Transforming Roles paper 9: allied health professions advanced practice
Guidance for developing Allied Health Professions (AHP) advanced practice roles in Scotland. Outlines policy context, role definition, education pathways, governance, and impact metrics to support consistent, sustainable workforce transformation across health and social care.
National job title format for AHP advanced practice roles
The Scoping of AHP Advanced Practice in Scotland report[19] revealed wide variation in job titles among AHPs who self-identify as working at advanced practice level. A national job title provides greater clarity and consistency for both the public and the wider workforce. Following consultation with stakeholders[23] the recommended format is:
Advanced Practice [name of AHP profession] with the option to include the clinical specialty, e.g. Advanced Practice Occupational Therapist in Frailty.
This identifies the level of practice and uses the protected professional title from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register.
This format has been endorsed by the Scottish Directors of AHPs and should be adopted for all new roles. It is expected that all roles currently titled ‘advanced’ will be reviewed; however, the decision whether to align existing titles is the responsibility of individual employers. This will enable accurate coding under the occupational classification index.
Some AHPs may use ‘advanced’ in their role title without fully practising at advanced level, highlighting the need for employers to review roles to avoid confusion. The application of AHP advanced practice should be supported by robust governance arrangements to ensure appropriate development and oversight.
Contact
Email: cno@scot.gov