Resources

Resources

Add to favourites

There are some key national frameworks and resources that are designed to support you in planning, undertaking and reflecting on your development. A few of these are outlined below.

Frameworks

A cartoon person sitting with laptop with various screenshots clinked around them

Frameworks are structured tools or models that can guide health and social care professionals in their ongoing professional development. They provide a clear set of competencies, skills, and behaviours that are required to advance in each role, and they can be incredibly useful in mapping out learning, setting goals, and assessing progress and can be used at different stages of your career.

A good framework to start with is the NMAHP Development Framework. The Framework provides a structure for career development, supports lifelong learning, enables you to develop a personalised development plan and supports professional growth.

For further information and resources check out the Turas Learn site

Resources to support the framework | Turas | Learn

In addition to the NMAHP Development Framework you may want to include a role specific/specialist framework to ensure you have a full picture of your development needs.

Framework links:

The NMAHP Development framework has a Supporting Frameworks section that you might find useful to research frameworks more widely.

The Four Pillars of Practice

Using the 4-pillars to structure CPD activity can be helpful enabling practitioners to strengthen their capabilities across the 4 areas of practice – Clinical, Facilitating Learning, Leadership, Service Improvement/Evidence, Research and Development.

The Pillars relate to four areas of practice:

Clinical Practice
Facilitating Learning
Leadership
Service Improvement/Evidence, Research and Development

Each pillar has specific knowledge and skills aligned to them. The Pillars are used in the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Development Framework alongside Levels of practice to structure learning and development.

the 4 pillars of practice Clinical, Facilitating Learning, Leadership, Evidence, Research and Development.

The aim of the Pillars and Levels is to highlight the breadth and range of knowledge and skills required to practice safely and effectively for all healthcare professionals. While it's common to initially focus on the Clinical Pillar, as its knowledge and skills may feel more familiar and directly applicable, we would recommend developing expertise in the other Pillars as this can significantly enhance and reinforce clinical abilities.

Reflection

Reflection is the process of thoughtfully considering and analysing one’s own experiences, actions, and practices to gain deeper insight, improve performance, and enhance professional growth.

This process involves looking back on specific situations or encounters in practice, assessing what went well, what could have been done differently and what can be learned from those experience.

Reflection is an integral process of professional development as it enables you to:

Enhance self-awareness – by recognising personal strengths and areas for improvement.
Improve practice – through the identification of ways to provide better care and support.
Increase critical thinking – by analysing situations and considering alternative approaches or solutions.
Promote lifelong learning – encouraging continuous professional development and adapting to new challenges.
Support decision-making – by reflecting on past experiences to inform future choices in practice.

Values Based Reflective Practice, otherwise known as VBRP®, is a model which has been developed by NHS Scotland to help staff deliver the care they came into the service to provide. Find out more here - Values based reflective practice (VBRP®) | Turas | Learn

Reflection can be done individually or in groups (e.g., peer or team reflection), and it can be structured through tools such as reflective journals, case studies, or formal supervision. It can be useful to consider these resources for all health and social care staff.

For more information follow the links below:

Supervision

Supervision is a process of professional learning and development that enables individuals to reflect on and develop their knowledge, skills, and competence, through agreed and regular support with another professional (HCPC, 2024).

Supervision is a valuable and supportive practice available to all health and social care practitioners regardless of role, band or level of practice. Whether you're in a junior position or a senior leadership role, supervision provides an opportunity for reflection, guidance, and professional development.

It is a space where all staff members can receive support, share challenges, explore solutions, and enhance their practice. We believe that continuous growth is essential at every stage of your career, and supervision is a key part of fostering that development, ensuring that all staff feel supported, heard, and empowered in their roles. Everyone, regardless of experience or title, is encouraged to take full advantage of this opportunity for personal and professional growth.

For more information go to Supervision for nursing, midwifery and allied health professions | Turas | Learn and Restorative supervision | Turas | Learn

Preceptorship

Cartoon people walking up a hill with upward pointing arrows.

Preceptorship is tailored structured support for all health and social care professionals who are going through a period of transition, for example, becoming a newly qualified practitioner, returning to practice after a career break, undertaking a career development or change in role/speciality.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2020) recommended that all new registrants receive a period of preceptorship to support their transition to their new role and to becoming an accountable practitioner.

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) have developed high level preceptorship principles which are appropriate to a range of settings and work arrangements and supportive to HCPC regulatory infrastructure.

For more information go to:

AHP preceptorship | Turas | Learn and Preceptorship | Turas | Learn