Equipping public health staff with the skills to address vaccine hesitancy

In response to the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in 2021, the North East and Yorkshire Region of the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID) sought to tackle widespread vaccine hesitancy affecting public health efforts. OHID brought us in to provide targeted training for local authorities, NHS staff, and volunteers, aiming to enhance their skills in handling vaccine scepticism.

Our training programme focused on applying Motivational Interviewing techniques to effectively address vaccine hesitancy. Participants were introduced to core skills and tools for conducting impactful conversations. The programme included interactive sessions where attendees could share real-life scenarios of vaccine scepticism, allowing us to tailor the training to specific concerns and demonstrate effective techniques.

In addition to vaccine hesitancy, we expanded the training to include flu vaccination discussions, as requested by OHID, to ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant public health issues. From April to December 2021, we conducted 24 training sessions, engaging a total of 430 participants. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting the programme’s success in equipping staff with the skills needed to navigate sensitive health conversations effectively.

The training significantly improved participants' ability to engage with the public and promote vaccine uptake. For organisations aiming to enhance staff capability in managing sensitive health discussions, our programme offers a proven approach to behaviour change training. Explore our Conversational Skills Training and Behaviour Change Training for more details on how we can support your team.