5 things you should know about the HCPC’s annual monitoring process

Education Manager, Ben Potter, highlights what education providers need to be aware of when it comes to annual monitoring this year.

Programme leaders of our approved education and training programmes should have received correspondence in October about our annual monitoring process over the 2015-16 academic year.

Annual monitoring is a retrospective documentary process to consider whether a programme continues to meet our education standards, and that individuals who successfully complete the programme are able to meet the HCPC’s relevant Standards of proficiency (SOPs), standards for prescribers or standards for approved mental health professionals.

901 programmes – more than ever before – are being considered through annual monitoring in 2015-16. Here’s 5 things education providers can do to help ensure a straightforward and effective process:

1. Submit one of two types of monitoring submission: a declaration or an audit

Depending on whether you’re in Group A or Group B, you will need to submit an audit or a declaration. A declaration asks you to confirm that the programme continues to meet our education standards, and that recent and future changes have been reported to us. An audit asks you to submit a completed form and mapping document with several key pieces of your internal quality monitoring documentation. You can check if your education provider is in Group A or B here.

2. Evidence service user and carer involvement

Education providers who have not been visited since September 2014 will need to demonstrate how they are involving service users and carers in their approved programmes. This follows the introduction of SET 3.17 in 2014 and the prescribing standard B.15 in 2015. Guidance on how to evidence service user and carer involvement can be found here.

3. Demonstrate the integration of revised SOPs

With the exception of social worker and practitioner psychologist programmes, all pre-registration education and training programmes must declare that they have integrated the revised Standards of Proficiency (SOPs) for their profession into their teaching and learning. More information on our processes for assessing the revised SOPs is detailed here.

4. Send us your submission by the specified deadline

Your submission date is detailed in the correspondence emailed to you in October. This date will usually correspond with the end of any internal quality processes. You must complete the relevant form – declaration or audit – and submit it to us, along with the requested documentation, by the deadline stated in our correspondence to you. Failure to do so may result in your programme’s ongoing approval being considered by the HCPC’s Education and Training Committee.

5. Further guidance on the HCPC website

The Education section of the HCPC website provides detailed information and guidance about the annual monitoring process. You can also read and/or download our Annual monitoring – supplementary information for education providers publication. If you require any additional advice, you can contact the HCPC’s education department on 020 7840 9812 or email annualmonitoring@hcpc-uk.org

Health, disability and becoming a health and care professional

Our new guidance aims to encourage, enable and support disabled people who are considering or training to become HCPC-registered professionals. Policy Officer, Laura Coveney, tells us more.

We think that having a health condition or disability shouldn’t be seen as a barrier to becoming a health and care professional. Indeed, many people who have disabilities successfully complete our approved training programmes, go on to register with us and practise as health and care professionals.

We want to help people with disabilities overcome any perceived barriers to training and then becoming registered with us in their chosen profession. This was the primary reason for producing our updated guidance publication: Health, disability and becoming a health and care professional. It offers insight and advice for those with disabilities, as well as information for education providers about delivering support.

One of the key things the guide does is to break down the process of becoming a health and care professional; from choosing and applying for a course to registering with the HCPC and gaining employment. A brief summary is outlined below.

This four-step process is complemented by a series of case studies from students and staff who have shared their experiences of having a disability and training to become a health and care professional.

Step 1: choosing a course

Those with disabilities may find it helpful to speak to education providers, career advisors, etc., to find out about the support available during training and working in their chosen profession.

Step 2: applying and completing an approved programme

For students with disabilities, it’s important to have a realistic understanding of whether tasks can be carried out safely and effectively. The ability to do certain tasks, or the support needed to carry them out, may change over time. Education providers can assess applications and consider their responsibilities, including making reasonable adjustments if necessary.

Step 3: applying for registration

Part of the HCPC application requires prospective registrants to make a health declaration. We recognise that a disability may not be seen as a health condition.  And we do not need information about any health condition or disability unless it affects your fitness to practise.

Step 4: gaining employment

All professionals using one of our protected titles must be registered before they can begin practising. Similar to education providers, employers are also required to make reasonable adjustments in the workplace to ensure disabled employees are not seriously disadvantaged when doing their jobs.

Health, disability and becoming a health and care professional is available to download here. It is also available in a number of formats on request, including braille and large print.

For more information visit the dedicated health and disability section of the HCPC website: www.hcpc-uk.org/aboutregistration/healthanddisability