Research health improvement services
This element equips learners to systematically investigate and appraise local health improvement services, moving beyond simple signposting. Learners develop skills in identifying, accessing, and critically reviewing resources such as smoking cessation, healthy eating, or mental wellbeing programmes to understand their accessibility, effectiveness, and relevance to community needs.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The RSPH Level 2 Award for Young Health Champions is a vocational qualification designed to empower young people to become proactive advocates for health and wellbeing within their schools and wider communities. It moves beyond simply learning facts, focusing instead on developing the practical skills necessary to promote positive health behaviours among peers. This award equips students with a foundational understanding of public health principles, common health issues affecting young people (such as mental health, healthy eating, and physical activity), and effective communication strategies, enabling them to make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of others.
This qualification is incredibly important within the broader Health & Social Care landscape as it places a strong emphasis on preventative health and early intervention, which are critical components of modern public health strategy in the UK. By training young people to act as peer educators and role models, the award helps to build healthier communities from the ground up, addressing prevalent issues like substance misuse, sexual health, and emotional wellbeing. It also highlights the significance of youth voice and participation in shaping health initiatives, demonstrating how individual actions, when amplified through peer networks, can lead to significant improvements in collective wellbeing and reduce pressures on health services.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Health Promotion & Public Health Principles: Understanding strategies to enable people to increase control over, and to improve, their health, focusing on the wider determinants of health (e.g., social, economic, environmental factors).
- →Peer Education & Communication Skills: Developing effective methods to share accurate health messages with peers, including active listening, empathy, delivering engaging presentations, and using appropriate language.
- →Common Health Issues Affecting Young People: Knowledge of prevalent physical and mental health challenges, such as mental wellbeing, healthy eating, physical activity, sexual health, substance misuse, and sleep hygiene.
- →Safeguarding & Professional Boundaries: Recognising the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals, understanding confidentiality, and knowing the limits of a Young Health Champion's role, including when and how to signpost to professional support services.
- →Determinants of Health: Exploring the complex interplay of social, economic, environmental, and individual factors (e.g., housing, education, income, access to services) that influence health outcomes and inequalities among young people.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- Carry out a search of the local area to locate health improvement servicesDetermine the resources available from a local health improvement serviceCarry out a review of local health improvement services
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for demonstrating a systematic search strategy, using a range of sources (e.g., council directories, NHS websites, community centres, and social media) to locate health improvement services.
- Award credit for accurately cataloguing the resources provided by a selected service, including session types, self-help materials, staff roles, and referral pathways.
- Award credit for producing a structured review that evaluates a service against criteria such as accessibility, cultural appropriateness, evidence base, and user feedback, not merely describing it.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡Always cross-reference information from at least two sources and, if possible, contact the service to confirm current provision—this demonstrates thoroughness.
- 💡Structure your service review using a clear framework such as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) or the Five Ways to Wellbeing to show evaluative thinking.
- 💡Keep a portfolio of screenshots, leaflets, and notes from your research as evidence of your search process and to support your findings in assessment.
- 💡Demonstrate Practical Application: Don't just regurgitate facts. Show how you would apply health promotion principles in real-life scenarios relevant to young people. Use examples from your own experiences, observations, or hypothetical situations to illustrate your understanding of peer education and public health strategies.
- 💡Understand Your Role and Boundaries: Clearly articulate the responsibilities and, crucially, the limitations of a Young Health Champion. Emphasise safeguarding, confidentiality, and the importance of signposting to professional support when issues are beyond your remit, demonstrating a mature and responsible approach.
- 💡Focus on the "Why": When discussing health issues, determinants, or promotion strategies, explain *why* they are important, *why* certain approaches are effective, and *why* specific health determinants impact young people. This demonstrates a deeper, more critical understanding beyond surface-level knowledge.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Relying solely on internet searches without verifying service details through direct contact, leading to outdated or inaccurate information.
- Confusing health improvement services (preventative) with clinical treatment services (reactive), e.g., listing a GP practice instead of a lifestyle support group.
