Step 4: Identify capacity required for Supporting Professional Activity

It can be useful to identify the minimum number of Supporting Professional Activity (SPA) sessions required for an individual staff member in your service, to include activity such as:

• Completing mandatory training, for instance LearnPro
• Turas
• Supervision
• Job Planning
• Attending team meetings
• Continual Professional Development
• Operational leadership activity

For details on what falls under SPA please see the Activity Guide.

Protected Learning Time

As part of the 2023-24 Agenda for Change review, effective from April 1, 2024, boards should ensure all staff receive paid time within working hours for statutory, mandatory, and professional training (Protecting learning time for Agenda for Change staff in NHS Scotland). Discussion around Protected Learning Time (PLT) is in development at Board level, so if this information is available you may wish to consider this when calculating SPA capacity.

Use the SPA Capacity Required tab on the Service Capacity Calculator to help you calculate sots required annually and per quarter.

How to use the Service Capacity Calculator video

Video Transcript