Agenda for Change

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Agenda for Change

• Involvement of the National Association of
  Cytologists
• Alison Springall
• 2/4/2005

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Agenda for Change

• Terms and Conditions
• Job evaluation
• National Occupational Standards
• Career Pathways
• Knowledge and Skills Framework

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Agenda for Change

• Agenda for Change
• Not Agenda for staying the same
• Total sea change for staff in the NHS

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Objectives

• What are National Occupational Standards
• How will they be used in the lab
• How do they link with Agenda for Change
• How do they link with Knowledge and Skills
  Framework

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How I got started
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What is a National Occupational Standard (NOS)

• I represented the NAC at the workshops along with
  others from professional bodies
• A set of 9 standards representing the functions
  associated with Cervical Cytology have been
  developed
• Generic standards have been developed eg. HS,
  Audit, Management, EQA

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NOS Cervical Cytology

• Key Purpose
• Contribute to reduction in the incidence of and
  mortality from Cervical Cancer through the
  provision of Cervical Cytology Laboratory Services

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What is a National Occupational Standard (NOS)?

• National Occupational Standards (NOS) specify the
  standards of performance that people are expected
  to achieve in their work, and the knowledge and
  skills they need to perform effectively.

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Cervical Cytology NOS

• CC1 Verify patient identification details prior
  to examination of cervical sample
• CC2 Maintain records for audit and reporting
• CC3 Prepare slides for microscopy
• CC4 Primary screen slides to evaluaie sample
• CC5 Rapid review of all slides judged negative or
  inadequate by primary screening

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Cervical Cytology NOS

• CC6 Check abnormal and equivocal slides for
  presence of abnormal cells
• CC7 Recommend management of abnormal results of
  cervical screening
• CC8 Monitor information system to ensure follow
  up action is taken

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What is a NOS?

• Each NOS describes a work activity with a defined
  purpose and context, delivered as a series of
  functional statements against which are set the
  common measures of competence. Each standard aims
  to capture the decision-making process, the
  knowledge required and the judgment applied

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What is a NOS?

• To date more than 500 frontline healthcare
  scientists have taken part in workshops to draft
  standards and develop assessment guidance. More
  than 160 NHS trusts have been involved in field
  testing and a total of 12,000 responses have been
  obtained from frontline staff.

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What is a NOS?

• Representatives from each of the healthcare
  science disciplines met at workshops being held
  between November and February to map standards
  against the nine-stage healthcare science career
  pathway and identify education and training
  requirements.

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How will they be used in the lab?

• To assess competency against the discipline
  specific NOS
• The level of what you must be able to do and what
  you know and understand will be appropriate to
  the career pathway stage

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How are they linked with Agenda for Change?

• Assessment criteria have been developed
• Linked to the nine stage Career Pathway
• NOS identified for each of the stages
• Discipline specific and generic

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How are they linked to Agenda for Change

• The latest workshop was to link NOS to the
  Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF)
• 2 gateways in each pay band, entry and exit
• KSF review annually to progress through the pay
  band

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Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF)

• Effective learning and development
• All levels of staff
• KSF outline for all posts
• 6 core dimensions
• 24 specific dimensions

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KSF

• There are 6 core dimensions which apply to all
  posts.The core dimensions are
• Communication
• Personal and people development
• Health, safety security
• Service improvement
• Quality
• Equality diversity

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KSF

• The other 24 dimensions are specific to different
  posts. The specific dimensions are grouped into
  various themes to aid recognition. No one
  dimension is more important than another. The
  specific themes are
• Health and Wellbeing (10 dimensions) HWB1 - HWB10
  
• Estates and facilities (3 dimensions) EF1 - EF3
• Information and Knowledge (3 dimensions) IK1 -
  IK3
• General (8 dimensions) G1 - G8

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KSF

• Attached to the description of the level are
  indicators. The indicators describe how knowledge
  and skills need to be applied at that level

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KSF

• At the latest workshop we produced KSF outlines
  for the discipline specific NOS
• Also the generic NOS
• To be used as a reference for locally produced
  KSF outlines
• E-KSF
• www.e-ksf.org

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KSF Outline for Cervical Cytology
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So in Conclusion

• NOS produced discipline specific and generic
• Linked with career pathway stages
• Assess competency at each stage
• Developed KSF outline
• Progression through the Pay Band

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Objectives

• What are National Occupational Standards
• How will they be used in the lab
• How do they link with Agenda for Change
• How do they link with Knowledge and Skills
  Framework

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How was it for me?

• Huge responsibility
• Unique insight into the process
• Resource for colleagues

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What happens next?

• NOS have been signed off
• Launch in the summer 2005
• Possibly still more work to do on Career Pathway
  links and KSF

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