United Colleges Group (UCG) welcomed NHS Allied Health Professionals and support staff for the start of the NHS Higher Development Award at City of Westminster College (CWC) last week.
The new course, designed in partnership with the Allied Health Professional Faculty for North Central London Integrated Care System (ICS), will see participants complete a Level 2 Certificate in Team Leading Principles, gain a mental health qualification, and undertake a service improvement project.
Staff from across the North Central London ICS, including University College London Hospital, Whittington Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital, and the Royal Free London NHS Trust, attended the programme.
Over six days, staff will cover topics such as team leadership, self-management, providing direction, and effective communication at work. A Level 3 programme is also being developed, expected to launch in early 2025. Additional opportunities for the Level 2 Higher Development Award will open in April 2025.
Dawn Grant, Health Care Support Worker Development Lead for NHS London Region, said: “The Higher Development Award (HDA) is a programme which provides development for support workers personally and professionally. It has helped hundreds to be the best and acknowledge potential across the country.”
She added, “Support staff are the backbone of any organisation, a massive support network who, quite honestly, keep everything running. The HDA qualification provides an element of empowerment and helps them acknowledge the many skills they have. It also opens up a new world of leadership, team participation and understanding their true value in a team.”
Stephen Davis, CEO and Group Principal at United Colleges Group, said: “This is an important programme for developing skilled workers in an area that has significant recruitment challenges, and United Colleges Group is looking forward to expanding this offering over the coming years to help support our NHS partners deliver the very best services to residents in London.”
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