Competences

Everyday, people who work in the health sector are asked to carry out numerous activities. Each activity must be carried out effectively and consistently, no matter who is doing it and wherever they are in the UK.

Skills for Health has developed competences to describe what individuals need to do, what they need to know and which skills they need to carry out an activity.

They can be used across the board - by all health professions, and all levels of staff, whether in the independent or voluntary sectors or in the NHS.

Competences can be used to meet the demands of the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF).  Some activities have more competences associated with them than others.

Please see related pages for the following:

•     Health Functional Map
•     Competence tools
•     Completed competences
•     Competences in development 
•     FAQs

If you would like to download Skills For Health’s glossary of terms used within our competences, then please click here.

"The competence framework has been so valuable in shaping the proactive aspect of the Community Matron role - in supporting patients and reducing the periods of crisis which often led to hospital admissions"

Paul Taylor - Deputy Head of Education and Development, East of England SHA.

If you are another Sector Skills Council (SSC) or Standards Setting Body (SSB) and you would like to import our competences, please see the following documents:

• Importation process flowchart for National Occupational Standards (NOS) 
• Importation guidance and request form for National Occupational Standards (NOS) 

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