The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has launched its revised standards of conduct, performance and ethics, which came into effect on 1 September.
The standards of conduct, performance and ethics, and guidance on social media, which sits alongside the standards set out, in general terms, how HCPC expects registrants to behave. They outline what the public should expect from their health and care professional, help HCPC make decisions about the character of professionals who apply to the Register, and are used if someone raises a concern about a registrant’s practice.
Registrants must refer to the standards to know what is expected of them. They can also use them to ask for support from others, such as their employer or another health and care professional, where they need it to meet their standards effectively.
The key changes in the revised standards conduct, performance and ethics can be grouped into a number of themes. The themes are:
- Equality diversity and inclusion
- Communication
- Duty of candour
- Upskilling and training responsibilities
- Managing existing health conditions and disabilities in the workplace
A new dedicated page on the HCPC website summarises the key changes, and also has links to past and future webinars to help registrants understand the changes and any adaptations that might be required. The revisions were made after extensive consultation with a range of stakeholders to make sure the standards are relevant to current practice and can be clearly understood by those who use them.