University wins coveted European ASPHER Award

The Award is in recognition of the University’s trailblazing work designing a Public Health Practitioner (PHP) degree apprenticeship standard. Salford is the first University to have offered this degree, taking in the first cohort of students in 2021 who are due to graduate this Summer.

Professor Vicky Halliwell, Deputy Dean of the School of Health and Society said: “Public Health has been successfully taught here at Master’s level for 20 years, and the public health team have considerable expertise, in teaching, practice and research. Anna and colleagues’ work to create a brand new learning opportunity in public health is a great use of their knowledge and skills, and is a valuable new tool in supporting future workforce needs. Exemplary work everyone, well done.”

Dr Anna Cooper-Ryan, Head of Public Health at the University of Salford added: “I am delighted for the public health team and the school to be selected from the nominated ASPHER members. It is an outstanding achievement and proves the pivotal role the University of Salford has played in shaping and trailblazing a new educational pathway in the field of public health.

“We are incredibly proud to be the first University to have offered this degree and to have worked with our brilliant students who joined us in 2021 and will collect their degrees this Summer. We view the new degree as a critically important platform for developing the public health talent for the future and look forward to welcoming many more students onto the course.”

The University was part of a national group which designed the new Public Health Practitioner (PHP) degree apprenticeship standard, together with employers, and other key stakeholders, including Health Education England (now merged with NHS England), Public Health England (now the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities [OHID]), and the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR).

The University is also making a wider contribution to the ASPHER Deans and Directors retreat in Porto, presenting a Harnessing the power of simulation for public health training seminar with University of Porto & University of Salford and in relation to Public Health Workforce Professionalization.

Anna Cooper Ryan along with Nilam Prinjha (Programme Leader for the Public health practitioner Degree Apprenticeship) and Dr Gill Rawlinson (Director of Allied and Public Health) collected the award on 6 June at a ceremony in Porto as part of the Annual Deans and Directors retreat.

This prestigious award recognises outstanding achievements in public health teaching and practice of a School of Public Health within the ASPHER community

PICTURE L to R: Nilam Prinjha, Dr Anna Cooper-Ryan, Prof Carlo Signorelli and Dr Gill Rawlinson