PMA Excellence in Personalised Care Certificate

The NHS is transitioning to an integrated care service model and as a core driver for this new service model, patients will be given more healthcare options, better support, and properly joined-up care. Delivered at the right time, by the right clinical service provider in the optimal care setting. This approach is fully aligned with the Five Year Forward View.

Underpinning this new care service model, is the choice and control given to individuals through the Personalised Care model – a person centred approach where promotion of wellbeing and independence are key outcomes of care.

Personalised care means people have choice and control over the way their care is planned and delivered. It is based on ‘what matters’ to them and their individual strengths and needs (NHS England, 2020)*

The new personalised care roles, the Social Prescribing Link Worker, the Care Coordinator, and the Health and Wellbeing Coach, will be integral to general practice and all three roles will be key members of the PCN multi-disciplinary team, embedding personalised care and supporting all team members to take a personalised care approach. Working together, through a single point of access, these three roles support individuals to take more control of their health and wellbeing.

The Social Prescribing Link Worker spends time with an individual around their social determinants of health. Importantly, they are a bridge between primary care and the local community.

Acting as a central point of contact, a key role of the Care Coordinator is to help patients to navigate the healthcare system more easily, and to provide a fully joined-up care journey.

The Health and Wellbeing Coach role uses specialist coaching and behaviour change techniques, usually over several sessions. They support people to reflect on and change their health-related behaviours, focusing on sustainability.

This PMA e-learning programme consists of five comprehensive modules, each with several units, aimed at the three personalised care roles. The programme will include a variety of styles and formats including, videos, podcasts, models, case studies, knowledge checks and questions.

Each unit will also contain detailed referencing and signposting to further resources.

At the start of the Personalised Care programme learners will select their appropriate pathway, which will ensure the eLearning units are specific to their job role: –

• Social Prescribing Link Worker
• Care Coordinator or
• Health and Wellbeing Coach

Upon completion of all units, a role-specific assessment area will open. This will include questions on various topics learned throughout the programme – and will ensure knowledge can be transferred into lived experience.

* NHS England (2020) Personalised Care. [Online] Available here  [Accessed 27th January 2022]

If you would like to know more, please contact the PMA Team at education@pma-uk.org or phone 0330 111 6459 and we will be happy to speak to you in more detail about how the PMA e-Learning Programme can benefit you.