Faculty of Allied Health Professionals
The Faculty of Allied Health Professionals (AHP) focuses on the development, inclusion, diversity and welfare of professionals working in the Health sector.
We recognise excellence for education, research and innovation and opportunities for learning, qualifications and clinical academic career pathways. This faculty is dedicated to key recruitment and resourcing to ensure sustainability and growth.
Faculty Aim:
To support its professionals by creating a good working environment, build and strengthen leadership and influence, retain and develop career pathways for staff in the future.
Faculty Vision:
To ‘grow our own’ supply of AHPs, ensuring robust deployment and development of staff, whilst placing a focus on the retention, diversity & inclusion of the workforce, to ensure Bucks ICP has the right workforce with the right skills in the right place to deliver high quality care by 2024.
Melissa Martin
Allied Health Professionals Faculty Lead
Professional and Practice Development Therapist, CYP Integrated Therapy Service, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
Melissa qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2001 from University College London. As a Speech and Language Therapist she has worked across a variety of community and education settings to support early years and school-aged children’s speech, language and communication development. Specialising in Early Years, Melissa worked as part of the Sure Start/Children’s Centre programme, within a multi-disciplinary team, delivering community-based health promotion campaigns and early intervention.
Following a career break, due to a move to Philadelphia for 3 years, she completed the Return to Practice programme and took up a clinical Speech and Language Therapy position in 2015, within the Children and Young People’s Integrated Therapies service in Buckinghamshire NHS Trust. Melissa started her current role as Practice Development Therapist in this team in 2018. 
As a Practice Development Therapist Melissa’s focus is on workforce development ensuring all colleagues within the team are accessing regular clinical supervision and continual professional development opportunities to support quality service delivery. Melissa also supports the preceptorship of newly qualified therapists within the team, co-ordinates and supports student clinical and work experience placements and, as a Career Ambassador, regularly attends career events to speak to students about considering a career as an Allied Health Professional.
What is an Allied Health Professional?
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Allied Health Professionals at the
2024 Bucks Skills Show
Rosie and Yasmeen (Speech and Language Therapy Assistants), Paula (Occupational Therapy Assistant), Jamie (Radiographer) and our
AHP Faculty Lead Melissa Martin (Speech and Language Therapist) were in attendance as part of the BHT team.
They spent time at the event speaking to hundreds of students from schools around Buckinghamshire, raising awareness of
AHP roles and career paths!
World Orthoptic Day falls annually on the first Monday of June; in 2023, it fell on Monday 5th June.
Download BOB AHP Faculty's World Orthoptic Day flyer HERE
Buckinghamshire New University's Diagnostic Radiography MSc programme is open for pre-registration, starting in January 2025
"Working in diagnostic radiography is fun, challenging and full of opportunities. No day is ever the same for a diagnostic radiographer, and you’ll be engaging a wide range of patients throughout your career."
BNU's course is a fantastic opportunity for you to become registered with the HCPC and gain work experience in local trusts around BOB. You’ll master the latest equipment and learn from experienced radiography lecturers.
Are you an AHP Support Worker?
The BOB AHP Support Worker Network aims to improve learning and development opportunities, value and recognise AHP Support Workers and provide an Opportunity for networking and feedback.
HEE Support Worker Framework
The HEE AHP Support Worker Competency, Education and Career Development Framework was developed o provide structured career progression for AHP Support Workers. It also helps maintain standardised competencies to help AHP Support Workers feel confident and competent in their roles.
Wanted:
AHP Career Ambassadors
AHP Career Ambassadors are AHPs working in Bucks who are passionate and enthusiastic about their work and can help to increase others knowledge and understanding of AHP careers!
These AHP careers ambassadors can support with careers events (online or in-person) at local schools/colleges and community events, to promote a range of AHP careers and opportunities. It also gives those acting as ambassadors a chance to further their careers, develop their confidence and network with others working in Health and Social Care in the local area.
The project aims:
- Identify AHPs in Bucks who would like to be/are already acting as career ambassadors.
- To ensure representation of all AHP professions including ‘small and vital’ and ‘shortage’ professions.
- Involvement of AHPs from a range of groups which are currently under-represented within the current AHP workforce.
- To create resources available for ‘careers ambassadors’ to use at events.
- To ensure sustainability of career ambassadors across teams/organisations for the future.
The AHP Faculty are looking to expand the number and diversity of the AHP Career Ambassadors across Bucks!
If you would like to be involved in the work development group or are interested in finding out more about becoming an AHP Career Ambassador, contact the BOB AHP Faculty on their website.
Health Education England has published an infographic to demonstrate to employers and workforce planners, how Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), the third-largest workforce in the NHS, can make a unique contribution to learning disability services. The information was co-designed with the AHP Mental Health and Learning Disability Observatory.
‘Secret weapons’ of the operating theatre reveal hidden role on ODP Day
Operating Department Practitioner Day falls annually on May 14th.
To celebrate National ODP Day in 2023, ODPs at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) shone a light on their hidden role to inspire the next generation of local talent.
What is an Allied Health Professional Faculty?
BOB AHP Faculty
BOB AHP Faculty Newsletter
April 2024 Edition
Bright futures @ BHT Career Chats:
Allied Health Professionals
During February half-term 2024, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust welcomed 70+ young people on work experience, including their new 3-day Allied Health Professions taster, which gives insight into 8 AHP roles through talks, simulations and real-life clinical observations.
The professions were dietetics, occupational therapy, operating department practitioner (ODP), orthoptics, physiotherapy, podiatry, radiography and speech and language therapy (SLT).

Some photos of the work experience can be found on BHT's X account here
Get in touch with BHSCA:
