Emma has been a Registered Dietitian for over 17 years and has experience in adult and paediatric dietetics. She has been the Editor of NHD for seven years, steering the editorial content and supporting the production process. Emma currently works in industry.
Emma Coates, RD
HCPC revised standards of conduct, performance and ethics
Many of us will be aware of the HCPC and the standards it sets for our profession and other health and care professionals who are registrants with the organisation. However, did you know that a few changes are coming into effect from 1st September 2024?
Yes, that’s right! The HCPC has revised its standards of conduct, performance and ethics and its guidance on social media. These are standards and guidance that apply to all HCPC registrants.
If you’re an HCPC registrant or due to become one, here’s a quick overview of the changes and key things you need to know.
What are these standards and guidance?
The HCPC’s standards of conduct, performance and ethics lay out how health and care professionals should conduct themselves. They also support the HCPC to make decisions about a professional’s character should they apply to register with the organisation and can be used should there be any concern regarding a registrant’s practice. The standards are a commitment to professional conduct and can be accessed here...
The HCPC guidance on social media offers registrants information on how to meet expected standards whilst using social media in a professional and/or personal capacity. Use of social media is a key part of many people’s personal and professional lives, however, the boundaries between the two can become blurry. The HCPC guidance on social media is a clear overview of its expectations of registrants, which is a useful reference if there’s anything you aren’t sure about. You can access it here...
So what’s changing?
The HCPC reviewed their standards and guidance recently via a public consultation process, which was conducted between March and June 2024. They also hosted a series of workshops.
The review was conducted to ensure that the standards and guidance remain relevant to current practice and that registrants understand them.
A wealth of information is available on the HCPC website, taking you through the changes that will come into effect on 1st September this year. A series of recorded webinars titled #myHCPCstandards focus on the various themes of the changes, and there’s also an introduction to the revised standards. There are opportunities to attend some of these webinars, with up and coming dates in September. Check out the HCPC website for more information, as attendance to these webinars can count towards your continuing professional development (CPD).
Revisions to the standards and guidance focus on a variety of themes. Here’s an ‘at a glance’ summary of the themes and changes. If you’d like to review the exact revisions, they can be accessed here...
Theme | Specific standards that have changed | Why? | Read / see more |
|---|---|---|---|
Equality, diversity and inclusion | - Treat service users and carers with respect - Make sure you have consent (1.4) - Challenge discrimination - Maintain appropriate boundaries (1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12) | To promote an active approach | |
Communication
| - Communicate with service users and carers - Work with colleagues - Social media and networking sites
| To ensure clarity of registrant
|
The guidance on social media ties in with this theme. More info on this via this HCPC webinar video: - |
Duty of candour | - Openness with service users and carers (8.1, 8.2) | To ensure that registrant practice - | More info on this via this HCPC webinar video: |
Upskilling and training responsibilities | - Keep within your scope of practice (3.1, 3.2, 3.3) | To ensure that registrants | Upskilling and training responsibilities More info on this via this HCPC webinar video: |
Managing existing health conditions and disabilities in the workplace | Manage your health (6.3, 6.4) | To support registrants with health conditions and disabilities to continue practising in a safe and effective way. | |
Sustainability | There are no current HCPC standards on sustainability | Sustainability was discussed in | The HCPC offers online information and resources on practising sustainably, which have been updated. |
What does this mean for me and/or my colleagues?
- If you’re registered with the HCPC you must ensure that you familiarise yourself with the revised standards and guidance. You will be expected to meet the revised standards from 1st September 2024.
- If you manage or employ HCPC registered staff you can find further support on the revisions via the HCPC Employer Hub here... It’s important that you familiarise yourself with the changes and support your staff to do this too!
- Applicants will be asked to declare that they meet the standards of conduct, performance and ethics as part of their application. From 1st September 2024, this will refer to the revised version of the standards.
- Students on an HCPC-approved course will also need to refer to the revised versions from 1st September 2024. There’s some specific guidance on conduct and ethics students, which runs through what the standards mean for you here...
NHD’s top tips for familiarising yourself with the changes?
- Take it a bite at a time – eat through the various themes and changes one at a time.
- Work with others to read through it all – form an update group with your colleagues or fellow students to review the changes and summarise.
- Start a conversation about it: discuss it with colleagues or fellow students. Talking about new information can support better understanding and may help you to remember it better.
- Earmark some CPD time and book on to one of the #myHCPCstandards webinars.
- Dates and times not good for you? - Watch the recorded #myHCPCstandards webinars at a time that better suits you.
- Use the online HCPC resources. If you’re not sure about something, contact them to find out more!
So there we have it – some revisions to an important set of standards and guidance that apply to day-to-day practice.
It can seem like a lot to take in but it’s well worth taking the time to familiarise yourself with the changes and ensure that you know what’s expected of you as an HCPC registrant or registrant-to-be.
Whichever way you do it, make sure that you do!
