Before having access to the NCSCT Training and Assessment Programme, stop smoking practitioners complete a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) consisting of 25 multiple choice questions, which generally take around 30 minutes to complete. The results of the TNA are broken down into the different sections of the Training Programme and can be used to guide which sections to focus on.
Training & Assessment Programme
The NCSCT Stage 1 Training Programme has been developed for experienced professionals working for NHS or NHS commissioned stop smoking services who want to update or improve their knowledge and skills - as well as newcomers to the profession. The learning materials are set out in three sections:
Basic Knowledge: provides background information about smoking and smoking cessation. It is organised into:
Practice: provides a compendium on good clinical practice. Organised by topic rather than by the order in which the various tasks might need to be performed. It includes:
NCSCT Standard Treatment Programme: takes core material from the Practice section and puts it into the format of a supported quit attempt.
The Training Programme takes approximately 6-8 hours to complete and we recommend that practitioners do not trying to complete it in one sitting. There are several pages within each topic area and the information contained in these pages forms the NCSCT Stage 1 Assessment. Many pages include a 'test yourself' function, which presents a single multiple choice question based on the information included in that page. You are strongly recommended to do the test questions as they additionally follow the same format as the questions in the Stage 1 Assessment.
When practitioners feel confident about their knowledge, the can then take the formal NCSCT Stage 1 Assessment, which again comprises of 25 multiple choice questions. The pass mark for the NCSCT Stage 1 Assessment is 70%. Stop smoking practitioners who do not pass will be able to retake it after seven days, which allows for a period of study.