Community health worker

There is no specific job of community health worker. The term is a catch-all for people working to improve health and prevent sickness at grassroots level. These workers command great respect in the communities they serve, providing information and education, as well as formal and informal health services.

A doctor working as a GP in a local practice, a district nurse and a community midwife could all be described as community health workers, as are workers dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, and staff in healthy living centres.

Recently, new jobs have been created that can have the same impact on a community as these more traditional roles. For example, a parent network manager works with parents to deliver support programmes to improve families’ health and wellbeing. Mental health outreach workers help people with long-term mental health problems adapt to ordinary life in the community by developing coping skills, rather than being institutionalised in a hospital or hostel.

Did you know?
Community health centres, allowing a range of health professionals to have a base in the communities they served, were a major innovation when the NHS was founded in 1948.

Facts and Figures

  • Starting salary:

    Varied. From around £12,000 to £19,000

  • Senior level salary:

    Up to £30,000

  • Education:

    Very varied. To become a registered nurse it is necessary to hold either a degree or Diploma of Higher Education in Nursing (DipHE), specialising in the adult nursing branch. A mental health outreach worker should have an NVQ Level 3 in Care, or be working towards an NVQ relevant to this area of work.

  • Skills:

    You'll need a strong commitment to working within a community and the ability to listen and communicate well.

  • Likely employer type:

    Primary care trusts and local authorities.

  • Opportunities:

    NHS Careers is receiving more and more enquiries from people interested in taking up a career in community health.

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