Knowledge and Skills Framework
To support career progression and personal development, there will be a new Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF).
The KSF will be linked to annual development reviews and personal development plans. Each nurse will have a Personal Development Plan and their development will be checked against two gateways on the pay spine.
The aim is that all staff should:
- have clear and consistent development objectives
- be helped to develop in such a way that they can apply the knowledge and skills appropriate to their level of responsibility
- be helped to identify and develop knowledge and skills that will support their career progression.
The expectation is that most nurses will progress, as they do now, on an annual incremental basis.
The RCN has produced guidance on how to develop NHS KSF outlines for nursing posts in the NHS. It explains how the framework operates and the terminology used. It will help RCN members and their managers select KSF dimensions that might be appropriate for different roles and at different stages in a nurse’s career. The guidance should be read in conjunction with the NHS KSF handbook.
Download a copy of the guidance: NHS knowledge and skills outlines for nursing posts. RCN guidance for nurses and managers in creating KSF outlines in the NHS (PDF 136 KB) [see How to access PDF files].