Core competencies

Band 5

Newly qualified

Band 6

Post-qualification experience

Band 7

Highly experienced

Band 8

Team lead

Band 9

Service/Strategic manager

Band 5

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Work autonomously and as part of a team.

  • Manage a designated workload and take professional responsibility.

  • Work within national and local policies and procedures and codes and standards of professional practice.

  • Communicate effectively and concisely in a range of situations.

  • Use decision making skills to inform clinical reasoning approaches by synthesising information from multiple sources to make appropriate, evidence based judgements/diagnoses.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Contribute to the development and evaluation of educational resources (e.g. for students, service users, etc.).

  • Support, mentor and educate others (including students) in learning new techniques within appropriate aspects of practice.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Contribute to and influence the achievement of setting specific objectives including developing digital competence.

  • Manage own work within complex and changing systems.

  • Take responsibility for the work of others within a defined and supervised structure.

  • Effectively use existing partnerships with others across organisation and agency boundaries.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Undertake the specific research process relevant to the methodology.

  • Disseminate evidence appropriately for a range of situations.

  • Identify evidence gaps and contribute to the formulation of critical question(s) which warrant further research, audit or service evaluation, considering policy drivers and future research priorities and quality improvement.

Band 6

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Work autonomously and as part of a team.

  • Assume professional accountability and responsibility for a specific aspect of service delivery.

  • Work within national and local policies and procedures and codes and standards of professional practice and support others to do so.

  • Communicate and discuss own viewpoint succinctly and appropriately.

  • Build expertise and decision making skills to inform clinical reasoning approaches by synthesising information succinctly from multiple sources to make appropriate, evidence based judgements/diagnoses.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Contribute to the development and evaluation of educational resources (e.g. for students, service users, etc.).

  • Support, mentor and educate others (including students) in learning new techniques within appropriate aspects of practice.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Formulate and influence the achievement of setting specific objectives including developing digitally mature services.

  • Manage your own work within complex and changing systems.

  • Take responsibility for the work of others within a defined scope of practice.

  • Effectively use and begin to develop partnerships with others across organisation and agency boundaries.

  • Managing the local service delivery as impacted by the political and economic climate.

  • Review and develop services as part of a team.

  • Understand and, where possible, contribute to the effective management of a budget in conjunction with others.

  • Develop knowledge of recruitment processes and contribute to the recruitment of staff/students/volunteers.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Undertake the specific research process relevant to the methodology (i.e. for service improvement, evaluation or audit purposes).

  • Disseminate evidence appropriately for a range of situations.

  • Identify evidence gaps and contribute to the formulation of critical question(s) which warrant further research, audit or service evaluation, considering policy drivers and future research priorities.

Band 7

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Work autonomously and as part of a team.

  • Assume professional accountability and responsibility for broad aspects of service delivery.

  • Work within national and local policies and procedures and codes and standards of professional practice and ensure others do so.

  • Communicate and defend own viewpoint succinctly and appropriately.

  • Use expertise and decision making skills to inform clinical reasoning approaches by synthesising information succinctly from multiple sources to make appropriate, evidence based judgements/diagnoses.

  • Share networks across boundaries e.g. health and social care systems and Higher Education Institutes.

  • Develop confidence when working with complexity and risk.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Contribute to the development and evaluation of educational resources (e.g. for students, service users, etc.).

  • Support, mentor and educate others (including students) in developing appropriate aspects of practice.

  • Create opportunities to work across practice and education settings (e.g. student selection, student placements, curriculum development/teaching, assessment).

  • Discuss with colleagues and identify suitable research methodologies, methods, and statistics.

  • Develop knowledge and begin to act as an expert resource for staff.

  • Devise research-informed learning including specialist skills.

  • Where relevant, within your profession, have an understanding of education, research and clinical practice requirements at pre-registration level to inform curriculum development with stakeholders i.e. HEIs and HEE.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Formulate and lead on the setting and achievement of specific objectives including digital transformation across stakeholder groups.

  • Manage your own work within complex and changing systems.

  • Take responsibility as a role model for the work of others within a broad scope of practice.

  • Effectively use and develop partnerships with others across organisation and agency boundaries.

  • Lead, manage and influence, locally and nationally and consider the impact on service delivery in relation to the political and economic climate.

