HCPC Registration

Fitness to Practice issues

Your fitness to practice can be impaired in a number of ways for example by:

• Misconduct – such as misdemeanours, deliberate failings or dishonesty
• Incompetence – not having the requisite skills or knowledge underpinning your practice
• Having received a criminal caution or conviction in the UK or elsewhere
• Issues with your physical or mental health
• Having a determination made against you by another regulator responsible for health or social care
• Being included on a barred list which prevents you from working with vulnerable adults or children
• You having given fraudulent or incorrect information on application to the register

The Investigation Process

On receipt of a concern or complaint The HCPC will assess whether it is about your fitness to practice. If it is then they will proceed to the investigation stage and they will write to you to make you aware that they are conducting an investigation into an allegation about your fitness to practice.
The HCPC will then write to you giving full details of the allegation made against you and providing you with an opportunity to respond. HCPC defence barristers can assist you in formulating the response and what you should include in your response. It is important that you seek legal advice at this early stage as any response you do provide will be used throughout the process. Providing a full response at this stage may in some cases allow the Investigating Committee to come to a determination that there is no case to answer.

The Investigating Committee

The details of the allegation and your response will be passed to the Investigating Committee for them to decide whether there is a case to answer. The Investigating Committee can decide that:

• They require more information
• That there is no case to answer which means that the case will be taken no further
• That there is a case to answer which means that the case will be passed to another panel

The HCPC will confirm the outcome of the Investigating Panel to you in writing giving reasons for their decision. If the Investigating Committee have decided that there is a case to answer they will refer your case to 1 of 3 committees:

• The Conduct and Competence Committee for cases about lack of competence, misconduct, criminal cautions or convictions and barring decisions made by other regulators
• The Health Committee for cases where your health may be affecting your ability to practice
• Another panel of the Investigating Committee for cases where you have entered the register as a result of fraud or mistake