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.
Annex 3: Guidance for employers on developing AHP advanced practice roles
This guidance is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of resources and instead includes examples of documents from some of the AHP professional bodies. Individuals should check their own professional body’s website for documents and guidance specific to their profession. The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has provided several documents that could be adapted for use by other professions, offering a useful starting point for developing similar tools or guidance.
Plan
Area – Service need and drivers for change
Examine data to understand current and future requirements, e.g. population health data, policy priorities, unmet patient needs, service demands, patient pathways and opportunities for new ways of working
Examples of supporting documents
- NES Turas Data Intelligence[49]
- ScotPHO Scottish Burden of Disease[50]
- Public Health Scotland Publications[51]
- NES Workforce planning and service needs analysis[52]
- Revised Workforce Planning Guidance 2011[53]
- NES Workforce data, planning and transformation[54]
- HCPC Data Hub[55]
- SAS Advanced Practitioner in Urgent & Primary Care – National Rotational Model[56]
Area – Literature and evidence
Gather evidence on the impact and implementation of advanced practice roles in similar settings.
Area – Stakeholder engagement
Engage with key stakeholders including service managers, service users and carers, workforce planners, education providers. Ensure consistent understanding of AHP advanced practice (aligned to the CAHPO statement) at all operational levels.
Examples of supporting documents
- CAHPO Statement[22]
- Planning with People: Community engagement and participation guidance[57]
- Six Steps Methodology to Integrated Workforce Planning[58]
Area – Role purpose and scope
Define role responsibilities, boundaries and how it will be recorded on an electronic workforce database.
Examples of supporting documents
- NES Workforce data, planning and transformation[54]
- NES AHP Skills Maximisation Toolkit[59]
- NES Allied Health Professions Workforce Planning[60]
- Multi-professional framework for advanced practice[61]
- SAS Advanced Practitioner in Urgent & Primary Care – National Rotational Model[56]
Area – Existing workforce
Scope the current workforce, mapping existing roles against the CAHPO definition, capabilities and requirements of advanced practice. Record those working at advanced practice level on an electronic workforce database.
Examples of supporting documents
- CAHPO Statement[22]
- Governance Maturity Matrix[29]
- NES Workforce data, planning and transformation[54]
Area – Financial modelling
Outline funding requirements for the role itself, education and training costs, work-based learning, support and supervision.
Examples of supporting documents
- SAS Advanced Practice Paramedics Cost Considerations[62]
- Agenda for Change: Evaluation of Newly Developed Posts[63]
- Agenda for Change Job Evaluation Policy[64]
Area – Evaluation
Identify appropriate evaluation tools to collect data before and after the implementation of new roles.
Attract
Area – Role purpose and expectations
Clearly define and communicate role purpose and expectations using the CAHPO definition and four pillars of practice.
Examples of supporting documents
- CAHPO Statement[22]
Area – Competencies
Define competencies and capabilities of the role, aligned with the NES NMAHP Development Framework and other relevant profession or condition specific frameworks.
Examples of supporting documents
- NES Developing Frameworks[37]
- NES NMAHP Development Framework[38]
- Paediatric and child health advanced practice area specific capability and curriculum framework[65]
- SAS Advanced Practice – Core and Specific Clinical Competencies Operational Framework[66]
Area – Education pathways
Define education requirements in line with relevant documents.
Identify education and training pathways, including academic modules, work-based learning +/- academic recognition.
Ensure pathways are flexible and sustainable with recognition of prior learning.
Examples of supporting documents
- CAHPO Statement[22]
- NES NMAHP Development Framework[38]
- SCQF Interactive Framework: Level 11[67]
- SAS Advanced Practice University Programme Tender Criteria[68]
Area – Trainee roles
Use trainee roles to build confidence and support progression to CAHPO definition inclusive of master’s level education.
Examples of supporting documents
- Principles for the AHP Advanced Practice Trainee Role[40]
- NES Advanced Nursing Practice Service & Education Needs Analysis Tool[69]
- SAS Advanced Practice Training Programme[70]
Area – Promotion of AHP AP roles
Enhance visibility and promotion of advanced practice roles and career pathways.
