HCPC is a body (Health and care professionals council) that registers professionals in this field. You may have seen that your EP or Speech therapist, for example, have an HCPC number in their reports. This is their HCPC registration number and allows them to practice in a certain field. To practice in these fields, the professionals are required to conform to certain “professional standard”. If they are found to be no conformant they can be struck off the register or given suspension or a warning etc.
The professions are
- Arts therapists
- Biomedical scientists
- Chiropodists / podiatrists
- Clinical scientists
- Dietitians
- Hearing aid dispensers
- Occupational therapists
- Operating department practitioners
- Orthoptists
- Paramedics
- Physiotherapists
- Practitioner psychologists
- Prosthetists / orthotists
- Radiographers
- Speech and language therapists
It is important to know that most of the time, the reports that feed into EHCPs are written by these professionals. While there is a lot of variability in the standard of professionalism , it is fair to say, in my opinion, that when it has impact on a child’s special education needs, these standards need to be held to account because they have significant impact on a child’s education.
I first came across the HCPC in this SNJ article – Failure to specify and quantify SEND reports – what options do families have?
I was looking into why the EP report was so lacking in specificity and quantification. Along side that, the EP had written in section A and B that X provision was working very well, both reported by the parents and the school, but then completely fail to even mention in it Section F.
I thus set about to find more about the Fitness to Practice complaint as by this time we were already in tribunal so the date had passed when it would be OK to go back to EP to ask them to get their act together.
The process for FTP is given on the HCPC website, under the Concerns heading
To launch a Concern you have to fill in a form and attach your evidence with it. I’ve attached the form here (Good as of June 2022) but I’ll advise that you follow the guidance on the HCPC website and download the latest form.
You’ll need the name , address and HCPC number of the professional . These can be found on the HCPC website, although you don’t need the full address. I didn’t have the address but HCPC were able to find the professional.
Along side the form you’ll need evidence to support your complaint. You can also add additional sheets. I’ll share here what I put in them. For evidence, this could be reports from independent professionals, emails, meeting notes etc. You can also, take the report and highlight all the bits that are non specified and quantified.
In the additional sheets I added the following failings of the EP
Document: The Standards of conduct, performance and ethics
3. Work within the limits of your knowledge and skills
3.2 You must refer a service user to another practitioner if the care, treatment or other services they need are beyond your scope of practice.
Document: The Standards of conduct, performance and ethics
3. Work within the limits of your knowledge and skills
3.4 You must keep up to date with and follow the law, our guidance and other requirements relevant to your practice.
The statutory guidance with respect to the advice to be provided in an ECH needs assessment is at paragraph 9.51 of the SEND code of practice and is very clear:
“evidence and advice submitted by those providing it should be clear, accessible and specific. They should provide advice about outcomes relevant for the child or young person’s age and phase of education and strategies for their achievement”.
Document: The Standards of conduct, performance and ethics
9. Be honest and trustworthy
9.1 You must make sure that your conduct justifies the public’s trust and
confidence in you and your profession
Document: The standards of proficiency for practitioner psychologists
2. of Registrant practice psychologist must:
2.1 understand the need to act in the best interests of service users at all times
Document: The standards of proficiency for practitioner psychologists
2. of Registrant practice psychologist must:
2.5 understand current legislation applicable to the work of their profession
Document: The standards of proficiency for practitioner psychologists
2. of Registrant practice psychologist must:
2.7 be able to exercise a professional duty of care
Document: The standards of proficiency for practitioner psychologists
12 : be able to assure quality of practice
12.1 be able to engage in evidence-based and evidence-informed practice,
evaluate practice systematically and participate in audit procedures
After submitting your concern form
- Wait for few weeks to see if you get a case number assigned.
- If you don’t you can try and chase them or start a complain with feedback@hcpc-uk.org
- Once your case is picked up it will be assigned a case number and a case Triage officer. The triage officer may ask you for more information. This process can take up to 6 months.
- If it is decided in your favour that a fitness to practice issue has been identified the case will then be sent to investigation phase. This can take several more months before it is heard at the panel.
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