Competency Framework
Introduction
Competencies are an accepted feature of the modern organisation. They are
commonly extended across the entire organisation and are expressed as a single
framework.
Competencies are defined as the behaviours employees must have or must
acquire, to input into a situation in order to achieve high levels of performance.
With this in mind we have developed our competency framework based on the
core values of the Association. These are the values derived from our mission
statement, our vision and our standards of staff practice. They have been
grouped into three key areas: Delivery, People and Professionalism & Integrity.
Competencies are the Association’s signal to all staff of the expected areas and
levels of performance. The framework will give you a map of the behaviours that
will be recognised and valued and enable the Association to perform effectively
and efficiently. The competencies articulate both the expected outcomes of an
individual’s efforts and the manner in which these activities will be carried out.
Competencies are an essential vehicle for achieving organisational performance
through focusing and reviewing an individual’s capability and potential (CIPD,
May 2008). Integrated they pool together everyone’s potential, with common
goals, and enable the Association to achieve its objectives. This will help us to
ensure that our people have:



The necessary ability in terms of skills and knowledge;
The motivation and incentive; and
The opportunity to deploy their skills effectively in their own specific roles
and in contributing to the wider success of their teams and organisation.
Research has shown that these factors contribute to organisational commitment
and job satisfaction and to the types of behaviour that result in improved work
performance.
The competency framework will be essential in communicating job requirements.
At the end of this document is an outline of the policies, procedures and
information that support the framework and that can be used for guidance. In
addition HR will work with managers to help staff to manage their performance in
relation to identifying and meeting competency and therefore job expectations.
And Training will work with managers to help staff develop their competencies.
v.III.05.10.10
We have summarised the Association’s core values into three key areas from
which each of our competencies are derived, as below.
People
 Team orientation – working with others
 Behaves ethically and treats others fairly
 Client focus
 Leadership
Delivery
 Demonstrates initiative
 Problem solving and assessment
 Results orientation
 Value focus
Professionalism and Integrity
 Quality focus
 Self development/continuous improvement
 Resource management
The framework is designed to be used as a supportive tool, not as prescriptive
instructions.
There are a number of ways in which the framework can be used to develop your
knowledge and skills. For example this will form the basis of the appraisal
system to assess competence and identify areas for development.
It can also be linked into the support and supervision process and personal
development plans such that it then informs the appraisal process (simplifying
that for all participants). However it can also be used as a mechanism to help
staff assess their own competence and training needs as well as a career
planning tool.
Blue Triangle (Glasgow) Housing Association’s competency framework is aligned
to the Framework for Continuous Learning in Social Services.
v.III.05.10.10
People
1.
Team orientation – working with others
Fosters two-way communication
Develops and maintains positive working relationships
Supports and trusts others
Takes a flexible approach when dealing with others, encouraging
collaborative working and the sharing of good practice
 Willing to change roles




2.
Behaves ethically and treats others fairly
 Manages self and others in accordance with our policies and contributes
to policy development where appropriate
 Recognises where own values and attitudes may be in conflict with those
of the Association and manages this through appropriate mechanisms
such as support and supervision
 Demonstrates a commitment to and promotes equality and diversity
 Appropriately challenges unacceptable behaviour and language
 Shows social and environmental responsibility
3.
Client focus
 Develops and maintains positive working relationships with external and
partnership agencies
 Gathers information from the client or service user
 Selects information for communication to the client or service user
 Knows when and to whom to pass on comments and queries
4.
Leadership
 Develops and delivers the strategy of the team/project/division/Association
 Addresses challenges and manages change in support of the Association
and local objectives
 Maintains an awareness of the wider context and responds accordingly
 Promotes the activities of the team/project/division/Association both
internally and externally as appropriate
Delivery
5.
Demonstrates initiative
 Recognises what needs to be done and willingly takes responsibility for
making it happen
 Is able to act on own initiative especially in the absence of their manager
 Understands their role in delivering a service and can adapt to a wide
range of needs
v.III.05.10.10
6.



7.




8.



Problem solving and assessment
Anticipates and prevents problems
Acts within the limits of own knowledge, competence, confidence and
responsibility
Uses analysis, wisdom, experience and logical methods to arrive at
effective solutions to problems
Results orientation
Plans activities to ensure that standards are met
Ensures plans are implemented in a timely way
Takes action to overcome obstacles and seeks to achieve agreed
outcomes in the most cost-effective way
Shows energy and enthusiasm for getting things done
Value focus
Works to conserve resources and avoid abuse and/or misuse of resources
Understands client needs in terms of delivery times and cost
Demonstrates an understanding of information about own area of work
and the organisation and uses this to look for best value from resources
Professionalism and Integrity
9.
Quality focus
 Promotes the Association’s values and corporate objectives to colleagues
and externally
 Develops ideas and solutions with clear recommendations on the way
forward
 Does not accept an issue at face value but probes to understand causes
and implications
10.




11.



Self development/continuous improvement
Demonstrates effective self management and focus
Demonstrates ongoing capacity for learning
Makes practical suggestions and improvements for carrying out personal
or team tasks
Builds on the ideas and suggestions of others and welcomes challenges
to own
Resource management
Manages project/workload to meet timescales, budget and deliverables
Understands risk, including the taking of opportunities while managing
risk
Puts measures in place to identify, manage and minimise risk (financial,
continuity, H& S)
v.III.05.10.10
Proficiency Levels
We have adopted the proficiency levels laid out in the Continuous Learning
Framework for use with the Association’s Competency Framework. This allows for
consistency of approach and for individuals to demonstrate transferability (across,
into or out of the Association). These proficiency levels, which are stages of
progression, are engaged, established, accomplished and exemplary. There are a
number of indicators under each of the stages of progression allied to each of the
competencies in our framework. Please note that the framework is future-oriented
therefore has been designed to be flexible enough to meet our needs in the future.
For this reason there is no prescribed number of indicators under each competency,
and the number of indicators is variable.
The proficiency levels describe what the competencies look like at the engaged,
established, accomplished and exemplary stages and therefore provide ways in
which each stage could be evidenced. Some of the indicators will be repeated for
different competencies due to the holistic nature of the framework. The stages of
progression are cumulative. For example, for someone to be at an accomplished
stage they would need to demonstrate evidence of the indicators under engaged,
established and accomplished stages. Overarching descriptors have been used to
make sure that there is consistency in the stages of progression across all of the
competencies. The overarching descriptors are outlined below.
ENGAGED
Staff at this stage will be able to demonstrate awareness and understanding of the
capability as well as a commitment to developing it. They will demonstrate their
capacity to continually improve. They will take responsibility for their own learning
and be able to reflect on their practice but should be expected to seek advice and
support as required.
ESTABLISHED
Staff at this stage will be able to consistently demonstrate the personal capability in
practice. They will be reflective practitioners who actively engage in their own
continuous learning but continue to seek advice and support as appropriate. They
will begin to demonstrate an ability to focus on the development of others as well as
themselves.
ACCOMPLISHED
Social service workers at this stage will exercise increasing autonomy and initiative
in their practice and begin to provide a model for others. Their practice will be
informed by research evidence and critical self-reflection will be an embedded
feature of their practice. They will make an active and ongoing contribution to the
learning of others and to the learning culture within their own.
EXEMPLARY
Social service workers at this stage will be recognised within and beyond their
organization for their outstanding practice. They will recognise the talents of others
and encourage them to achieve their potential. They will enhance the learning and
quality of practice in their own organization and beyond. They will exercise high
levels of leadership, autonomy and initiative. They will use evidence informed
practice to continuously improve outcomes for people who use services.
v.III.05.10.10