Knowledge and Skills Framework
The Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) helps individuals, teams and organisations to understand how they can support mental health improvement, and how they can help to prevent self-harm and suicide.
KSF resources
The KSF identifies the knowledge and skills required across four levels of practice: informed, skilled, enhanced and specialist. These are based on the nature and frequency of contact staff have with people who may be at risk of, or affected by mental ill health, self-harm or suicide.
Mental health improvement and suicide prevention framework – Scotland’s Mental Health Knowledge and Skills Framework for Mental Health Improvement, Self-harm and Suicide Prevention. ( Download, 2 MB)
KSF Domains
People, in a huge variety of roles and ways, often make important contributions to mental health improvement, self-harm and suicide prevention without realising it. Through learning and reflection, seeing the connections between your role and the domains becomes easier and clearer. To help, we have developed a series of short videos that introduce the domains.
Almost everybody contributes to multiple domains and the videos help to communicate this too.
Please note that each video presents the story of a character – played by an actor – created for educational purposes.
Start with accessing this video which provides an introduction:
Below are six further videos – one for each domain. Whilst each video focusses on one domain you’ll notice other domains are referenced as this is what commonly happens in different people’s roles and practice. As you access them, think about the contributions you make and how you might want to develop your knowledge and skills further.
KSF - Khalid
KSF - Sam
KSF - Willian
KSF - Aleena
KSF - Sophia
KSF - Chris
The KSF in practice
