Infection Prevention & Control Link Practitioner Programme Framework: Community Health & Social Care Settings 2021 / 2022

Building capacity within services to identify and manage infection prevention and control (IPC) risk and promote good antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) are key priorities for the HSE. In September 2020 a development group was convened to consider measures to support services to identify and manage IPC risks at local level (Appendix 1 Membership of the Development Group and Course Content Contributors). This Framework is the outcome of the development group’s work over the intervening months, and will direct IPC Link Practitioner Programme implementation across community health & social care settings in 2021 – 2022. A fundamental requirement of effective infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship is an educated workforce (HSE 2015). A pilot programme was developed by the development group and delivered to 16 participants representing a broad range of community health and social care services across Dublin North City & County in November 2020 (Appendix 2 Pilot Participating Sites). Following evaluation of this programme, and extensive stakeholder engagement, this framework was developed to guide and inform the development of Community Health and Social Care IPC Link Practitioners in 2021/2022. This Framework will consider two keys areas: 1. A standardised education programme for Community IPC Link Practitioners 2. Guidance on operational issues relating to implementation of IPC Link Practitioner education programmes and ongoing engagement with these practitioners within Community Health and Social Care settings. This framework builds on work already undertaken in the HSE, and will compliment other developments including the National AMRIC Team HSELand E-Learning Modules – Infection Prevention & Control. The working group acknowledges other IPC link programmes which have been developed in the past and seeks to standardise these programmes nationally.