- Neglecting to consider accessibility barriers such as opening times, location, cost, or language support when reviewing whether a service meets local needs.
- Presenting a review that is purely descriptive without any critical analysis of strengths, weaknesses, or suggestions for improvement.
- Misconception: "As a Young Health Champion, I need to be an expert on all health conditions and give medical advice." Correction: Your role is to promote positive health behaviours, provide accurate, evidence-based information, and signpost peers to appropriate professional services (like GPs, school nurses, or mental health support), not to diagnose or offer medical treatment. Understanding your boundaries is crucial for being an effective and responsible champion.
- Misconception: "Health promotion is just about telling people what to do to be healthy." Correction: Effective health promotion is far more nuanced; it's about empowering individuals, providing choices, and creating supportive environments that make healthy choices easier. It involves active listening, understanding diverse perspectives, and collaborative problem-solving, rather than simply dictating behaviours or lecturing.
- Misconception: "The qualification is purely theoretical; practical skills aren't really assessed in detail." Correction: While knowledge is fundamental, the RSPH Level 2 Award heavily emphasises the practical application of health promotion skills. You will be assessed on your ability to plan, deliver, and evaluate health promotion activities, demonstrating real-world competence in engaging with peers and addressing health challenges.
Revision Plan
How to revise this topic in 1–2 weeks
- 1Week 1: Foundations & Knowledge Acquisition: Begin by thoroughly reviewing the core units covering public health principles, the wider determinants of health, and common health issues affecting young people. Create flashcards for key terms, definitions, and health statistics relevant to the UK, and map out the links between different health determinants.
- 2Week 1-2: Practical Skills & Application: Focus on the units related to communication, peer education, and planning health promotion activities. Practice explaining health messages to friends or family, and brainstorm ideas for health campaigns targeting specific issues. Consider how you would address different health topics using various communication methods and tailor them to different audiences.
- 3Week 2: Safeguarding & Ethical Practice: Dedicate specific time to understanding safeguarding policies, confidentiality, and professional boundaries. Work through scenario-based questions to ensure you know when and how to signpost individuals to appropriate support services, demonstrating a clear understanding of your responsibilities and limits.
- 4Week 2: Revision & Mock Assessment: Review all topics, paying particular attention to areas where you feel less confident. Attempt practice questions or mock assessments provided by your centre or the RSPH to familiarise yourself with the exam format, manage your time effectively, and identify any remaining knowledge gaps for targeted revision.
Exam Question Types
How this topic typically appears in the exam
- 📋Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): These assess your factual knowledge across all units. Read each question and all answer options carefully, eliminate obviously incorrect answers, and ensure you understand the specific terminology used in the curriculum.
- 📋Short Answer Questions: These require you to explain concepts, list points, or provide brief descriptions. Be concise and use specific curriculum language. For example, you might be asked to "List three key principles of health promotion" or "Explain the role of a Young Health Champion in mental wellbeing support."
- 📋Scenario-Based Questions: You'll be presented with a hypothetical situation involving a young person or a community health challenge. You'll need to apply your knowledge to suggest appropriate actions, explain your reasoning, or plan a health promotion response, always demonstrating your understanding of the Young Health Champion role and safeguarding.
- 📋Case Study Analysis: Similar to scenario questions, but often more detailed and requiring a more comprehensive response. You might need to analyse a given health issue within a specific context, identify key challenges, and propose a multi-faceted health promotion strategy, considering resources, ethical implications, and potential barriers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for ROYAL SOCIETY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH Research health improvement services
Every vocational unit is marked against named criteria rather than an exam percentage. Your tutor's brief lists the exact codes for this unit — here is what each band is asking you to do.
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •A genuine interest in health and wellbeing, and a desire to help others.
- •Basic understanding of personal health concepts and healthy lifestyle choices.
- •Fundamental communication and interpersonal skills, including active listening and empathy.
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Carry out a search of the local area to locate health improvement servicesDetermine the resources available from a local health improvement serviceCarry out a review of local health improvement services
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