SCQF and the Health Sector

The implementation of the SCQF within the Health Sector will run for the next two years. They key aim of the project is to establish the concepts and principles of the SCQF within the NHS in Scotland through collaboration and partnership working by:

• Showing how the SCQF can make a positive contribution to the core functions of the NHS in Scotland.
• Seeking interconnectedness between the SCQF and the Knowledge and Skills Framework of Agenda for Change (KSF), and health service careers.
• Communicating information on the SCQF through published materials, guidance and facilitated discussion and debate at consultative meetings and conferences.

How will the SCQF be progressed in the NHS in Scotland?

Over the next few years, the project aims to:

• Ensure as many qualifications; education and training programmes as possible which are currently offered within the health sector, become incorporated within the SCQF;
• Further develop the recognition of health sector work based learning within the SCQF;
• Seek credit transfer of formal and informal learning for health sector staff, wherever appropriate.

Initially the project is focussing upon the NHS in Scotland and opportunities to involve both the independent and voluntary sectors are being sought.

Work to date:

An initial conference, looking at KSF and the SCQF was held on 7 December 2005 at the Dunblane Hydro. This was attended by 150 delegates from the health and education sectors and opportunity was afforded, following a series of presentations, to identify key actions for the SCQF project. A conference report is available on the web-site. This has been circulated to all conference delegates.

A generic information leaflet - "The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) and the NHS in Scotland" and accompanying poster have been designed for widespread use across health sector and can be downloaded from the website. An information leaflet - "The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF): Briefing Information for Education Providers, February 2006" has been designed specifically for Education Providers to the NHS to help provide a clear understanding of the KSF to inform educational developments.

Various meetings are being held across the NHS in Scotland between the SCQF post holder and Heads of Learning and Development (and others) to raise awareness of the SCQF and to explore its potential for the NHS in Scotland. Two power point presentations are available on the web-site: one is a general introduction for the NHS to the SCQF and the NES project; the second comes with notes for the NHS to use to 'spread the word' to others on the SCQF.

Three regional 'Masterclasses' were hosted in March 2006 for key delegates from NHS Boards to explore the SCQF in more detail and to help inform future project work streams. A 'Masterclass' Report is now available on the web-site and work identified from these Masterclasses is now being taken forward.

Cross sector working:

The SCQF postholders are considering how they can collaborate on projects currently being undertaken or being planned. This discussion involves Social Services, Health, Community Learning, SQA, SFEU, the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Councils and the SCQF Manager, Development Officer and Administrator. Collaborative developments will focus on work already being undertaken on RPL, College-HEI access, and promotional materials. It is proposed that future developments will identify cross sector collaboration.

Further information:

Further information is available from either Karen Adams (SCQF Post Holder) on karen.adams@nes.scot.nhs.uk or Angela McCulloch (Project Administrator) on 0131 220 8073 angela.mcculloch@nes.scot.nhs.uk.