Hub and spoke: A community model for child branch students at the University of Southampton

Abstract

Whilst existing health care education provides a foundation in public health there is a need to enhance the knowledge and skills of practitioners expected to contribute to the new public health agenda. Child branch graduates will be important to delivering this agenda as most children are cared for in a community setting.

Previously child health students would receive little community experience as part of their training and on qualifying child branch students applying to work in community teams were considered to have a limited knowledge base of the complexities of working with individuals and communities by some Trust partners. Implementation of the ‘hub and spoke’ model for child health students is intended to enhance student learning and practice to maximise all the emerging learning opportunities for child health students in the community.

The objective of the model is for each child health student to have one placement per year in each of their 3 years training based within a ‘hub’ children and families community team. From this ‘hub’ students receive ‘spoke’ experiences with services beyond traditional health care accessed by children and their families. The learning and teaching alignment of ‘hub and spoke’ enables the student to develop confidence within a ‘team’ setting, gaining experience and knowledge from participating in service provision for the well child, in year one, initiating care for children with special needs in year two and managing the care of children with complex needs in year three.

Feedback from students and mentors indicates that the model enables the student to ‘grow’ within the context of a familiar community team, likewise the team are able to ‘grow their own’ student, developing each individual students learning and teaching consistent with the students learning needs and previous personal and professional experience. The model is innovative for many of the reasons outlined above and reflects the drivers of NHS Next Stage Review final report (DH 2008) and the voice of service provision senior management who recognise the requirement for all health care students to have a wider experience of community service provision within their initial education and training. The model enhances skill mix and employability by ensuring student colleagues continuity in practice and a meaningful progressive experience of the complexities of working with individuals, groups and communities.

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