Consultation on proposed Universal Competency levels round 3

The Carer Skills Passport needs to be based on a system of universally recognized and accepted levels of carer skill in order to be transferable across different care settings.  

The Carer Skills Passport team is developing a classification of Carer Competency in order to do this.

We had 51 responses to the second round of our Delphi survey including trained nurses, care skills trainers, allied health professionals, commissioners and managers.  Professionals worked in the full variety of settings including hospital, clinic, the patient's own home, schools and hospices.  These responses have been used to refine our classification of Carer Competency.

We now need your help to complete the third round of the survey.  Please read the response summaries and complete the questions below.

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* 1. Please enter your personal details (optional)

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* 2. What is your main caring role?

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* 3. Where do you, or those you train or manage, provide care? Select all that apply

Summary of Round 2 Level 1 responses

In round 2 we proposed the following revised description is appropriate for a Level 1 - Trainee care provider:

- Has completed basic training
- Taught specific caring task(s) within the context of care to be provided
- Is able to complete the caring task(s) under direct supervision
- May require additional guidance to ensure care is person-centered
- Heavily dependent on application of basic teaching to complete task: limited ability to recognise or adapt to different circumstances

In addition we proposed dividing level 1 into:
a) Has basic knowledge: those who have completed initial theoretical training or observation
b) Practicing with support: those who have undertaken the task under direct supervision

94% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed
6% of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed

Summary of comments:
- Observe and taught...
- Training is not basic

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* 4. We propose revising the numbering system, splitting Level 1 into Level 1 and Level 2, and renumbering the other levels accordingly.

The following revised description is appropriate for a Level 1 (previously described as level 1a) - Trainee care provider:

Level 1 - Trainee care provider
  • Observed and taught specific caring task(s) within the context of care to be provided

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* 5. If you marked disagree or strongly disagree to the description for Level 1 - Trainee care provider care provider above:

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* 6. The following revised description is appropriate for a Level 2 (previously described as level 1b) - Practicing with support care provider:

Level 2 - Trainee practicing with support
  • Observed and taught specific caring task(s) within the context of care to be provided
  • Able to complete the caring task(s) under direct supervision
  • May require additional guidance to ensure care is person-centred
  • Limited ability to recognise or adapt to different circumstances

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* 7. If you marked disagree or strongly disagree to the description for Level 2 - Trainee practicing with support care provider care provider above:

Summary of Round 2 Level 3 (Previously described as Level 2) responses

In round 2 we proposed the following definition for a Trained (Level 3) care provider:
- Has completed initial training 
- Has been assessed as competent to practice without direct supervision
- Demonstrates acceptable performance
- Recognises own competencies and limitations
- Beginning to learn from experience and use experience to guide practice

87% respondents agreed or strongly agreed
13% respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed

Summary of comments from respondents:
- Trained nurse
- "Acceptable" is abiguous

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* 8. The following revised description is appropriate for a Level 3 (Previously described as Level 2) - Trained care provider: 

Level 3 - Trained care provider
  • Observed and taught specific caring task(s) within the context of care to be provided
  • Assessed as competent to practice without direct supervision or assistance
  • Demonstrates safe and effective performance
  • Recognises own competencies and limitations
  • Beginning to learn from experience and use experience to guide practice

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* 9. If you marked disagree or strongly disagree to the description for a Level 3 - Trained  care provider above:

Summary of Round 2 level 4 (previously described as Level 3) responses

In round 2 we proposed the following description for an Experienced (Level 4) care provider:

Level 4 - Experienced care provider
  • Assessed as competent to practice
  • Has accrued significant experience with the same child or young person in a variety of different situations or with different children or young people
  • Uses experience to anticipate, recognise and adapt to different circumstances
98% respondents agreed or strongly agreed
2% respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed

We propose retaining the above description for an Experienced (Level 4) care provider
Summary of Round 2 Level 5 (Previously described as Level 4) responses

In round 2 we proposed the following description for a Proficient (Level 5) care provider:

Level 5 - Proficient care provider
  • Trained nurse, allied health professional or doctor
  • Has knowledge and understanding of theory underpinning clinical practice
  • Uses additional in depth knowledge and understanding to improve decision making
  • Knows from experience what to expect in certain situations and how to modify care plans accordingly
  • Can recognize when the expected normal picture does not materialise and identify appropriate actions to be taken
96% respondents agreed or strongly agreed
4% respondents disagreed to strongly disagreed

Summary of responses from respondents:
- Trained nurse (Carer Skills Passport team agrees)

We propose retaining the above definition for a Proficient (Level 5) care provider
Summary of Round 2 Level 6 (previously described as Level 5) responses

In round 2 we proposed the following description for a Expert (Level 6) care provider:

Level 6 - Expert care provider

As for level 5 care provider plus:
  • Significant background of experience
  • Performance is now fluid, flexible, and highly-proficient
  • Demonstrates an intuitive grasp of clinical situations, using skilled analysis for novel situations and when behaviours are not occurring as expected
  • Able to provide guidance to others, supporting troubleshooting and teaching
  • Able to explain and simplify complex knowledge and skills to others in easily understandable terms
  • Uses evidence and knowledge to develop and update policies and guidelines in line with current best practice
  • Eligible to train to become a Carer Skills Passport Instructor, Specialist Advisor or other Carer Skills Passport Faculty role
96% respondents agreed or strongly agreed
4% respondents disagreed to strongly disagreed

We propose retaining the above definition for an Expert (Level 6) care provider

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* 10. Overall I would be prepared to adopt the proposed Carer Skills Passport competency levels in my clinical practice

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* 11. Any other comments or feedback regarding the Carer Skills Passport

Thank you for completing our survey.  
Your help in developing the Carer Skills Passport is really appreciated

If you have completed the survey on paper, please return your completed survey to:

Carer Skills Passport
C/O Transition Team
Alder Hey Children's Hospital
East Prescott Road
Liverpool L14 5AB

Questions or comments:
info@carerskillspassport.org.uk

www.carerskillspassport.org.uk

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