The new framework will help all radiographers further develop their skills.

Diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers will get the chance to achieve even more in their careers, says the government.

As one of the key elements of Lord Darzi’s NHS Next Stage Review, Modernising Allied Health Professions Careers: A Competence-Based Framework, sets out new web-based tools for allied health professionals (AHPs) that will help them plan a more flexible career path.

This is a move towards a competence-based model for AHP careers that focuses on the skills required for patient-centred services, rather than the professions themselves.

This, says the government, will allow AHPs to develop the skills they need to take on new and extended roles in their profession.

Managers and teams can use the framework to describe the full range of competences required to meet patient needs. They are not limited by any professional groupings or specified patient/care pathways. For example, therapeutic radiographers are not limited to the cancer care groups or roles.
By identifying roles by competences rather than professional groups, service planners and managers can consider new styles of provision and role developments for AHPs.

Karen Middleton, chief allied health professional officer, said:“In England we have ambitious plans for improvements to the health and well-being of the population and this is nowhere more evident than in the Darzi Next Stage Review of the NHS.

“The allied health professionals are critical to delivering the transformation of health and social care we wish to see for the public, patients, clients and their families.”

Anne Shaw, SoR professional officer and member of the project strategy group that helped compile the new AHP career framework, commented: “The framework is intended to be used as a tool to help both individuals to plan their career development and managers to plan for future service delivery.”

Q&A with Anne Shaw

How does this career framework complement existing career guidance documents, for example SCoR’s Implementing Radiography Career Progression: Guidance for Managers?
The SCoR’s implementation guidance outlines competences expected at each level of practice. Searching the toolkit through the use of keywords will identify a range of individual competences (workplace competences, occupational standards) against which individuals can be assessed and areas for development identified. The competences have indicative KSF dimensions and levels associated to them and the competences can be adjusted for use in the workplace. Individual roles have also been identified in the toolkit and again these can be used for guidance.

How does this fit in with the HPC’s code of conduct, performance and ethics, and the SoR’s four-tier model?
There are competences associated with core activities such as recognising diversity and upholding the patient’s dignity and rights. There is nothing in the framework that contradicts the HPC or professional code and statements of conduct. The competences are designed around the needs of patients for safe, effective practice and at all levels of practice.

How is this different to CPD Now? Is there any cross-over?
The toolkit can help to identify competences that will meet the professional outcomes that members have identified in their CPD framework and related to their planned CPD activity. The competences identify knowledge to be gained and skills to be developed. CPD Now can help to identify how the competence can be gained e.g. through lectures, study or supervised practice etc, and helps the member to record their activity.

Is the framework good news and useful for radiographers?
It should be recognised that the framework is not about how to move from one profession to another nor how to take over another profession’s role. It should be seen as a tool to identify where additional skills can be gained that will lead to role extension and advancement being implemented in the best interest of the patients. Radiographers in the NHS can use the web-based toolkit to identify competences that are linked to the KSF outline for their role. This will help them identify areas for development to ensure career and pay progression

How will this help managers and leaders in developing themselves and their workforce?
The toolkit identifies competences not only for clinical activities but also leadership, management, mentoring etc. Commissioners are being urged to use the toolkit to identify future workforce needs by the skills needed and to commission training to devlelop skills in the workforce

How can radiography leaders take this forward?
By encouraging staff to use the toolkit in identifying their development needs and by using the toolkit to design new roles that will enhance service delivery. It should be stressed that it is a toolkit, not a set of rules.

What can radiographers do now to make the most of the new framework?
Log on to www.skillsforhealth.org.uk and search around inside the AHP Career Framework section.

Click here for more information about the framework.

Posted: 17/07/2008