Q: Will individuals from outside England be able to access NCSCT Training Programmes?
A: The online training and assessment programmes will be open to all interested parties, but formal certification will only be provided to stop smoking practitioners commissioned by the NHS and based in England. The NCSCT is not currently funded to provide training services to other countries but may, in time, be able to do so on a commercial basis. We will monitor demand from all areas and will respond to specific requests on a case by case basis in consultation with the Department of Health for England.
Q: How does the NCSCT training fits in with Level 2 and 3 stop smoking practitioners?
A: Our training does not adhere to the level 2/3 distinction because of our competence-based approach that has been developed to help improve the quality of behavioural support offered to smokers. We believe that every practitioner who sees a smoker should possess these competencies in order that they are able to deliver effective smoking cessation interventions.
Q: How does this training fit with our local training and should we continue to commission local training for NHS stop smoking service staff?
A: We would recommend that all NHS stop smoking practitioners undertake the online Stage 1 Training and Assessment Programme as this will allow them to prove to themselves and to clients that they have the necessary knowledge to help smokers to stop. It also offers your service a measure of quality assurance in the interventions being delivered to smokers.
However, whilst some of our other programmes are under development, staff should continue to be supported to access high quality training. Some areas have indicated that they have been considering putting their training plans 'on hold' while the NCSCT develops its system but we would counsel against this, as it may lead to gaps in training support and a negative impact on success rates. We would, however, recommend that local training programmes should be reviewed and aligned with the NCSCT Training Standard.
Q: What about other commercial training courses such as the 'Maudsley Training'?
A: If services use commercial trainers then it is recommended that they should meet the learning outcomes outlined in the NCSCT Training Standards document and that there should also be an assessment. The ‘Maudsley’ courses have also been rated very highly by participants and they are run by many of the people who we have helping us develop NCSCT training.
Q: Will individual trainers and/or training organisations be able to apply for NCSCT accreditation?
A: One of our initial objectives was to develop an accreditation system for trainers by March 2012. However, this system would have been time consuming for both the NCSCT and the applying organisations, and there was concern that this would have restricted applications and would not have tapped into the network of PCT level trainers that exists.
The NCSCT Steering Committee has therefore approved the development of an NCSCT Train the Trainers course which would allow the behavioural change techniques taught on the NCSCT face-to-face training courses in behavioural support to be cascaded down to community advisors by individual local stop smoking services more effectively.
Q: What does the NCSCT Train the Trainers course involve and when will it be available?
A:The Train the Trainers course is still under development and will piloted early 2012. It will be based on the core evidence-based skill competencies included in the NCSCT face-to-face training courses in behavioural support. Course attendees will be trained and assessed in their teaching of these competences. The course will also include training and assessment in the key principles of training and course attendees will be given full access to NCSCT training materials and resources.
Following training, the NCSCT will monitor the performance of accredited trainers through trainee satisfaction and monitoring of individual quit rates. There will be regular renewal of accreditation, the frequency of which has yet to be determined. This renewal will additionally give the NCSCT an opportunity to update trainers on developments in training and the evidence-based skills competences.
Q. Is it compulsory for all stop smoking practitioners to undertake the NCSCT training and assessments?
A: Although strongly recommended it is not compulsory for stop smoking practitioners to undertake our training. However, it is likely that in the very near future commissioners of stop smoking services will require NCSCT certification of practitioners and this is something that the Department of Health is strongly advocating.