  • Review and develop services as part of a team in such areas as service evaluation with the ability to review capacity, need and demand.

  • Understand and, where possible, contribute to the effective management of a budget in conjunction with others.

  • Begin to lead on the recruitment of staff/students/volunteers.

  • Foster clarity of roles within teams and a culture that encourages communication, capability and productive working.

  • Identify and respond to ethical and professional conflicts.

  • Resilient in the face of challenges, demonstrating self-reflection and striving to develop strengths and address weaknesses

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Undertake the specific research process relevant to the methodology (ie for service improvement, evaluation or audit purposes).

  • Disseminate evidence appropriately for a range of situations.

  • Translate and apply evidence to inform practice including scaling up of projects and innovations.

  • Facilitate the involvement of service users, staff / students to co-design and co-produce aspects of research and/or service development.

  • Contribute to the development and evaluation of guidelines and policy at a local, regional and/or national level.

  • Where possible, contribute to peer review processes, e.g. journal reviewer, conference abstract reviewer, scientific programme committee, etc.

  • Supervise and/or mentor undergraduate research, service improvement or audit.

  • Create a culture which supports others to engage in research and service improvement (e.g. initiate and/or co-ordinate local, regional and/or international research programmes).

Band 8

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Work autonomously taking responsibility for teams.

  • Assume professional accountability and responsibility for service delivery.

  • Work within national and local policies and procedures and codes and standards of professional practice and ensure others do so.

  • Share and defend own viewpoint succinctly and appropriately in a range of situations.

  • Use advanced decision making skills to inform clinical reasoning approaches by synthesising information succinctly from multiple sources across environments to make appropriate, evidence based judgements/diagnoses.

  • Share and develop networks across boundaries e.g. health and social care systems and Higher Education Institutes.

  • Work confidently to address complexity and risk across teams.

  • May be accountable for the overall management of complaints and/or conflicts.

  • Actively seek to attend and report at a senior regional level (e.g. boards, executive committees) regarding research-related governance, policy and service development.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Contribute to the development and evaluation of educational resources (e.g. for students, service users, etc.).

  • Support, mentor and educate others (including students) in developing appropriate aspects of practice.

  • Create opportunities for self and others to work across practice and education settings (e.g. board membership, student placements, curriculum development/teaching, assessment).

  • Discuss, educate and signpost colleagues in research methodology, methods, and statistics.

  • Has a unique knowledge and acts as an expert resource for staff.

  • Devise research-informed learning including specialist skills.

  • Knowledge of education, research and clinical practice requirements at pre-registration level to inform curriculum development with stakeholders i.e. HEIs and HEE.

  • Supervise, mentor, coach and educate others.

  • Assume accountability for overall delivery of teaching and learning or training programmes.

  • Educate specialist and non-specialist audiences in complex ideas and theories nationally.

  • Build work based capacity and capability by encouraging interprofessional understanding across practice.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Formulate and lead on the achievement of objectives including evaluation and dissemination of digitisation of services. Maximise congruence between personal, team and organisational objectives.

  • Manage your own work within complex and changing systems, acting as a role model for others.

  • Take responsibility as a role model for the work of others within a broad scope of practice.

  • Effectively use and begin to strategically develop partnerships with others across organisation and agency boundaries.

  • Lead, manage and influence the political and economic climate, locally, nationally and internationally, considering the impacts on service delivery.

  • Provide high standard, cost-effective, streamlined services with capacity to work across traditional services and professional boundaries.

  • Actively seek to understand and, where possible, assume overall responsibility for the effective management of a budget.

  • Critically review skill mix, succession plan and build business cases where needed.

  • Foster clarity of roles within teams, and a culture that encourages communication, capability and productive working.

  • Identify and respond to ethical and professional conflicts.

  • Resilient in the face of challenges, demonstrating self-reflection and striving to develop strengths and address weaknesses.

  • Evaluate the effect and outcome of change, ensuring the profession’s voice is represented at a strategic level.

  • Undertake reporting requirements related to professional standards or internal requirements.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Undertake the specific research process relevant to the methodology.

  • Disseminate evidence appropriately for a range of situations.

  • Translate and apply evidence to inform practice, including scaling up of projects and innovations.

