This page summarises our findings from reviewing education providers and programmes in recent years.
It provides our view on the consideration of health and character through admission processes, including our regulatory requirements, and what we commonly see in programme delivery.
This information should be considered by education providers when developing new and existing programmes linked to this area.
Our threshold requirements
- education providers assess the suitability of applicants, including criminal conviction checks (SET 2.4); and
- applicants are aware of and comply with any health requirements (SET 2.5).
- applicants are of appropriate character to train to become a health and care professional and to interact safely with service users and carers; and
- learners will be able to take part in a programme safely and effectively, and meet our requirements for registration once they complete the programme.
Summary reflections
Education providers have criminal conviction checks and health requirements in place as part of their admission processes. Education providers make judgements about the suitability of applicants, to consider whether our requirements for registration can be met by applicants considering any criminal convictions or health issues.
Education provider approaches
Education providers require a criminal conviction check to be carried out by the relevant national body for UK applicants, or by an equivalent body for international applicants.
Education providers were clear that admissions to programmes were subject to The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order, which enables education providers to ask questions “about spent convictions and cautions in order to assess a person's suitability for admission to certain occupations”.
Education providers set health requirements for entry to programmes, including:
- occupational health assessments, where judgements are made about whether individuals are able to practice a profession and meet all of our standards considering any health conditions; and
- mandatory immunisations, often linked to requirements for practice in specific professions.
Education providers consider and apply reasonable adjustments through the application process and through the course of programmes. They are mindful that learners need to meet our requirements for registration through programmes and are clear that adjustments cannot be made to the competence required of learners when completing their programme.
Current sector focus and challenges
Education providers must carefully consider the health and character of applicants at the point of admission and recognise their duty to support applicants and learners with different needs. They are also mindful of our requirements that anyone who completes a programme must meet our requirements for registration. This means there can be difficult decisions and conversations with applicants through admission processes, where for example a declared disability may impact on an individual’s ability to meet our requirements.
There is also a growing trend that those who have reasonable adjustments applied in their education and training find that equitable adjustments cannot be made in practice. Education providers should be mindful of this point, so they set realistic expectations for learners when transitioning to practice, without providing a discriminatory barrier for those who can meet our requirements for registration completing their programme.