people navigate health and service information, optimise access to relevant services, and address wider social, financial, or environmental factors affecting their wellbeing, demonstrating compassion, empathy, and a non-judgemental attitude throughout.

Communicate public health messages and information to promote health and wellbeing at an individual, group and community level.
Build rapport with individuals and groups to gain understanding of their health and wellbeing concerns and provide relevant information. Using evidence-based health messages communicate complex public health messages clearly and appropriately for different audiences. Overcome communication barriers, such as sensory disabilities, neurodiversity, or language differences, and use a range of methods, including social media and digital technologies, to promote health messages effectively. Additionally, facilitate collaboration between communities and service providers to improve access to services, ensuring communications are clear, consistent, and compassionate, while demonstrating empathy and cultural awareness.

Operate within legal and ethical frameworks that relate to the promotion and protection of the public’s health and wellbeing.
Understand the nature and boundaries of the role in representing the interests of people and communities, adhering to safeguarding protocols and relevant legislation. Manage expectations about service scope and availability while working ethically and transparently. Collaborate with individuals and groups to implement policies and protocols. Escalate issues beyond the scope of the role in a timely manner particularly if a person is ‘at risk’. Apply ethical frameworks in public health practice and advocate for people’s interests with service providers with honesty and integrity.

Help communities to build local resilience and identify strengths, capacity and resources that support their health and wellbeing.
Apply the latest evidence to develop inclusive community approaches that improve health and wellbeing, build partnerships with individuals, groups, and communities. Follow national guidance on engaging and managing volunteers while protecting their rights and welfare. Assess the suitability of non-statutory community and voluntary groups to support health needs, using local protocols for service appraisal and risk assessment, and apply strengths-based approaches to empower communities to make sustainable changes. Additionally, collaborate with people, organisations, and volunteers to address local issues, ensure services are safe and sustainable, and build on successful partnerships. Identify conflicts or inefficiencies between services, working across boundaries to maximise the use of local assets and deliver shared solutions that benefit the community.

Manage referrals from a range of agencies, professionals and through self-referral.
Apply local referral criteria, systems, and protocols to support people accessing services or for signposting within scope of the practice, while adhering to legislation and policies on information governance, data security, sharing, and record-keeping. Understand the boundaries of the role, follow safeguarding procedures, and escalate concerns appropriately. Develop and manage relationships with health and wellbeing service providers, ensuring expectations are met for both the provider and those being referred. Handle referrals, prioritise caseloads, manage waiting lists, and securely manage personal data. Recognise when someone is in distress or crisis and ensure they receive the right support at the point of need.

Form strategies and policies and implement them to promote health and wellbeing at community level.
Develop evidence-based inclusive community approaches that improve health and wellbeing, considering how cultural and faith-based factors can impact on evidence based interventions. Understand national and local strategies to address health inequalities and the demands on services, identifying and promoting public and voluntary sector agencies and their resources, including digital services, to meet community needs. Deliver interventions tailored to local communities, support the implementation of strategies and policies to improve health outcomes, and ensure evidence-based approaches are effectively applied to enhance strategies, policies, and interventions.

Manage data and information and contribute to the evaluation of projects and services.
Manage and handle personal data safely and securely, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, local policies, and protocols on information governance, data security, sharing, and record-keeping. Seek and record consent for data use, and clearly explain how data will be stored and utilised. Use public health and other data, and recognised tools, to identify priorities and measure health outcomes at individual, group, and community levels. Contribute to evaluating services and interventions to measure their impact and effectiveness.

Take responsibility for personal and professional development in line with organisational protocol.
Keep updated with developments in population health and community well-being through continuous professional development, and follow training in safety policies and protocols, especially when working unsupervised or in remote locations. Participate in regular appraisals, training, and ongoing reviews, give and receive feedback effectively and reflect on practices in line with organisational procedures. Maintain comprehensive records of training and development opportunities and how these have influenced their practice. Uphold high standards of professional and personal conduct, ensuring a duty of care for own safety and that of others.

Benefits of Having Level 3 Community Health and Wellbeing Worker

Enhanced Inclusion: Create a more inclusive learning environment where every student feels supported and able to reach their full potential.

Sustainable Workforce Development: Build a skilled and knowledgeable workforce to support your long-term goals. This approach fosters loyalty and reduces staff turnover.

Cost-Effective Training: Use the Apprenticeship Levy to cover the programme cost, making it a budget-friendly professional development option and an excellent way to upskill staff.