Registrants’ mental health

The key changes in the updated standards of proficiency can be grouped into a number of themes, of which this is one. The changes in the updated standards extend beyond these themes. To see them all, download the
full standards for your profession >

Why?

The previous standards were less about the registrant and their health and more focused on fitness to practise. This wording reflects our position as a compassionate regulator and our understanding of the centrality of registrant wellness.

Specific standards:

Registrants must:

• 3.2: understand the importance of their own mental and physical health and wellbeing strategies in maintaining fitness to practise
• 3.4: develop and adopt clear strategies for physical and mental self-care and self-awareness, to maintain a high standard of professional effectiveness and a safe working environment
  
  

Expectations of registrants:

• Our previous standards did not mention mental health expressly and so our updated standards better support registrants in looking after their mental health as well as their physical health when practising. 
• There is not a set way for registrants to meet this standard, but registrants may find it helpful to include wellness goals in their personal assessments or include specific observations about their health and how they manage it in their own notes

Registrants should use their professional judgement when applying these standards. How you meet the standards will depend on your role, your workplace and your individual scope of practice.

What registrants need to do

Registrants need to ensure that they meet the updated standards as far as they relate to their scope of practice. We recommend dedicating some continuing professional development (CPD) time to making sure that any gaps between the standards and your current practice are filled. Our gap analysis tool can be a good starting point for this.

Evidence of these activities does not need to be submitted to the HCPC outside of a normal CPD audit. If you are selected for CPD audit, we’ll contact you at the beginning of your renewal window.

Resources