Health and Wellbeing Coaches

Health and Wellbeing Coaches are personalised care professionals who work with patients to increase their ability to self-manage their health and wellbeing, as well as increasing their motivation and commitment to change their lifestyle. They are experts in behaviour change and focus on improving health related outcomes. They usually carry a caseload and work with patients with physical and/or mental health conditions and those at risk of developing them to set personalised goals.

Health and Wellbeing Coaches offer effective interventions for people experiencing a range of long term conditions, including respiratory, cardiovascular (including type 2 diabetes and hypertension), and stress/low mood. They can also support people with weight management, diet and increasing activity levels.

Health and Wellbeing Coaches work in partnership with health, social care, and community and voluntary sector providers and multi-disciplinary teams. They can provide education and specialist expertise to health staff to improve their skills and understanding of personalised care and behavioural approaches as well as raising awareness of tools that enable shared-decision making.

This role plays an increasingly important part in Primary Healthcare, supporting patients to make positive choices that will enable them to live healthier lives and therefore relieving the burden of ill-health within the practice population. They work closely as part of the team, and in particular with Social Prescribing Link Workers and Care Coordinators.

The skills acquired in undertaking this role may lead to other opportunities for training within health care, such as training in nursing, health visiting or one of the Allied Health Professions.

Is there any recruitment funding available to Primary Care Networks?

This is a role that is included in the Additional Roles Recruitment Scheme from April 2020. Primary Care Networks may therefore be able to access funding to cover salary and on costs. You can find out more by referring to the information in the links below:

• Update to the GP Contract Agreement – NHS England
• Network Contract DES Contract Specification 2024-25 – NHS England

To find out more about this role, please visit:

• https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/workforce-and-training/personalised-care-institute/
• https://www.personalisedcareinstitute.org.uk/arrs-roles/
• NHS England » Workforce development framework for health and wellbeing coaches

Training Resources and Framework

Health and Wellbeing Coaches workspace on future.nhs.uk (after creating an account please visit future.nhs.uk/HealthandWellbeingCoaches )

• https://www.personalisedcareinstitute.org.uk/your-learning-options/
• https://www.personalisedcareinstitute.org.uk/training-standards/

Hear from one of our Health and Wellbeing Coaches:

• The Health and wellbeing coach experience – Steve Howson
• What its like to be a Health and Wellbeing Coach – Bonny Prim

Further information

Please contact Veronica Kuperman, our Personalised Care Lead: veronica.kuperman1@nhs.net