Examples of supporting documents
- BDA Advanced Practice Case Studies[71]
- My Journey to Advanced Orthotic Practice in the UK[72]
- Royal College of Podiatry Case Studies[73]
Area – Succession planning
Establish clear, supported pathways from graduate to advanced and consultant levels.
Provide succession planning and development opportunities.
Examples of supporting documents
- BIOS Professional Development Framework[74]
- Career Development Framework for Prosthetists and Orthotists[75]
- Education and Career Framework for the Radiography Workforce[76]
Train
Area – Learning needs analysis
Conduct a Learning Needs Analysis to identify skill gaps and learning priorities.
Examples of supporting documents
- NES Advanced Nursing Practice Service & Education Needs Analysis Tool[69]
- Governance Maturity Matrix[29]
- NES NMAHP Development Framework[38]
Area – Diverse learning approaches
Use varied teaching, learning and assessment methods (e.g. masterclasses, action learning sets, OSCEs) with protected learning time in clinical settings.
Examples of supporting documents
- SAS Examples of suitable evidence for competencies[77]
Area – Monitoring of progress
Use portfolios to demonstrate capability with robust sign-off processes and supported by appropriate supervision.
Examples of supporting documents
- NES Professional Portfolio[43]
- Professional Portfolio Resource List[78]
- Principles for the use of the AHP Professional Portfolio[79]
- Minimum Standards for Workplace Supervision for Advanced Practice[45]
- NES Level 7 Advanced Practice Sign Off and Development Needs Analysis Tool[80]
- SAS Final Sign-Off Submission Process[81]
Employ
Area – Role title
For new roles, align job title with recommended format.
Area – Recruitment and job planning
Develop job description and person specification linked to required skills, education and capabilities and aligned to the CAHPO statement and NES NMAHP Development Framework. If using a generic job description template, specifics of role need to be identified.
Develop job plan that reflects the four pillars of practice.
Establish clear supervision, assessment and sign-off processes to confirm capability at advanced practice level.
Examples of supporting documents
- SAS Generic Advanced Practitioner Job Description[82]
- NES Workforce data, planning and transformation[54]
- HCPC Characteristics of effective clinical and peer supervision[83]
- CAHPO Statement[22]
- NES NMAHP Development Framework[38]
Area – Governance
Establish clear governance frameworks for advanced practice.
Use Governance Maturity Matrix to support development and review effectiveness.
Ensure well defined leadership for the role with clear lines of accountability and responsibility, including oversight from AHP Director.
Put anticipatory governance arrangements in place, keep their effectiveness under review and plan for strengthening arrangements.
Examples of supporting documents
- CAHPO Statement[22]
- Governance Maturity Matrix[29]
- SCIN National Framework for the Musculoskeletal Reporting Radiographer[84]
Area – Recognition for working at advanced level
Recognise advanced practice level via postgraduate master’s award or portfolio route recognising prior learning and equivalence, in partnership with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
Nurture
Area – Clinical supervision
Build structured clinical supervision into pathways to support both supervisors and advanced practice AHPs. Supervisors should receive appropriate training, and profession specific capability frameworks should be utilised to guide supervision.
Examples of supporting documents
- CAHPO Statement[22]
- Governance Maturity Matrix[29]
- Scotland’s Position Statement on Supervision for Allied Health Professions[44]
- NES Allied Health Professions (AHP) support and supervision[85]
- HCPC Supervision, leadership and culture[86]
- SAS Advanced Practice Clinical Supervision[87]
Area – Ongoing development and CPD
Ensure access to CPD opportunities, including the regional Advanced Practice Academies and practitioner-led forums, to support education and development needs across all four pillars of practice.
Ensure annual appraisal, including Learning Needs Assessment.
Examples of supporting documents
Area – Implementation and evaluation
Continuously evaluate impact of role.
Examples of supporting documents
- Measuring and Evaluating the Impact of Advanced Practice[90]
Area – Support to protect professional boundaries, identity and enact autonomy
Ensure appropriate supervision CPD arrangements are in place to meet agreed scope of practice.
Examples of supporting documents
Contact
Email: cno@scot.gov