Using the framework | NHS Education for Scotland

The framework is designed to enhance current healthcare services by serving as a dynamic document that identifies areas for development among the workforce. It aims to ensure that the workforce possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality care tailored to the needs of their service/local populations. As healthcare demands evolve, the framework can help assess current and future requirements.

It is intended for use by Nurses, managers/organisations and educators.

Practitioners

The framework can be used by Nurses working or aspiring to work within the service. This includes:

to benchmark current level of practice
to continue to grow within current level of practice by identifying areas for development
to guide professional development
to customise a development plan linked directly to current and future roles
to identify evidence to support appraisal review, personal development planning, or re-validation with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or for individuals aiming to return to practice.

Managers and organisations

The framework can be used organisations and service managers to help develop current and emerging services. This includes:

to align to national policy and workforce legislation
to support service design and development and redesign
to determine knowledge, skill, and skill mix
to inform succession planning
to support skills maximisation need
to support discussions with staff e.g. career planning and professional development reviews

Educators

The framework can be used by educators within service and educational organisations to help prepare practitioners to deliver high quality services. This includes:

to plan and deliver education and training to meet the rapidly changing needs of healthcare practitioners;
to identify opportunities for shared, inter-professional learning;
to plan programmes of education to prepare healthcare practitioners to work at different levels of the framework;
to describe how education programmes articulate with each other.

The framework also directly links to the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework and can be used to support the annual development review cycle.

Scope of practice

Registered healthcare practitioners have a professional responsibility under the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to keep knowledge and skills up to date, take part in appropriate and regular learning and professional development activities that aim to maintain and develop their competence and improve their performance.

Healthcare practitioners who delegate care to others must ensure the person’s knowledge, skills and competence are appropriate and safe. The resource Making Delegation Safe and Effective; A Learning Resource for Nurses, Midwives, Allied Health Professionals and Healthcare Support Workers, can be accessed on Turas Learn. The NMC and HCPC also provide guidance relating to delegation. 

Recording learning and development

All healthcare practitioners are expected to maintain a professional portfolio that documents their personal and professional development. The method of recording this evidence whether electronically or on paper is a personal choice. However, it is recommended to use the Turas Professional Portfolio, which is accessible to all Nurses, Midwives, Allied Health Professionals, and healthcare support workers (HCSWs) in Scotland, including those in the NHS, social care, and voluntary and independent sectors.

More information on Turas Professional Portfolio:

Support and supervision

Support and supervision are vital to enhance confidence and competence in practice. Engaging in peer supervision, both within a team and externally with others, provides valuable support.

All healthcare practitioners should have regular supervision appropriate to their role as described in the framework KSBs. The aim of supervision is to facilitate guided reflection and learning, to support practice development and enhance work satisfaction. Employers are responsible for providing appropriate access to supervision.

Regular appraisal meetings or personal development reviews will help support the development of individuals.