Co-designed development of a vocational education and training program for peer health and social care navigators in Australia

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> Background Peer health navigators (lay patient navigators) are increasingly used to support consumers to access and navigate health and social care systems, particularly for populations experiencing barriers to care. Despite growing evidence of their effectiveness, Australia lacks a nationally recognised education and training pathway to support consistent capability development for this emerging health workforce. This study describes the co-design and development of Australia’s first contextualised vocational education and training program for peer health navigators. Methods A multi-stage, mixed-methods approach integrated evidence from a systematic review of international peer health navigator education and/or training programs, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, co-design workshops with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and curriculum co-development with subject matter experts. Findings informed the development of a capability framework for peer health navigators as well as the selection and contextualisation of units within a Certificate III in Community Services qualification specific for the education and training of peer health navigators. Results The resulting curriculum comprised 12 units (33 modules) aligned with vocational education requirements and the identified capabilities and competencies required for the training of vocationally recognised practice of health navigators. Core units focused on communication, working with diverse individuals, safe work practice, and maintaining professional continuity, while elective units addressed knowledge and skills development for consumer empowerment and advocacy, addressing cultural safety, working with mental health and crisis situations, and appropriate engagement with health services and specific consumer needs such as chronic disease support. All units underwent expert review to ensure relevance, cultural responsiveness, safety, and feasibility. Conclusion This work establishes a structured, nationally recognised education and training pathway to support the integration of peer health navigators across health and community service settings in Australia. The curriculum provides a foundation for workforce development in this emerging area of practice. Future research should evaluate implementation, learner outcomes and the impact of vocationally trained peer health navigators on service access, consumer experience and health equity.