The standards were developed in response to requests from employers and commissioners concerned at variation in the responsibilities, education and training of staff employed in the role.

The six standards cover the deployment and management of Assistant Practitioners, as well as their recruitment, education and training, competences and development.

Skills for Health programme manager Helen Green said: Assistant Practitioners play an increasingly important role in delivering healthcare and employers will be reassured to know that staff, and prospective staff, employed in this role are working to nationally-agreed standards.

The standards are also good news for those employed in the role because with greater awareness and understanding among employers, qualified Assistant Practitioners will be better able to move jobs without needing to undertake additional training.

North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus is one of a number of Trusts that contributed to the development of the core standards. Director of Care Lance Gardner said: We are very excited by the development of the Assistant Practitioner role locally.

The fact that as a Care trust we deliver both health and social care enhances the importance of this role. Todays publication of the core standards for the Assistant Practitioner role is a major step towards achieving this much-needed addition to our workforce.

The standards were developed following research commissioned by Skills for Health which showed that while a large number of Assistant Practitioners are employed in England, job descriptions and responsibilities vary widely.

Skills for Health consulted nationally on a draft of the standards during Summer 2009 and received almost 300 responses, with high levels of agreement for the proposals.

Although the role is based on work in England, Skills for Health believes that the core standards will be applicable across the UK following further testing work.