Our All Together Smokefree team has launched the first-ever Cheshire and Merseyside Smoking Cessation Training Hub, bringing together high‑quality, evidence‑based training resources designed to strengthen and upskill the local NHS and Local Authority public health workforce.
Hosted on the Smoking Ends Here website, our bold initiative to create a smoke-free future for the Cheshire and Merseyside, the new Workforce Training Hub provides a dedicated, easily accessible space for all frontline staff—across Local Authorities, NHS Treating Tobacco Dependency Teams and wider public-facing services—to enhance their knowledge and confidence in delivering effective smoking cessation support.
The hub aims to help professionals reinforce smokefree norms, promote healthier environments, and provide consistent, evidence‑based advice for residents across Cheshire and Merseyside.
What’s Included in the Training Hub?
The training offer is organised across three key categories, ensuring a comprehensive and flexible learning experience for staff at all levels.
- National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT)
The hub provides access to a wide range of free online NCSCT training modules, suitable for anyone who comes into contact with people who smoke. These include:
- Very Brief Advice (VBA)
- VBA on second‑hand smoke
- VBA for pregnant women (including CO screening)
- VBA for people experiencing homelessness
And more.
These bite‑sized modules support workforce development in tobacco control, helping staff deliver quick, effective intervention in any setting.
Additionally, Stop Smoking Practitioner Training, including the NCSCT Core Practitioner Programme, is available for Local Authority Stop Smoking Service staff, with certification on completion.
- NHS Training and Practitioner Support
Specific modules and training pathways are available for NHS staff, particularly those delivering structured stop smoking support as part of local or acute pathways. The hub highlights training relevant to a range of roles, settings and clinical environments, helping NHS teams build their confidence in initiating conversations, providing advice and delivering ongoing behavioural support.
- Additional Learning & National Schemes (Including ASH–Aligned Content)
The training hub also features:
- A short module on stop smoking aids, including NRT and vaping
- A module on nicotine vapes and vaping guidance
- Content supporting national schemes such as Swap‑to‑Stop, which encourages people to quit smoking by switching to vaping, with or without attending a stop smoking service
- Training on incentives for stopping smoking in pregnancy
These resources reflect national public health priorities and align with broader smoking cessation advocacy led by organisations such as Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), helping ensure consistent messaging and evidence‑based practice across the system.
Why This Matters
Smoking remains one of the biggest causes of preventable illness and death across Cheshire and Merseyside, and improving frontline staff confidence in smoking cessation is a crucial step toward creating a smokefree future. This new training hub brings all relevant training together for the first time, supporting a unified and skilled workforce committed to reducing smoking‑related harm across the subregion.
Explore the Training Hub
You can access the full range of training modules and resources here:
smokingendshere.com/workforce-training
We encourage colleagues to share the hub this link widely across organisations so staff can benefit from the training and help reinforce smokefree norms across Cheshire and Merseyside.
