Received from: BDA
Congress notes that:
i. recent research undertaken by King’s College London, The Cavendish Review: Ten years on (Griffin et al, 2024), found that the AHP support workforce, including dietetic support workers and dietetic assistant practitioners, continue to feel undervalued
ii. the majority of the AHP support workforce feel they are underpaid for the work they undertake and could contribute more if they had greater access to learning and development
iii. other barriers included lack of information about career progression, limited manager support, poor quality appraisals and personal development plans. Almost a third strongly aspired to become registered professionals but needed more support.
Congress believes that the dietetic support workforce is an essential part of the NHS workforce and must be properly valued, supported and fairly rewarded.
Congress calls on the TUC to work with health unions and professional bodies to campaign for NHS organisations across the four nations to:
a. remove barriers to career progression by improving access to career planning and implementing UK-wide career development frameworks for the AHP support workforce
b. promote fair pay for all AHPs using existing Agenda for Change pathways, including job evaluation, and ensure equal pay for work of equal value in line with legal and contractual requirements
c. ensure the AHP support workforce is recognised in workforce planning, supported by robust workforce data to better understand their deployment, contribution and impact
d. invest in career progression pathways for the dietetic support workforce, including routes into registered dietitian roles, through apprenticeships and other higher education opportunities.
British Dietetic Association
AMENDMENT
Part d. after “for the dietetic support workforce” add “and other allied health professions”.
Between “registered dietician roles” delete “dietician” and replace with “Allied Health Profession”
SoR