Learning Together to Better Support Community Access to Health Services

Accurate information is essential when someone seeks healthcare. So are the way they are listened to, the guidance they receive and the support available as they take the next step. When healthcare workers and community support workers understand one another’s roles, they are better placed to work together and help clients access appropriate services.

With the shared goal of learning together, understanding one another and better supporting communities, Lighthouse Social Enterprise delivered training in August as part of the course “Strengthening Knowledge and Counselling Skills, and Managing Challenging Situations to Support Community Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services.” The course was organised in collaboration with the IMPACT Vietnam Project at Hanoi Medical University and held in Thanh Hoa City.

The training brought together 30 healthcare workers and community support workers from Ninh Binh, Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh. It gave participants an opportunity to exchange experiences, practise counselling skills and consider how they can work together to help people access sexual and reproductive health and HIV services.

Practical skills for supporting clients

Every client approaches a service with their own needs and circumstances. Effective counselling therefore begins with understanding what matters to them, listening to what they choose to share and offering relevant information. Throughout the course, participants explored and practised skills directly related to engaging with, counselling and supporting clients.

The training covered needs screening and risk assessment. These skills help workers identify a client’s concerns and guide the conversation towards suitable services. They also require an open, respectful approach that takes account of what the client feels comfortable sharing.

Another focus was client-centred counselling. Rather than simply providing information, a counsellor needs to listen, understand the client’s concerns and communicate in a way that is clear and relevant. When clients feel respected, they may be more comfortable taking part in the conversation.

Participants also practised active listening and building trust. Conversations about sexual and reproductive health and HIV can be difficult for some clients. The way questions are asked, responses are given and a non-judgemental attitude is maintained can make a meaningful difference to the counselling experience.

From counselling to referral and follow-up

Supporting access to services does not end with providing information. Once a client’s needs have been identified, workers may also need to refer them to an appropriate service and follow up after the referral. The course addressed these steps to help participants connect their counselling skills with the support clients may need next.

Referrals should reflect each person’s circumstances and needs. Counselling can help clients understand their options, while clear information and appropriate support can help them take the next step towards accessing a service. Follow-up allows workers to understand how the referral is progressing and continue the conversation where needed.

The course also included practice in managing challenging counselling situations. Real conversations do not always follow a script or have a ready-made answer. By discussing scenarios and trying different approaches together, participants could apply what they learned to situations resembling those they encounter in their work.

These topics shared a common purpose: to strengthen the ability of healthcare and community support workers to accompany clients as they explore and access sexual and reproductive health and HIV services.

Healthcare and community workers learning side by side

A distinctive feature of the course was the opportunity for healthcare workers and community support workers to learn and practise together. Interactive activities, case discussions and group work gave participants space to share perspectives drawn from their respective roles.

Healthcare and community workers contribute in different ways to supporting people’s access to services. Learning together can help them better understand what each group observes, the challenges they encounter and how they can coordinate their efforts around clients’ needs. Direct exchange also helps connect the training to day-to-day work.

Ms TH, a healthcare worker from Ngoc Lac District in Thanh Hoa, shared her experience after the course:

“This was the first time I had attended a training course alongside community workers. I truly value their contributions and learned a great deal through the trainers’ fresh, enjoyable and effective teaching methods. I hope there will be more courses like this so that healthcare and community workers can build stronger connections and work together to support people.”

Her reflection highlights the value of a shared learning space. Alongside new knowledge and skills, participants had an opportunity to recognise one another’s contributions—an important basis for stronger connections among those working to support communities.

Positive changes recorded after the training

The post-training assessment recorded positive changes in participants’ knowledge and confidence. More than 85% of knowledge questions were answered correctly, indicating a substantial improvement in understanding of HIV/AIDS and sexual health.

Participants’ average confidence score for counselling, referrals and client support rose from 4.19 to 4.62 out of 5. For a course with a strong practical focus, this is an encouraging result: participants gained knowledge and felt more confident about applying the skills in their work.

In the end-of-course survey, 95.5% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the training had improved their counselling and client-support skills. Participants also said they would continue applying the knowledge and skills they had gained in their day-to-day work.

These findings reflect the training’s initial results. Continued practice and coordination after the course will help participants carry what they learned into their ongoing work with clients.

Stronger connections for more appropriate support

As healthcare systems and service delivery models continue to change, Lighthouse Social Enterprise believes that strong connections between healthcare and community workers are increasingly important. Each brings different experience and perspectives. By exchanging knowledge and working together, they can better support clients as they learn about, choose and access services.

Alongside this collaboration, workers need regular opportunities to update their knowledge, strengthen their skills and practise a client-centred approach. Appropriate counselling starts with understanding what a person needs, what concerns they may have and what support might help them take the next step.

The training in Thanh Hoa City gave 30 participants from five provinces an opportunity to practise these skills and learn from one another. From assessing needs and building trust to making referrals and following up, every part of the course contributed to a shared goal: helping communities, especially people in vulnerable situations, access healthcare services that are welcoming, timely and suited to their needs.

Learning together helps us understand one another better. Practising together helps us work together more effectively. That is how Lighthouse Social Enterprise hopes to continue contributing to community support.