Asthma Training for Professionals working with Children and Young People (CYP) with Asthma.

Guidance on what training is available for professionals working with children and young people with asthma, broken down by level of care.

The CYP Asthma National Capabilities Framework sets out the skills and knowledge required to safely care for a child or young person with asthma. There are 5 tiers or levels of care, each with 10 asthma capabilities. The tiers are not profession specific. Some suggestions of which tier different professions may fit into are given, but as every job is different individuals identify the tier most relevant to their role. Information about training courses relevant to each role is given below.

Read the full CYP Asthma Capabilities Framework

National Bundle of Care for Children and Young People with Asthma

Tier 1 - Signposting

Accredited Courses:

Supporting Children’s Health and Young People with Asthma (educationforhealth.org) : A free eLearning resource, designed for anyone who supports CYP with asthma. Takes circa 45 mins.

Applies to:

  • Social care
  • Education staff
  • Childcare providers
  • Leaders of children’s clubs
  • GP receptionists
  • Health Care Assistants

Knowledge and skills:

  • Basic awareness of asthma, its management, inhaler use and basic modifiable risk factors.
  • Able to signpost families to resources

Tier 2 - Supporting prescribed care

Accredited Courses:

Children and Young People’s Asthma : This free programme is for any professional involved in the care of a CYP with asthma. It covers 5 topics and takes circa 3 hours.

The Asthma programme is also available to NHS healthcare staff via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Accessing this e-learning via ESR means that completions will transfer with staff as they move.

Applies to:

  • Practice, School, Community and ward nurses
  • Health visitors
  • Community pharmacists
  • AHPs
  • Ambulance staff

Knowledge and Skills:

  • Greater understanding of the principles of asthma management and able to deliver prescribed care both routinely and in an emergency.
  • Able to view asthma as a chronic condition and identify risk factors for poor control

Tier 3 - Assessment and prescribing of care

Accredited Courses:

Children and Young People’s Asthma Training for Tier 3 Providers

Applies to:

  • General practitioners
  • Emergency department doctors
  • Paediatricians
  • Doctors in training
  • Nurses with a special interest
  • Clinical pharmacists

Knowledge and Skills:

  • Able to diagnose, assess and manage acute and chronic asthma.
  • Able to address the factors that contribute to poor control

Tier 4 - Assessment and prescribing for the more difficult to treat asthmas

Accredited Courses:

Advancing Paediatric Asthma Care : An online course costing £480 +VAT that would be funded by the employer. 30 hours study time and 4 months to complete.

Enhancing Asthma Care in Professional Practice Short Course : An online course costing £875 that would be funded by the employer. 300 hours study time and 6 months to complete.

Also see Tier 5 courses below.

Applies to:

  • Paediatricians with a special interest
  • Advanced Nurse Practitioners

Knowledge and Skills:

  • In depth knowledge of asthma and the differentials and able to diagnose, assess and manage the more difficult to treat asthmatic.
  • Able to work with wider teams to support all aspects of management and transition

Tier 5 - Managing the difficult and severe asthmas

Accredited Courses:

Caring for Children and Young People with Asthma Document : A template professional development tool to support health professionals to self-assess and provide evidence to enable them to deliver care that meets the standards outlined in Tiers 4 and 5 of the National Children and Young People’s Asthma Capability Framework.

Applies to:

  • Tertiary Paediatricians
  • AHP members of the asthma MDT

Knowledge and Skills:

  • Specialist knowledge and skills to diagnose, assess and manage the most severe and difficult to treat asthmatics

Courses on Topics for all Tiers

Very Brief Advice on Smoking (VBA+) – NCSCT e-learning : A free eLearning resource, designed for all health and social care professional by the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training. Takes circa 30mins.

Making Every Contact Count : Consists of three free e-learning sessions totalling 75 minutes plus two additional resource sessions designed to develop understanding of public health and the factors that impact on a person’s health and wellbeing and enable professionals to give concise health and wellbeing information to people in the course of their encounters with them. The National Bundle of Care for CYP with asthma has a measure that 80-100% staff involved in the care of CYP with asthma should complete this and record it on their Electronic Staff Record.

Air Pollution – Clean Air Knowledge Hub for the Health Sector (actionforcleanair.org.uk) : Five short (5 minutes to 40 minutes) videos for health professionals about air pollution and how to speak to patients about this. The National Bundle has a deliverable that all professionals should understand air pollution dangers and discuss this with CYP/families and that 80-100% staff should have evidence on completing this training on their Electronic Staff Record.