Level 5: Understanding of a range of work procedures and practices, which require
expertise within a specialism or discipline, underpinned by theoretical knowledge
or relevant practical experience.
Level 6: Specialist knowledge across the range of work procedures and practices,
underpinned by theoretical knowledge or relevant practical experience
The difference between levels 5 and 6
There must be a clear step in knowledge requirements between levels 5 and 6, so for both
healthcare professional (eg nurse, allied health professional, biomedical scientist jobs) and nonhealthcare
professional (eg HR, accountant, librarian, IT) jobs, a distinct addition of knowledge
compared to what was acquired during basic training and required for professional practice.
This additional knowledge may be acquired by various routes:
a. normal training and accreditation, as for a district nurse, health visitor
b. other forms of training/learning eg long or combination of short courses or
structured self-study
c. experience
d. some combination of (b) and (c).
In broad terms the additional knowledge for level 6 should equate to post-registration or postgraduate
diploma level (that is, between first degree/registration and master’s level), but there is
no requirement to hold such a diploma.
It is important to note that not all experience delivers the required additional knowledge for
level 6. Simply doing a job for a number of years may make the jobholder more proficient at
doing the job, but does not always result in additional knowledge. Also, while most additional
knowledge, particularly for healthcare professional jobs, is specialist knowledge (that is, homing
in on an area of practice and deepening the knowledge of that area acquired during basic
training), some is a broadening of basic knowledge to a level which allows the jobholder to
undertake all areas of practice without any guidance or supervision.
For additional specialist knowledge, indicators of level 6 knowledge, acquired primarily
through experience are, for example, a requirement to have worked:
• In the specialist area and with practitioners from own or another profession who are
experienced in this area.
• In the specialist area and to a clear programme of knowledge development, for
example, rotating through all aspects of the specialist work, attending appropriate
study days and short courses, undertaking self-study.
For additional breadth of knowledge, examples of level 6 are:
• The midwife, who undertakes a formal mentoring or preceptorship to achieve a level of
knowledge allowing the full sphere of midwifery practice to be undertaken.
• The community psychiatric nurse, where the jobholder would need to have acquired
sufficient additional post-registration knowledge through experience as a nurse in a
mental health setting to be able to work autonomously in the community.
• The specialist AHP professional or therapist, where the jobholder needs additional
knowledge acquired through (formal and informal) specialist training and experience in
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order to be able to manage a caseload of clients with complex needs.
• A human resources professional required to have sufficient additional knowledge
gained through experience to be able to be the autonomous HR adviser for a
directorate or equivalent organisational area, or for an equivalent subject area of
responsibility.
• An accountancy job requiring knowledge gained through professional qualifications
plus sufficient additional knowledge of health service finance systems to be responsible
for the accounts for one or more directorates.
• An estates management job requiring knowledge gained through professional
qualifications (or equivalent vocational qualifications) plus sufficient additional
knowledge of health service capital procurement procedures and practices to be able
to manage part or all of the capital projects programme for the organisation.
Specialist knowledge (level 6) refers to a level of knowledge and expertise which can be
acquired through either in-depth experience or theoretical study of a broad range of techniques/
processes relating to the knowledge area. This equates to post-registration/graduate diploma
level or equivalent in a specific field. This level also refers to the specialist organisational,
procedural or policy knowledge required to work across a range of different areas. The jobholder
is influential within the organisation in matters relating to his/her area and provides detailed
advice to other specialists and non-specialists.
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