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Health Education England (HEE) has published an AHP Support Worker Competency, Education and Career Development Framework to maximise the contribution of the AHP support workforce to delivering safe and effective care. The Framework provides guidance on training, education and competencies for AHP support workers. There are 8 different domains within the Framework covering all areas of professional practice. The tool below has been developed by Our Dorset to give you a means of assessing your current practice against the Framework.

The Framework focuses on three main stages of AHP support worker competency, education and career development detailed below. Of note the framework does not provide a guide to equivalent job banding, nor an exhaustive list of roles and responsibilities:

  • Support Worker - This is the entry level for many clinical support workers into the NHS and therefore describes the minimum education and competency required. This role generally works under the close supervision of registered staff. Support workers working at this stage of the framework are typically working at NHS pay scale band 2 or equivalent.
  • Intermediate (Senior Support Worker) - A senior support worker is at the intermediate level and will use more advanced skills under the supervision of registered staff and may also work alone, with access to a registered member of staff on site or via the telephone.
  • Assistant practitioners work at a level above that of healthcare support workers and have more in-depth education and understanding about factors that influence health and ill-health, for example anatomy and physiology. Support workers at this level will possess enhanced skills in their area of work, which may be a specialist clinical area. Support workers working at this stage of the framework are typically working at NHS pay scale band 4 or equivalent.

For more information on the Framework please go to the HEE website where you can access the full document: AHP - Website Content - Allied Health Professions' Support Worker Competency, Education and Career Development Framework.pdf - All Documents (sharepoint.com)

This tool will take you roughly 20-30 minutes to work through, and after this there will be a PDF report that you can download/print out to share with your manager, supervisor, coach or mentor for further discussion at supervision, appraisals, and professional development meetings.

No information will be saved against your name or personal details, however data will be collected to inform future course provision to facilitate support worker development across Dorset.

Good Luck with your next steps.

Career Development Questionnaire

  • Domain 1 Formal knowledge and experience
  • Domain 2 Supporting service users
  • Domain 3 Clinical, technical and scientific roles and responsibilities
  • Domain 4 Communication and information
  • Domain 5 Safe and inclusive environments
  • Domain 6 Research and service improvement
  • Domain 7 Leadership
  • Domain 8 Personal and professional values and behaviours

NHS Dorset

Overview of the Framework domains

Domain 1. Formal knowledge and experience

Formal qualifications and experience expected of a new candidate on recruitment.

Domain 2. Supporting service users

Supporting service users and their families and providing care throughout their care pathways.

Domain 3. Clinical, technical and scientific roles and responsibilities

The underpinning knowledge required of support workers to safely assist service users in meeting their optimum potential.

Domain 4. Communication and information

The ability to communicate clearly, respectfully, and effectively using a range of methods – written, verbal and non-verbal. Maintaining confidentiality and protection of data and overcoming physical, sensory, cognitive and language barriers to understanding.

Domain 5. Safe and inclusive environments

The principles of equality, diversity and inclusion, safeguarding, protection, personal wellbeing and safety, along with the importance of duty of care and candour.

Domain 6. Research and service improvement

Participation in research, audit, evaluation and service improvement projects.

Domain 7. Leadership

The importance of being a role model, identifying areas for self-improvement and supervising others, and leading on service user safety, improvements and support for others.

Domain 8. Personal and professional values and behaviours

Understanding and demonstration of the values in the NHS Constitution and NHS People Promise, as well as self-development and personal wellbeing.