NHS KSF

NHS KSF

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION3

CORE DIMENSIONS4

COMMUNICATION4

PERSONAL AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT6

INFLUENCE ON CURRENT PRACTICE8

CONCLUSION10

NHS KSF

Introduction

The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) defines and describes the knowledge and skills which NHS staff need to apply in their work in order to deliver quality services. It provides a consistent, comprehensive and explicit framework on which to base review and development for all staff. The NHS KSF covers the roles and functions of all staff in the NHS. A KSF outline is developed for each NHS post which includes the relevant dimensions, levels and examples of application. (Kruijver Kerkstra Bensing Van der Weil 2001 pp.772-9)

The NHS KSF development review process is an ongoing cycle of review, planning, development and evaluation for all staff in the NHS which links organisational and individual development needs, as shown in the diagram below:

The NHS KSF was designed to:

identify the knowledge and skills that individuals need to apply in their post

help guide individuals' development

provide a fair and objective framework on which to base review and development for all staff

provide the basis of pay progression in the NHS.

A KSF outline sets out the core and specific dimensions required for a post, setting out a framework for assessment and development of individuals holding that post. Each dimension has four levels, called 'indicators'. The higher the level (4 is highest), the greater the expectation of the level of knowledge and skills necessary for a post. The dimensions are further described by level descriptors, indicators and references that express each level in more detail (Ellis Gates Kenworthy 2003 pp113-116).

The benfits of using KSF

Core dimensions

Six dimensions are core to the working of every NHS job:

1. communication

2. personal and people development

3. health, safety and security

4. service development

5. quality

6. equality, diversity and rights.

Core Dimensions of NHS KSF

Communication

Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages with attached meanings (339). The key elements in the communication process include a source, receiver, and a communication channel. The source encodes an intended meaning into a message and the receiver decodes the message into a perceived meaning in which it may or may not give feedback to the source. The communication channel is the pathway through which messages are communicated. But from what I have learned, the communication role when involving speaking, expressing through body language, facial looks, tone of voice and even through the smallest gestures will always communicate a message to the receiver. It is always important to know that when people communicate with each other, two things are at issue. One is the accuracy of communication, which is the issue of effectiveness. Effective communication occurs when the intended meaning of the source and the perceived meaning of the receiver are virtually the same. The other deals with cost, which is an issue of efficiency. Efficient communication occurs at minimum cost in terms of resources expended. These two issues have led to two different incidents in the workplace in which the outcome was both negative and positive. (Park Song 2004 pp.159-66)

Communication is an ongoing and continuous part of everybody's ...