NHS Education for Scotland
A skilled and sustainable workforce for a healthier Scotland
NHS Education for Scotland
A skilled and sustainable workforce for a healthier Scotland
In October 2021 the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) commissioned NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to undertake a review of career pathways for Healthcare Support Workers (HCSWs) working at levels 2-4 of the NHS Career Framework for Health. The aim of the commission was to scope and recommend a nationally agreed framework to support definition of Healthcare Support Worker (HCSW) roles, career progression and development through education and training, with a focus on how HCSWs support registered staff.
AHP: Consolidate and develop the NMAHP Framework for AHPs considering generic and profession or service specific (practice area) requirements and produce two agreed examples of AHP band 2-4 frameworks including education and training with awareness of and linking where possible to current SQA work (Next Gen HNC) and other possible education routes including earn and learn and articulation. The agreed two examples are occupational therapy rehabilitation and physiotherapy rehabilitation. A stakeholder workshop is progressing this activity.
Healthcare Science: continued promotion and visibility of the framework and development of resources and to support the use of the framework in practice. Exploration of what commonalities there are between support workers at Band 2-3 and what is required to support the transition between Band 3 and Band 4. Following the Healthcare Science Education review, map what is required to ensure seamless transition between support worker and registered practitioner.
The framework recognises how complex NMAHP HCSW roles have become and helps to explain the difference in expectations and learning for NMAHP HCSWs in Career Framework Levels 2, 3 and 4. It supports the development of core knowledge, skills, and behaviours in the four pillars of practice and enables profession specific and specialist knowledge, skills and behaviours to be added for all NMAHP HCSWs working at Levels 2–4. Please download the framework from the links below.
Development and Education Framework for Levels 2 – 4 NMAHP Healthcare Support Workers [DOCX]
Development and Education Framework for Levels 2 – 4 NMAHP Healthcare Support Workers [PDF]
Following extensive stakeholder consultation, the framework was developed to support health boards and sets out the national standards and legal frameworks to be followed in practice where HCSWs are administering medication. The framework was soft launched in June 2023 and formally launched at an online event held on 23 August 2023.
The framework and supporting FAQs can be accessed on Turas Learn.
The Development and Education Framework for Levels 2-4 Healthcare Science Healthcare Support Workers is designed to promote consistency of skill level at a given point in the career framework. The framework supports the development of core knowledge, skills, and behaviours in four pillars of practice and enables profession specific and specialist knowledge, skills and behaviours to be added for HCSWs working at Levels 2-4. Please access the framework from the link below:
Development and Education Framework for Levels 2-4 Healthcare Science Healthcare Support Workers
NHS Education for Scotland commissioned a review of the Associate Practice Educator role, which had been introduced in two NHS Health Boards (NHS Tayside and NHS Grampian). The research seeks to understand best practice related to the role and how it can overcome challenges around access to learning and development at work for Healthcare Support Worker (HCSWs). The full report and executive summary can be accessed via the links below:
Associate Practice Educator Scoping Study Executive Summary [PDF]
Associate Practice Educator Scoping Study Full Report including Executive Summary [PDF]
Associate Practice Educators are now also in post within NHS Lothian, NHS Borders, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire.
This workforce needs analysis can be used by Health Boards to strategically plan future workforce solutions or, at a more local level, to plan staffing for a single unit or specific field of clinical practice. The document is divided into three sections:
Download the workforce needs analysis tool from the link below
NMAHP Professional Workforce Needs Analysis Tool [DOCX]
The commission and the launch of the Development & Education Framework for Level 2-4 NMAHP HCSWs has resulted in new and expanding opportunities for support workers across Scotland. This has reinforced the need for new/different ways of working, planning, preparation, and support embedding these roles.
NES have received a lot of requests for information, links and who is the best person to speak to about different aspects of HCSW development and thought this would be a good opportunity to support a networking events. Two workshops were held on 9 May 2024 and 19 November 2024 specific to nursing HCSW roles.
To support ongoing networking and sharing of good practice across Scotland, health boards were asked to complete pre-set questions relating to topics that were covered in the workshop. You can download the workshop report from the link below:
Workshop report (9 May 2024) [PDF]
Summary of the Healthcare Support Worker commission [PDF]
HCSW Education and Development Programme Phase 1 Report [PDF]
HCSW Education and Development Programme Phase 1 Letter from CNOD/NES [PDF]
Since the Scottish Government commissioned NHS Education for Scotland to take forward work on education and development of Level 2-4 Healthcare Support Workers, several questions have arisen from stakeholders. This set of frequently asked questions and answers is designed to address some of the common enquiries.
Frequently asked questions [PDF]
Last updated: Friday, January 10, 2025