Chapter 2 · Competency assessment

Competency must be assessed before a staff member works independently, and must be reassessed at defined intervals (typically annually). Assessment methods include: direct observation, checking of work, proficiency testing, case scenarios, and written assessment. Results must be documented. Staff who fail competency assessment must not perform that task unsupervised until reassessment confirms they are competent.

Practical example

A section head is planning annual competency assessments. Good practice: The section head uses a combination of direct observation of a procedure, review of recent QC records, and a short written scenario to assess each staff member. Results are documented and signed by both the assessor and the staff member. Poor practice: The section head marks everyone as competent in the spreadsheet without any actual assessment — ‘they all know what they’re doing’.

What this means for your practice: Competency assessment must actually happen. Signing off a spreadsheet without evidence of assessment is a falsification of records.