Press Release

Health Professions Council launches joint psychology consultation: threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register and draft standards of proficiency.

9 November 2007

In February 2007, the government published a white paper on the future of regulation, ‘Trust, Assurance and Safety – The Regulation of Health Professionals, in the 21st Century’. The white paper said….‘The government is planning to introduce statutory regulation for applied psychologists…’ (p. 81) and that ‘Psychologists…will be regulated by the Health Professions Council’ (p.85).

The applied psychology disciplines to be regulated are likely to be the same as those identified in the 2005 Department of Health consultation document: ‘Applied Psychology: Enhancing public protection: Proposals for the statutory regulation of applied psychologists’ (March 2005). They are: clinical, counselling, educational, forensic, health, occupational and sport and exercise psychology.

In preparation for applied psychologists joining the Register, the HPC today launched a consultation on the draft standards of proficiency alongside a consultation on the threshold level of qualification for entry to the applied psychologist’s part of the Register. The consultation will take place between 9 November 2007 and the 8 February 2008.

Proposed standards of proficiency
The HPC established a Professional Liaison Group (PLG) to put together the draft standards of proficiency. The group consisted of lay and registrant members of the HPC Council together with external members from the psychology profession and voluntary sector organisations. The group’s main considerations were to ensure that the standards outlined in this draft were set at the necessary threshold level for safe and effective practice. The group were also keen to ensure that the standards were at an appropriate level of detail to ensure that they were as clear and inclusive as possible.

The standards are important because they define the skills, knowledge and abilities that are necessary to become registered for the first time. They also play a role in how a professional remains registered. The standards are used to assess applicants applying to be registered and are used if a registrant’s competence is called into question.

In the document, the HPC has included profession-specific standards which would apply to the whole of the applied psychologist’s part of the Register, as well as standards which would only apply to specific disciplines within it.

Threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register
Standard one of the standards of education and training (‘SET 1’) sets out the threshold level of entry to the Register in the professions we regulate. Every time a new part of the Register is opened, the HPC need to determine the threshold academic level for entry for the new profession. As the threshold is the minimum, programmes above the threshold academic level may also be approved.

HPC President, Anna van der Gaag said…..”These consultations will put the Council’s proposed standards and the threshold level of entry to the Register before a wide range of stakeholders, including professionals and professional bodies, employers, higher education institutions and others with an interest in our work.  

“We  very much want to hear the views of  different stakeholders before any decisions are taken. We would like to invite any individual or organisation with an interest in these issues to respond to this consultation”.

The Health Professions Council is an independent, UK-wide health regulator set up by the Health Professions Order (2001).  The HPC keeps a register for 13 different health professions and only  registers people who meet the standards it sets for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health. The HPC will take action against people who do not meet these standards or who use a protected title illegally.