Celebrating and supporting Allied Health Professions

Harnessing the value of Allied Health Professionals to deliver better care across Northamptonshire is at the forefront of one University-led team.

The Northants AHP Faculty is a network of colleagues from health and care areas including the 14 allied health professions* (AHP), with the University of Northampton hosting it.

The Faculty is tasked with utilising the knowledge and skills of AHPs to deeply embed them within health and social care provision in the county to improve people’s lives and wellbeing.

It also develops the roles of and promotes AHPs through workforce data analysis, developing equality, diversity and inclusion and recruitment campaigns.

Steve Kent, Senior Lecturer in Allied Health Professions at UON, is also the Northants AHP Faculty Lead and Chartered Physiotherapist. He says: “The national Allied Health Professions Day this year (Friday 14 October) focuses on developing the next generation of AHPs, making this the perfect time for us to more widely promote Northamptonshire’s AHP Faculty.

“Our aims are ambitious and deliberately so. Allied Health Professionals already bring huge value to people’s everyday lives, so we need to aim high to ensure we build on this.

“We have a research ‘arm’ to help better understand more about why AHPs have come to work and stay in Northamptonshire, with a view to developing a career path strategy to improve recruitment and retention for the future.

“The team and I look forward to updating about the progress of the Faculty throughout the coming weeks and months.”

For those wanting to know more about becoming an AHP, there is also a Career Choices broadcast. Find out more about this event – to held on Friday 14 October between 10am and 11am – that is designed to define and describe AHPs and what they do and understand what courses and qualifications they need.

Find out more about AHP courses at the University of Northampton.

*Full list of AHPs is:

• Art Therapists
• Drama therapists
• Music therapists
• Chiropodists/podiatrists
• Dietitians
• Occupational therapists
• Operating Department Practitioners
• Orthoptists
• Osteopaths
• Paramedics
• Physiotherapists
• Prosthetists and Orthotists
• Radiographers
• Speech and language therapists.