HCPC your questions answered
Physiotherapists must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to practice as a physiotherapist or physical therapist in the UK.
With HCPC registration renewal approaching, the following answers some questions physios might have on the process
HCPC Renewals and Standards of Proficiency
The HCPC Standards of Proficiency are changing for the next registration renewal. Practitioners should not be daunted by these changes as, if you are already HCPC registered and working within the standards of your profession you will already be meeting the HCPC requirements. There is no need to panic, or spend additional costs on external audits or unnecessary training courses.
Full details of the HCPC Standards of Proficiency for physiotherapists can be found on their website.
For Physio First members
To guide you through the requirements of the HCPC Standards of Proficiency, we have produced a template checklist that includes each item and enables you to
- Be clear on the areas that are within your scope of practice
- Note how YOU meet each standard as part of your practice. This may be useful in the future, so keep this up to date
- Identify any areas that you may need to action to meet the standard
You may need to evidence how you meet the standards applicable to you if you are called for an audit or you have a “Fitness to practice” action brought against you.
We will be including areas of practice that may help you over the coming weeks. If you have any particular concerns please contact us, our volunteers are always willing to help.
Our Physio First communications team have produced a NEW resource that is exclusively available to guide to HCPC registration, this e-booklet is available only to members and can be accessed in our e-resource section, by logging into your account on our website.
How do I record my CPD for HCPC registration
The aim of CPD is to underpin your clinical practice, and the HCPC will require your learning points and evidence to support what you are doing. It is suggested that you need go no further back than the last five years in terms of certificates and record keeping, with the emphasis on the two most recent years of practice. The simple approach to recording your CPD is to record any key learning objectives you have gained from any and all education measures you have undertaken. This could be a course, a review of a patient case, reading an article in a journal (including our Physio First journal, In Touch), and/or attending or hosting a Physio First Skills Exchange event.
Your CPD can be recorded on the ePortfolio on the CSP's website which can be found by clicking here and logging in to your account. Video guidance is available to assist with the process. However, the HCPC website states that there is no set format for recording CPD; you can use a binder of information/ documents and certificates, or you can record the information electronically.
The HCPC CPD assessment process for physiotherapy occurs every two years.
What if you are chosen for HCPC audit?
- The HCPC randomly selects physiotherapists to check on CPD standards.
Those selected are informed by letter from the HCPC and although many physios find the prospect of an audit daunting, there is plenty of help and advice to guide you through it.
- This includes the HCPC website which has information on their standards and offers guidance notes on writing your CPD profile. They also have vidoes designed to assist registrants with helpful tips on how to prepare for CPD audits. You can view the HCPC video channel here
- In addition, as a member of Physio First you have access to a range of advice and support on all aspects of the HCPC audit process, including ongoing CPD provision and access to our Executive volunteers and office team who will answer any questions you may have. Some of our community meetings will also address the most asked questions about the HCPC process, so check our events page for any coming up
How can I contact HCPC?
The Health and Care Professions Council
184 Kennington Park Road
London SE71 4BU
Tel: 0300 500 6184
Online: www.hcpc-uk.org/