After you make a health or character declaration we will look into it further.
The process of doing this differs depending on whether you are an applicant or a registrant.
We recommend that you speak to your professional body, trade union or legal representative after making a declaration, as they know the processes well and will be able to support you.
Reviewing the declaration
Declarations made during the application and renewal processes are received by our Registration team. They review the information to assess whether you can practise safely and effectively.
If you are clearly able to practise safely and effectively, they will let you know and the process will proceed as normal; if not, they pass the declaration to our Fitness to Practise team.
If you make a self-referral (outside the application or renewal processes), it will go straight to our Fitness to Practise team.
Investigating the declaration
When the Fitness to Practise team receive a declaration, their role is to investigate by gathering more information. It is important to note that this is not a reflection on the declaration or an assumption that you are unfit to practise. Its purpose is to establish whether your declaration impacts your fitness to practise.
The Fitness to Practise team investigates all cases objectively and independently. They will explain what happens at each stage of the process and can provide you with support throughout.
Declarations made by registrants are investigated by a Case Manager in the Fitness to Practise team. Declarations made by applicants are investigated by a Case Officer in the Fitness to Practise Declarations team.
The Case Officer’s role is to gather relevant information and be a point of contact for everyone involved in the case. They will keep you up to date with the progress of their enquiries, and they can also explain how the process works and provide you with support.
After this stage, the process differs depending whether you are an applicant or a current registrant.
Fitness to practise process for registrants
The process for registrants is explained in our Investigating Concerns fact sheet.
Fitness to practise process for applicants
For applicants, a decision will be made against our health and character declarations policy once the Case Officer has gathered the information required. The outcome of this decision is either that:
- the information we have gathered meets the requirements to approve your application in line with the health and character declarations policy, which means that your application to the Register will be granted without being considered by a panel; or
- the information we have gathered needs to be looked at by a Registration Panel, who will decide whether to approve your application.
Registration Panels
If your declaration needs to be looked at by a Registration Panel, the information you submit to the Registration and Fitness to Practise teams will be seen by the Panel.
Registration Panels are made up of three members – a panel chair, a registrant panel member and a lay panel member. The registrant panel member will be from the same profession that you are applying for.
The purpose of the Registration Panel is to provide a recommendation to the HCPC on whether your application to the Register should be granted.
When considering health declarations, Panels will consider whether the applicant has:
- sought medical or other support as appropriate;
- made reasonable adjustments to their working arrangements or agreed them with their employer; and
- restricted their scope of practice to those areas where they are confident that they meet the standards of proficiency.
When considering character declarations, Panels will consider:
- the nature and seriousness of the offence or misconduct;
- when the incident occurred; and
- the applicant’s or registrant’s character and conduct since the incident.
Outcome
The Panel may grant or refuse your application to the Register.
If the Panel grants your application, the Case Officer will inform the Registration team of the decision. The Registration team will then process your application as normal. You cannot practise or use a professional title until you are on the Register.
If your application is refused, the reasons for the decision will be set out by the Panel in a written determination and sent to you. If your application is refused, you have the right to appeal. For more information, see Appealing a decision.
Adjustments
If you have a disability under the terms of the Equality Act 2010 and need us to make reasonable adjustments to this process, please contact us on Freephone: 0800 328 4218. You can read more about the HCPC’s Equality, diversity and inclusion policy.
For applicants and registrants based in Wales, our Welsh language standards make provision for proceedings in Welsh upon request.