The NSU contracts with twelve District Health Boards and seven Independent Service Providers to provide health promotion services for the National Cervical Screening Programme.  The NSU Health Promotion Framework encourages providers to design their activities using health promotion models that consider the wider determinants of health, developing communities and working with the primary health care sector. 

NCSP health promoters work in collaboration with the NCSP to increase the number of women having regular smears and in particular Maori and Pacific women. 

Responsibilities for NCSP health promoters

NCSP health promoters have responsibilities through the NCSP Operational Policy and Quality Standards (NCSP OP&QS) and the NSU Health Promotion Framework (and Implementation Planning Guide). 

Under Chapter 3 of the NCSP OP&QS,  there are general requirements that health promoters should become familiar with and incorporate into their practice.  The Standards and Policies are requirements for providers who have a health promotion contract with the NSU but are also guidelines for other organisations, such as Primary Health Organisations and general practitioners.  General requirements are set out on Page 3.7 and include developing a health promotion plan, working with other NCSP providers to develop regional initiatives, use NCSP resources and national key messages.

The Standards in Chapter 3 are:

Standard 301: Providers will utilise the NCSP resources and key messages as the basis for their own strategies and materials, and ensure their own messages, written and verbal, are consistent with the key messages.

Standard 302: Providers developing or adapting health education resources including translations must do so following the process described page 3.14.

Standard 303:  All new material related to the programme is sent to the National Screening Unit early in the planning stage and final copy is sent for approval.

The NSU Health Promotion Framework

The NSU Health Promotion Framework provides guidance for managers and health promotion staff on the strategic direction the NSU defines as important for health promotion planning and implementation.  It also provides definitions for terms and concepts commonly used in health promotion and screening.  The annual cycle for providers who provide NCSP health promotion services to the NSU is that a plan must be written in accordance with the Health Promotion Framework: Implementation Planning Guide and submitted to the NSU for approval by 1 May of each year.  The Health Promotion Plan will be reviewed by the NSU and any changes required will be communicated to the provider by the end of May.  The approved Health Promotion Plan is then effective from 1 July of that year.  Providers are required to report six monthly against the plan.  A template is provided for completing the plan and this has a reporting template incorporated into it. 

Health promoters and their organisations are encouraged to use health promotion models such as the Ottawa Charter and Te Pae Mahutonga in developing their health promotion plans.  These models provide guidance to designing and planning their plans and developing strategies which will meet the needs of priority women.   Evaluation of their own health promotion plans by providers is encouraged. 

Professional development

Current NCSP health promoters have a range of qualifications.  The NSU does not require specific qualifications for health promoters however, there are a range of health promotion qualifications available.  The following websites may be useful:

University of Otago - Certificate in Health Promotion

New Zealand Qualifications Authority - WONS: Nursing, Education and Health Promotion Services

Alcohol and Public Health Research Unit - Evaluation Papers

University of Auckland, Medical and Health Sciences

University of Otago, Dunedin School of Medicine - Health Promotion

The NSU provides training annually for health promoters new to screening.  This is a four-day course and provides new health promoters with an orientation to the cervical and breast screening programmes and an opportunity to network with their peers. 

The Public Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health is developing a range of training opportunities for the public health workforce including for health promoters.  These include public health competencies and an NZQA qualification.  Although they are not specific to NCSP, they will still be important for health promoters who are wanting to develop their skills and expertise.