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FAQs
What makes this tool official?
How much does it cost to use?
How can your Organisation start using the tool?
Can we use the e-KSF now?
How do I register for access to the e-KSF?
Is it secure?
What will happen when the system is updated?
How will I find out about changes to the e-KSF?
Will I have to do anything to get the updates?
If I make a suggested improvement, will it happen?
What makes this tool official?
This tool was commissioned by the Department of Health's Modernisation Agency, and was developed in partnership with the KSF Development Group.
It is the only KSF tool that is free to use for NHS organisations, and is currently the only tool that has permission to use the Crown Copyright KSF information.
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How much does it cost to use?
This tool has been developed, and is supported, using funds from the Department of Health Pay Modernisation Agency. This means that it is free at point of use for Organisations (no licence or software fees).
Organisations will need to ensure that key staff have access to computers with internet access to use the tool, and will also have to provide their own resources to train people in the use of the tool. For these reasons, use of the tool is not mandatory, but we do believe that it will save organisations significant time when compared with using paper-based processes to implement the KSF.
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How can your organisation start using the tool?
Your Organisation can use the tool after key individuals have attended the KSF training sessions (being arranged by your Strategic Health Authority Lead) and have enough information to make an informed decision about whether the electronic approach to implementing the KSF is suitable for you. If you do decide to use the e-KSF tool, you will need to:
Ensure that your joint staffside-managementside panel, and your SHA, approve the implementation
Allocate a “KSF administrator” to manage the use of the tool
Collect information about your Organisation's staff and reporting relationships, and upload these to the tool
Roll out training to all affected staff on the use of the tool
Your KSF lead should request more information about implementing the e-KSF by contacting us.
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Can we use the e-KSF now?
The e-KSF is available and ready for use by all NHS users. It is free at the point of use as funding has been made centrally to enable every organisation to implement the KSF strand of Agenda for Change.
Your Organisation can use the tool after key individuals have attended the KSF training sessions (being arranged by your Strategic Health Authority Lead) and have enough information to make an informed decision about whether the electronic approach to implementing the KSF is suitable for you.
If your Organisation has already decided to use the eKSF then please contact your eKSF Administrator for guidance on what to do next.
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How do I register for access to the e-KSF?
You can register for “guest access” to the tool at any time, to play with the system and get a feel for what it can do. With “guest access” you can create KSF post outlines, and see most of the features of the system, with the exception of the Joint Development Review processes (as this requires you to have registered staff whom you review). To get guest access,click here and follow the instructions.
If your Organisation is actively implementing the e-KSF tool, and your Reviewer is already registered, you can self-register yourself for access click here
If your Organisation is not yet actively implementing this tool, or you need further information, the best place to start is your KSF Lead. If you don’t know who your KSF Lead is then speak to your Agenda for Change Lead or your HR department.
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Is it secure?
Being on the internet, we've have taken special precautions to ensure that user's information is kept secure. To do this, we have three stages to our security.
Firstly, the data that people submit to the tool is kept physically under lock-and-key at our server in Bristol, which is also protected by a “firewall” meaning that it is secure against electronic attack.
Secondly, data in transit over the internet is encrypted (encoded) using “secure sockets layer”, which means that anyone “eavesdropping” on the data will not be able to make sense of it.
Thirdly, information on users' computers is only displayed once a password, only known to the individual user, is entered. This password also ensures that registered users only see the data that they should (so, for example, information about an individual's personal development plan can only be displayed to that individual and their reviewer).
Here are a few of things, amongst others, which are in place to ensure security on the e-KSF tool.
- Our tool is running on HTTPS which ensures secure, encrypted communication (between the client machine and the server) thereby reducing, and practically eliminating, any chance of data being intercepted on the way.
- Another risk for information to be leaked is through caches maintained on client machines and proxy servers. We have enabled option in our pages where by our pages are not cached on any proxy server or client machines. Currently this has been done on all the pages of the application but excluding popup pages, because of time constraints given the number of popup pages we have (though this is being implemented as we speak/type/read).
- We are currently using many measures on our site to avoid un-authorized access to any resource, which practically eliminates any chance of user accessing the page without logging in.
- On the note of web services exposed to other parties for integration; these are implemented using standard technologies like SOAP and XML which are not only Microsoft Standard but Industry Standard, even JAVA based SOS (service oriented services) uses the same. The data structures exposed are in 100% cases different to what they are in the system so no body can have any idea of internal structure of the system. We would be using such web services to exchange data with your HR databases. In general web service security in the industry is evolving and being registered MSDN (Microsoft Developers Network) we are kept up to date on all releases and loop holes discovered by Microsoft, meaning we stay on top of the curve if not ahead of it on such matters.
- There are other technical security measures in place such as the server sitting behind a firewall (where the boxes are hosted) and others not detailed here. Please bear in mind that complete details of the security measures described above can not be released, since their details themselves are under lock and key! However if there is anything else you would like to know please do not hesitate to drop us a line.
Click here to view our security policies and procedures.
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What will happen when the system is updated?
Updates and improvements to the system will be undertaken by the e-KSF development team and tested before they are released. They will also be checked by the KSFG. Updates will be released at phased intervals to ensure that changes do not happen too quickly.
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How will I find out about changes to the e-KSF?
This website will contain information on planned updates before they go live on the system. Information will also be sent direct to KSF leads and administrators by email. There will also be announcements of changes on the e-KSF once changes have taken place.
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Will I have to do anything to get the updates?
No. The website will update automatically. The new features will be available to you the next time you log on once an update has taken place. The changes are designed to make the system more user-friendly so it is highly unlikely that you will require further training to use them.
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If I make a suggested improvement, will it happen?
The e-KSF team collects and collates all of the feedback that is sent in by users on possible improvements/changes to the system. These suggestions are reviewed quarterly in partnership with the KSF Group and the NHS Staff Council. The KSFG makes decisions as to which suggestions should be taken forward and their relative priority - given that development is only one of the things that the e-KSF team needs to do.
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