Career Frameworks

The Career Framework for Health provides a guide for NHS and partner organisations on the implementation of a flexible careers and skills escalation enabling an individual member of staff with transferable, competence-based skills to progress in a direction that meets workforce, service and individual needs. It balances elements required for national consistency with maximum flexibility for local health organisations.

The Career Framework can help you plan your own career development and profile and plan the workforce you need in your department or organisation to deliver best patient services now and in the future.

Key Elements of the Career Framework

Staff can progress through the levels of the framework by developing skills and competences through learning and development.

	More Senior Staff - Level 9 Staff with the ultimate responsibility for clinical caseload decision making and full on-call accountability.
	Consultant Practitioners- Level 8 Staff working at a very high level of clinical expertise and/or have responsibility for planning of services.
	Advanced Practitioners - Level 7 Experienced clinical professionals who have developed their skills and theoretical knowledge to a very high standard. They are empowered to make high-level clinical decisions and will often have their own caseload. Non-clinical staff at Level 7 will typically be managing a number of service areas.
	Senior Practitioners/Specialist Practitioners - Level 6 Staff who would have a higher degree of autonomy and responsibility than 'Practitioners' in the clinical environment, or who would be managing one or more service areas in the non-clinical environment.
	Practitioners - Level 5 Most frequently registered practitioners in their first and second post-registration/professional qualification jobs.
	Assistant Practitioners/Associate Practitioners - Level 4 Probably studying for foundation degree, BTEC higher or HND. Some of their remit will involve them in delivering protocol-based clinical care that had previously been in the remit of registered professionals, under the direction and supervision of a state registered practitioner.
	Senior Healthcare Assistants/Technicians - Level 3 Have a higher level of responsibility than support worker, probably studying for, or have attained NVQ level 3, or Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).
	Support Workers - Level 2 Frequently with the job title of 'Healthcare Assistant' or 'Healthcare Technician' - probably studying for or has attained NVQ Level 2.
	Initial Entry Level Jobs - Level 1 Such as 'Domestics' or 'Cadets' requiring very little formal education or previous knowledge, skills or experience in delivering, or supporting the delivery of healthcare.