The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework

Overview of the KSF

NHS KSF - Main Purpose

To provide an NHS-wide framework that can be used consistently across the service to support:

• personal development in post

• career development

• service development

Agenda for Change Pay Structure

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What the NHS KSF is Not

It does not seek to describe what people are like or their attitudes

It does not describe the exact knowledge and skills that people need to develop

It does not determine job weight or pay band

Structure of the NHS KSF

30 dimensions

•   6 core dimensions for all posts• 24 specific dimensions

Each dimension has 4 level descriptors

Further supported by indicators

Clear examples of application that can be applied to different posts

6 Core Dimensions

NHS KSF

Equality & Diversity Personal &

People

Development

QualityService

Improvement

Communication

Health, Safety & Security

24 Specific Dimensions (in four groups)

NHSKSF

Health & Well-being

HWB 1-10

Estates & Facilities

EF 1-3

Information &

KnowledgeIK 1-3

General

G 1-8

4 levels to each dimension

Eg Personal and People Development:

Level 1 Contribute to own personal development

Level 2 Develop oneself and provide information to others to help their development

Level 3 Develop oneself and contribute to the development of others

Leve 4 Develop oneself and others in an area of practice.

Develop own skills and knowledge and provide information to others to help their development:

• Takes responsibility for own personal development and takes an active part in learning opportunities

• Offers information to otherswhen it will help their development and/or help them to meet work demands

Offering information to

others might include:

– During induction

– During ongoing work

– When changes are being made to work practices

Indicators: Examples of Application:

Personal & People Development, Level 2:

The KSF & Personal Development - Lifelong Learning

Commitment to annual development reviews and development of all individuals

Everyone to have a personal development plan

Everyone is expected to learn and develop within their job role

Enshrined in the AFC Agreement – part of everyone’s terms and conditions

The NHS KSF - Summary

Identifies the knowledge and skills that people need to apply in their post

Helps guide development

Provides a fair and objective framework on which to base review

Provides the basis of pay progression in the service

The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework

KSF Outlines

What is a full KSF Post Outline?

Identifies the KSF dimensions and levels that apply to a post in the NHS – a broad outline

Puts the outline in context through identifying the specific areas/activities to which the dimensions and levels are applied

Sets out the ‘foundation subset’ as well as the full outline for the post

Agreed in partnership

Outlines - Dimensions

• All core dimensions must be included

• Specific dimensions should reflect the major areas for development within the post

• The number of specific dimensions should be kept to the minimum necessary to cover the post

• KSF Dimensions do not influence pay bands

Catering Assistant

CORE

HWB10 Products to

meet health and

well-being needs

KSF Post Outline

A Healthcare Practitioner

CORE

HWB6 Assessment &

treatment planning

HW

B7

Inte

rven

tions

and

trea

tmen

ts

Ik2

Info

rmat

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Co

llect

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G6 People

Management

KSF Post Outline

SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS

YHWB10 Products to meet health and well-being

needs

YEquality and diversity

YQuality

YService Improvement

YHealth, safety and security

YPersonal and People Development

YCommunication

4321CORE

Level for postRequired for

post?

Title of Post: Catering Assistant

KSF Post Outline

SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS

xYHWB10 Products to meet health and well-being

needs

xYEquality and diversity

xYQuality

xYService Improvement

xYHealth, safety and security

xYPersonal and People Development

xYCommunication

4321CORE

Level for postRequired for

post? Title of Post : Catering Assistant

KSF Post Outline

SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS

xYHWB10 Products to meet health and well-being

needs

xYEquality and diversity

xYQuality

xYService Improvement

xYHealth, safety and security

xYPersonal and People Development

xYCommunication

4321CORE

Level for postRequired for

post?

Title of Post : Catering Assistant

KSF Post Outline

KSF Dimension Levels

There are only four!

Points do not mean prizes!

It is in everyone’s interest to make sure the level is the right one for the post

KSF OutlinesSpecific areas of application

• Review all the examples from the KSF Handbook

• Think about the specific post:

•Is the example fully appropriate? If so leave it unchanged

•If it is too general, or only partly relevant – then amend it

•If it is inappropriate or irrelevant, delete it altogether, and consider if it should be replaced with something else

•Add in any areas of application which are important for the post, but not included in the handbook examples

Purpose of a Foundation Gateway Subset

To focus development in the first year on enabling the individual meet the essential demands of the post

To check that the individual is likely to develop to meet the full demands of the post over a number of years

To inform recruitment and selection processes

Options for Developing the Subset

• To develop a foundation gateway subset you can:

• Reduce the level at which the individual needs to be working within a dimension

• Reduce the number of indicators that apply within a dimension

• Reduce the specific areas of application within a dimension

• Use a combination of these approaches

Keep it Simple and Feasible! [KSF]

• Don’t aim for absolute perfection – refine outlines after they have been tested in use

• Be practical and pragmatic – this is about supporting staff development

• Enjoy the process – it’s a great way to understand NHS roles and how they interact together

The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework

KSF Development Reviews

The NHS KSF and Development Review

KSF outline developed for each post

Individual is matched against the KSF outline for their post

Personal development plans jointly agreed and supported

Individual supported to learn (in a variety of ways)

Joint evaluation of learning

Development Review Process

Jointly produce Personal Development Plan

- identify needs& agree goals

Joint review of individual’s work against the NHS

KSF outline for the post

Joint evaluation of applied

learning and development

Individuals undertake supported

learning & development

Development Review Process

The development review should be a focussed discussion about how the individual is doing against the appropriate outline for their post

The emphasis should be on development – what has been achieved in the past year and what needs to be achieved in the next year

Most of the ‘evidence’ provided will be verbal – part of the discussion process, based on the manager and individual’s views of how they are getting on at work

Each development review will result in a personal development plan (PDP) setting out the individuals development needs and how these will be met

Information for Reviews

Clear links to what the individual does at work

Use what is already available (eg observations of work, records, staff supervision notes)

Same information as would be used in a good quality appraisal system - don’t create a paper chase!

Gateway Reviews

Same process as other reviews

Build on the information gathered over time i.e. not isolated incidents but assessments which review the information gathered

Information at gateways can be from others (besides individuals and their managers) e.g. 360o feedback if available, information from colleagues

Foundation and Second Gateways

Foundation gateway review against subset of full KSF outline for the post

2nd gateway review against full KSF post outline

The Foundation subset contains the elements of the outline that are essential for all postholders within the first year of appointment.

Responsibilities in the Review

There is a responsibility on both the individual member of staff and their manager to review how the individual is applying their knowledge and skills to meet the demands of the post as described in the KSF outline

It is important that both managers and staff prepare in advance by thinking through whether there are any likely development needs and how these might be met.

Manager’s Responsibility

Regular informal discussions with individual staff member throughout the year

Providing constructive feedback on the individual’s work and related development

Any issues with the individual’s work must have been discussed prior to the formal review meeting – ‘no surprises’

Keep it Simple and Feasible!

The KSF process should not be difficult or onerous!

•It is not helpful to over-complicate KSF outlines (eg by including too many dimensions, or leaving in examples of application which are not relevant to the post

•The development review should focus on:

• making sure the individual is aware of and understands their KSF outline• identifying development needs (if any) in order to help them fulfil the

outline• agreeing a PDP which sets out how the development needs will be met

•There is no requirement for complex or extensive written evidence