  • Facilitate the involvement of service users, staff / students to co-design and co-produce aspects of research and/or service development.

  • Contribute to the development and evaluation of guidelines and policy at a local, regional, national and/or international level.

  • Contribute to peer review processes, e.g. journal reviewer, conference abstract reviewer, scientific programme committee, etc.

  • Supervise masters students.

  • Create a culture which supports others to engage in research and service improvement (e.g. initiate and/or co-ordinate local, regional and/or international research programmes).

  • Contribute to substantial externally funded proposals/projects (>£100k).

Band 9

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Work autonomously taking responsibility across sectors and teams.

  • Assume professional accountability and responsibility for service delivery.

  • Work within national and local policies and procedures and codes and standards of professional practice and ensure others do so.

  • Share and defend own viewpoint succinctly and appropriately in a range of situations.

  • Use advanced decision making skills to inform clinical reasoning approaches by synthesising information succinctly from multiple sources across environments to make appropriate, evidence based judgements/diagnoses.

  • Establishes networks across boundaries e.g. health and social care systems and Higher Education Institutes.

  • Work confidently to address complexity and risk across organisations.

  • Accountable for the overall decisions made regarding management of complaints and/or conflicts.

  • Attend and report at a senior national level (e.g. boards, executive committees) regarding research-related governance, policy and service development.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Contribute to the development and evaluation of educational resources (e.g. for students, service users, etc.).

  • Support, mentor and educate others (including students) in developing appropriate aspects of practice.

  • Create and evaluate opportunities for self and others to work across practice and education settings (e.g. board membership, international collaborations).

  • Strategically develop the research plan and requirements for colleagues.

  • Has unique strategic knowledge and acts as an expert resource for staff.

  • Devise research-informed learning including specialist skills.

  • Knowledge of education, research and clinical practice requirements at pre-registration level to inform curriculum development with stakeholders i.e. HEIs and HEE.

  • Supervise, mentor, coach and educate others.

  • Assume overall accountability for teaching and learning or training programmes within multiple settings.

  • Build capacity and capability through work-based and interprofessional learning.

  • Educate specialist and non-specialist audiences in complex ideas and theories nationally and internationally.

  • Engage with relevant experts with advanced knowledge of learning and teaching to plan, implement and evaluate current and future learning opportunities.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Formulate and lead on the achievement of objectives including evaluation and dissemination of digitisation of services. Maximise congruence between personal, team and organisational objectives.

  • Manage your own work within complex and changing systems, acting as a role model for others.

  • Take responsibility as a role model for the work of others within a broad scope of practice.

  • Effectively use and begin to strategically develop partnerships with others across organisation and agency boundaries.

  • Lead, manage and influence the political and economic climate, locally, nationally and internationally, considering the impacts on service delivery.

  • Provide high standard, cost-effective, streamlined services with capacity to work across traditional services and professional boundaries.

  • Actively seek to understand and, where possible, assume overall responsibility for the effective management of a budget.

  • Critically review skill mix, succession plan and build business cases where needed.

  • Foster clarity of roles within teams, and a culture that encourages communication, capability and productive working.

  • Identify and respond to ethical and professional conflicts.

  • Resilient in the face of challenges, demonstrating self-reflection and striving to develop strengths and address weaknesses.

  • Evaluate the effect and outcome of change, ensuring the profession’s voice is represented at a strategic level.

  • Undertake reporting requirements related to professional standards or internal requirements.

Skills (practice-based, technical or scientific)

With supervision:

  • Undertake the specific research process relevant to the methodology (ie for service improvement, evaluation or audit purposes).

  • Disseminate evidence appropriately for a range of situations.

  • Translate and apply evidence to inform practice including scaling up of projects and innovations.

  • Facilitate the involvement of service users, staff / students to co-design and co-produce aspects of research and/or service development.

  • Contribute to the development and evaluation of guidelines and policy at a local, regional and/or national level.

  • Where possible, contribute to peer review processes, e.g. journal reviewer, conference abstract reviewer, scientific programme committee, etc.

  • Supervise and/or mentor undergraduate research, service improvement or audit.

  • Create a culture which supports others to engage in research and service improvement (e.g. initiate and/or co-ordinate local, regional and/or international research programmes).

Career stories

Core competencies

Minimum qualifications

Resources