Skip to content
NHS Education for Scotland NMAHP Development Framework

Key Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs) Statements

The NMAHP Development Framework aims to support users to develop core knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) to demonstrate competence across the 4 pillars of practice. 

The knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) are outlined as statements to help you reflect on your current job role and identify areas for further development to enhance your effectiveness.

You may also wish to incorporate additional KSBs from other profession-specific or role-specific frameworks relevant to your position. A blank template is provided for you to add these.

Please note that some KSB statements may have similarities and overlaps across the pillars. Keep this in mind when developing your evidence, as it may address several KSBs across different pillars.

The knowledge, skills and behaviours expected for all Level 7 Advanced Practitioners are detailed below. 

  Clinical Practice
7C1 Develop advanced competence, innovation and leadership in the management and delivery of safe, effective person-centred care within own area of practice and within the scope of the profession and individual scope of practice.
7C2 Promote and act to influence others to incorporate non-judgemental, values-based, person centred care into practice.
7C3 Use a wide range of skills and strategies, including advanced or specialist skills, to communicate with people on complex matters or in complex situations supporting people in making decisions.
7C4 Use in-depth knowledge of legislation, professional regulation and codes of practice, to lead the development, embedding and evaluation of protocols, guidelines and policies at operational level.
7C5 Promote, monitor and maintain best practice in health, safety and security, in accordance with health and safety legislation and infection control policies. Acting on concerns and/or reporting incidents in line with local reporting procedures and manage risk appropriately.
7C6 Apply critical thinking and evaluation skills to make timely and informed clinical decisions related to all aspects of the care process utilising professional judgement to manage risk appropriately.
7C7 Demonstrate the ability to use and evaluate technology, digital and information systems to inform and improve health outcomes.
7C8 Identify and share more complex information effectively and concisely for a range of situations and contexts to ensure patient safety and continuity of care and act on professional judgment about when to seek help.
7C9 Advance equality and value diversity, challenging discriminatory behaviours and acting to improve inclusion.
7C10 Engage with, appraise and respond to individuals’ motivation, development stage and capacity, working collaboratively to promote health and well-being, improve health literacy and empower individuals to participate in decisions about their care and to maximise their health and well-being.
7C11 Contribute to the development of organisational objectives and create opportunities to involve other practitioners.
7C12 Apply advanced clinical knowledge, skills and behaviours appropriate to specific area of practice.
7C13 Recognise the effects and potential symptoms of trauma or vicarious trauma and respond appropriately. Practising at a minimum of Trauma Informed practice level.
7C14 Ability to escalate concerns if unable to carry out their duty and responsibilities outlined within health and care staffing legislation. Practising at Skilled level.

  Facilitating Learning
7F1 Role model exemplary facilitation and teaching skills and develop those skills in others. Promoting a culture of excellence in learning to inspire existing and future staff.
7F2 Demonstrate and understand the key theories of adult learning and apply a wide range of facilitation, teaching and assessment skills to practice.
7F3 Evaluate reflection on practice and facilitate reflection in others.
7F4 Review data collected from educational audits and other feedback to plan and lead change at a local level to enable a positive learning environment.
7F5 Ability to effectively undertake the role of [clinical] supervisor for all functions of clinical supervision, within own scope of practice.
7F6 Evaluate, develop, lead and facilitate use of education materials for students, staff and service users at a local level.
7F7 Develop, lead and support teaching, supervision and assessment skills in others.
7F8 Engage with education providers and where appropriate contribute to curriculum development and delivery.
7F9 Apply advanced knowledge of adult learning appropriate to specific role.
7F10 Critically assess and address own learning needs, negotiating a personal development plan that reflects the breadth of ongoing professional development across the four pillars of advanced clinical practice.
7F11 Engage with, appraise and respond to individuals’ motivation, development stage and capacity, working collaboratively to support health literacy and empower individuals to participate in decisions about their care and to maximise their health and well-being.
7F12 Enact the Health and Care Staffing legislation to ensure there is adequate time provision to support the learning and development of the team.
7F13 Ability to engage in [clinical] supervision, using reflective practice and feedback to develop the quality of care and outcomes.
7F14 Ability to effectively apply practice supervision, applying quality standards to facilitate pre and post registration learners to develop knowledge, skills and proficiency, using appropriate assessment criterion and quality standards to assess competence within own scope of practice.
7F15 Use leadership skills to empower and enable others to engage in meaningful clinical supervision and use feedback to improve the quality of care.

  Leadership
7L1 Provide strong and effective leadership across professional and organisational teams/boundaries broadening sphere of influence.
7L2 Evidence a positive impact of own exemplary leadership qualities and behaviours.
7L3 Role model highly developed verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills.
7L4 Demonstrate how feedback including service user engagement is used by the organisation to positively improve services.
7L5 Use creative and innovative solutions to address complex problems.
7L6 Promote a culture of empowerment to enable concerns to be raised, addressed and/or appropriately escalated.
7L7 Lead innovation and quality improvement and promote involvement of others.
7L8 Build and lead teams, develop effective relationships, ensure clarity of roles and work in collaboration with others.
7L9 Demonstrate and support others to manage people effectively using organisational policies and exemplary leadership qualities.
7L10 Contribute to workforce development plans aligned to organisational priorities.
7L11 Critically apply advanced clinical expertise and role model the values of NHS Scotland to influence the sharing and adoption of best practice, reduce unwarranted variation and enhance quality.
7L12 Use creative and innovative solutions to ensure [clinical] supervision is prioritised and others have the resources required to access support appropriate to needs and role. 

  Evidence, Research and Development
7E1 Acts as a role model for the wider team by promoting a positive research culture.
7E2 Further enhance knowledge of research approaches including advanced evaluation methods to promote and embed evidence in practice.
7E3 Identify and apply impact measures and use findings to enhance practice.
7E4 Demonstrate the ability to search, critically appraise and synthesize evidence to inform practice and to underpin audit/ research/quality improvement activity.
7E5 Share good practice and the lessons learned from audit, research and quality improvement activity locally, and nationally through professional and peer reviewed processes.
7E6 Utilise appropriate polices to ensure support for clinical research activity and adherence to research governance, including Good Clinical Practice, ethics, data protection and confidentiality.
7E7 Demonstrate the ability to use a wide range of Quality Improvement/Clinical Audit/Research skills to improve practice and supports others to do so.
7E8 Critically analyse, evaluate and synthesise complex/professional problems and issues and help others do the same.
7E9 Develop original and creative solutions to problems and support others to do so.
7E10 Contribute to the wider research agenda through initiating or supporting NMAHP led research activity.
7E11 Facilitate collaborative links between clinical practice and research through proactive engagement, networking with academic, clinical and other active researchers.