awareness of health and care professions council (HCPC) guidelines for clinical practitioners

Question 1

what is the awareness of health and care professions council

Answer 1

the HCPC standards consist of guidelines for all practitioner psychologists

Question 2

list 6 examples of standards of proficiency in the HCPC

Answer 2

1. being able to practice safely and effectively
2. being able to practice within the legal and ethical boundaries
3. being aware of the impact of culture, equality and diversity on practice
4. understanding the importance of confidentiality
5. maintaining records
6. understanding the need to establish and maintain safe practice

Question 3

what are the other standards that practitioner psychologists must follow

Answer 3

• character - to join the HCPC trustworthy character references need to be obtained from people that know you for at least 3 years
• health - regular updates on general health must be sent to the HCPC
• standards of ethics - 10 ethical guidelines that practitioners must conform to

Question 4

what are the HCPC standards that apply to clinical psychologists

Answer 4

1. standards for education and training - minimum qualification is a master’s degree, BPS qualification and a doctorate
2. standards for prescribing - knowledge and training needs to be applied to prescribe appropriately and safely
3. standards for councillors - therapists offering counselling must understand the importance of empathy and imagination as well as the philosophy behind psychological therapies

Question 5

evaluate the credibility of the HCPC standards

Answer 5

• the standards set out by the HCPC are a credible framework, they are smart targets.
  
  • specific: well-defined achievements that can be understood by anymore with a psychological background
  • measurable
  • attainable: most practitioner psychologists are able to meet the standards
  • relevant: the standards have specific expectations for clinical psychologists
  • time-bound: members have to re-register every 2 years and show that they still meet the standards

Question 6

evaluate the disadvantages of the HCPC standards

Answer 6

• the HCPC’s standards are questioned with regards to how appropriate they are
  
  • specific: there is a grey-area for where legal and ethical boundaries lie when it comes to clinical psychology, the boundaries are not clear
  • attainable: the accusation that the HCPC acts like a moral police force would mean its standards are unattainable for the ordinary people with difficult private lives e.g. not enough money to fund expensive appeals
  • time-based: is 2 years often enough for registration or is it too often, the HCPC takes a fee when you re-register so is it just money-making? or perhaps, given the pace of change in healthcare practitioners should re-register every year