The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), in collaboration with the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and key stakeholders from the social care sector, has launched a groundbreaking eLearning resource designed to empower social care frontline workers and personal assistants across various care settings.

The resource, "Ten Public Health Tips for the Social Care Workforce", aims to enhance the confidence and skills of those in the social care sector by integrating public health approaches into their daily practice to contribute to effective and holistic care.

Why This Resource Matters

With over 1.7 million professionals working in adult social care, the potential to adopt a 'prevention first' approach is enormous.

Social care workers are uniquely positioned within communities, interacting with millions of individuals and families every day. Their role is critical in helping people lead more independent and healthier lives, which underscores the significance of this new resource.

The eLearning course has been designed to help social care workers recognise their vital role in public health and how their work can improve health and wellbeing outcomes.

Course Overview

The Ten Public Health Tips for the Social Care Workforce course offers practical guidance on how to improve health outcomes through public health approaches. By the end of the course, learners will:

1. Gain an understanding of public health and its connection to social care roles.
2. Explore ten actionable tips to enhance the health and wellbeing of those they support, tailored to different social care settings.
3. Discover further resources to deepen their knowledge of public health and its critical role in social care.

Development and Strategic Impact

The resource was developed in close consultation with an expert reference group composed of representatives and experts by experience from key stakeholder groups within the social care sector, including:

• Care England
• Devon County Council
• First Contact Clinical
• Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership
• IMPACT- Improving Adult Care Together
• Kirklees Council
• National Care Forum
• Partners in Care and Health (PCH) ADASS and LGA
• Skills for Care
• UK Health Security Agency

This collaborative approach ensured that the content is accessible, relevant, and practical, focusing on integrating public health approaches into routine practice. It has also been specifically designed to not place any additional resource burdens on social care workers.

A Call to Action for the Social Care Workforce

By adopting these public health tips, workers can significantly contribute to the overarching goal of helping people live healthier, more independent lives for longer.

The collective impact of adopting a ‘prevention first’ public health approach could lead to transformative changes in the health and wellbeing of people across the country.

“Prevention is becoming ever more critical to ensure we are healthy, happy and able to live well.  Keeping people well, off waiting lists, and living independently is key to building a future. To get it right, we know it’s going to take a whole workforce approach.

Equipping our social care workforce with the knowledge and skills to integrate public health into their daily practice is not just a step forward—it is a leap towards a healthier, more independent future for the people and the communities we serve.

Day in, day out, social care workers make a huge difference to people’s lives bringing a vast range of expertise and knowledge. We are committed to helping them go further. We encourage all social care workers to engage with this resource, developed in collaboration with a range of experts and stakeholders to meet their needs.”

William Roberts FRSPH, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health

“The social care workforce already plays a critical public health role, but this new resource will support them even further to increase their knowledge and confidence in this area of care.

The eLearning resource provides practical tips and advice which aims to improve public health outcomes for both the workforce and those they care for across our communities. I would encourage everyone to explore the content and share this with their colleagues.”

Professor Jamie Waterall, Deputy Chief Public Health Nurse for England

For more information and to access the resource, please visit Ten Public Health Tips for the Social Care Workforce.