Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF)

• What is the KSF?
• What is the purpose of the KSF?
• The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework is designed to do six things:
• How does it affect me?
• How will the KSF benefit me?
• What sorts of things are covered by KSF?
• How is the KSF structured?
• Examples in recruitment
• KSF Contacts:
• Electronic - Knowledge and Skill Framework (E-KSF)
• The benefits of using the e-KSF at an Organisational level
• The benefits of using the e-KSF for Staff

• Clinical Supervision and the Knowledge and Skills Framework
• Finance Skills Development - Guide to the KSF G4 dimension
• Overview of dimensions and levels
• Pay Bands and Gateways April 2008

What is the KSF?

‘KSF’ stands for the Knowledge and Skills Framework. It is a framework to support personal development and career progression within the NHS. It is one of the three key strands of Agenda for Change. These are:

• The NHS KSF and the development review process
• Job evaluation, and
• Terms and conditions

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What is the purpose of the KSF?

The NHS KSF and the development review process is about lifelong learning. The Agenda for Change national agreement includes a commitment to introduce a system of annual development reviews and to create development opportunities for all staff. Everyone will have their own Personal Development Plan (PDP) – developed jointly in discussion with their manager or reviewer, and everyone will have an annual development review. The KSF is designed to ensure that staff are supported so that they can be effective in their jobs. It also gives them opportunities to progress and develop through their time working in the NHS.

The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework is designed to do six things:

• identify the knowledge and skills that an individual needs to apply in their job – this is described in an NHS KSF post outline
• help identify any gap between the knowledge and skills needed in the job and the current knowledge and skills of the individual
• if there is a gap help to identify the learning and development that is needed to close it
• provide a system of pay progression across the service based on a single agreed system
• help individuals develop throughout their careers
• help in the development of services by linking what the NHS needs for effective service delivery with the knowledge and skills needed in specific posts and enabling the people in those posts to develop that knowledge and skills.

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How does it affect me?

Each NHS post has a KSF outline - this describes the knowledge and skills that need to be applied in a post. At least once a year you and your manager/reviewer will review how you are applying knowledge and skills against the KSF outline. From this you will both develop and agree a Personal Development Plan for you to guide your learning and development for the year ahead. Follow-up one to ones throughout the year, are recommended to maintain development.

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How will the KSF benefit me?

The KSF will benefit you in a number of ways. Firstly the Agenda for Change Agreement gives a commitment to your ongoing learning and development throughout your working life. When you are first employed in any new post, the development will focus on helping you develop the knowledge and skills needed for the post in which you are employed. When you are fully developed in your post, your development can focus on your long-term career – if you want to do this. You will also get regular feedback from your manager on what is going well and where there are areas for development and support to develop when services change. The principle of the system is ‘no surprises’ meaning that there is ongoing support for your development.
The KSF also shows the knowledge and skills that need to be applied right across the NHS. All KSF post outlines in an organisation will be available for all staff to look at – so you can use this to think about career development opportunities in your current type of work, or perhaps in other areas of work that you had not previously thought of.

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What sorts of things are covered by KSF?

The KSF is made up of 30 dimensions, which describe the main functions that the NHS needs to provide a good quality service to the public. There are 6 core dimensions, which apply to everyone who works in the NHS such as communication and quality. There are a further 24 specific dimensions covering a wide variety of work. Some relate to Health and Wellbeing and related needs, some relate to Information and Knowledge, others cover Estates and Facilities, and then there are a number of more General dimensions including management, learning and development, and marketing.

How is the KSF structured?

Each of the 30 dimensions in the KSF occurs at four levels. The levels describe the increasing demands of how people have to apply knowledge and skills in the dimensions concerned. Attached to each level are a few indicators, which give more information about how knowledge and skills needs to be applied at that level. The dimensions, levels and indicators are fixed and need to be used together to describe the requirements for particular posts. As well as the dimensions levels and indicators there are examples of application which show how the KSF might be applied to different NHS posts. The examples in the handbook are just for illustration – they need to be changed to be relevant to the work you do locally.

Post outline: Basic Grade Occupational Therapist (Band 5)
Post outline: Basic Grade Clerical (Band 3)

The Use of KSF in Recruitment – Briefing for Managers

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KSF Contacts:

The KSF administrator on 01204 46 3714 or email

Electronic - Knowledge and Skill Framework (E-KSF)

http://www.e-ksfnow.org/
This site has been developed to support you in the use of the e-KSF

Gaining access to e-KSF

The benefits of using the e-KSF at an Organisational level are: -

• Minimises paperwork and administration management and increases confidentiality of staff records
• Reduces the resource requirements for KSF implementation
• Ensures a fair and equitable KSF process (everyone has access to the same system)
• Identifies local and national competencies and gaps
• Supports knowledge and skills for succession planning
• Creates a structured method of capturing development needs
• Facilitates the targeted use of learning and development budgets
• Helps track and manage mandatory training
• Acts as a driver for IT skills and infrastructure development

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The benefits of using the e-KSF for Staff are: -

• Supports a transparent, partnership process - sign offs are required by manager and individual
• Ensures equality of opportunity within roles and for development opportunities
• Is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Creates a complete history of reviews, plans, learning and evaluation that is transportable to other NHS organisation
• Provides a platform for more focused development - and creates a reason to develop

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