24 August 2023
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)’s updated standards of proficiency will come into effect on 1 September 2023
It is important that all SLTs understand the changes that have been made to the standards of proficiency and are ready to meet them as far as they relate to their scope of practice.
The wording of the standards has been updated to move away from a passive understanding of the standards, and towards active implementation of them. HCPC have provided information on what active implementation means.
The key changes can be grouped into five themes:
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Leadership
- Registrants’ mental health
- Further centralising the service user
- Digital skills and new technologies
There are also new standards about promoting public health and preventing ill-health.
HCPC has provided several resources on their website, including factsheets and webinars on the different themes to support registrants to adhere to the standards.
You can download the full standards and changes for SLTs here. If you have any concerns or queries about the updated standards you can also contact info@rcslt.org.
In addition, the renewal window for HCPC registration is currently open until 30 September 2023. If you haven’t renewed yet, it’s important to do so on time, so you can continue to practise as a speech and language therapist for the next two-year cycle. More details and renewal guidance is also available on the HCPC website.
