Support available to placement personnelFitness to Practice

Dr Isabel Anton-Solanas22nd March 2013

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Aims of this session

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To identify situations where a student’s Fitness to Practice is cause for concern

To outline the standards that need to be met for a student to demonstrate their Fitness to Practice

To determine the action that is to be taken should there be a cause for concern

Definition

Definition of Fitness to Practice

Any programme of study with a practice component, which leads to professional registration, is governed by a requirement that students demonstrate their “Fitness to Practice” through:

• Completion of theory and practice assessment and course work.

• Standards of behaviour, health and professional conduct relevant to future employment.

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Duties of the University• In accordance with…

– Procedures for academic progression– Codes of professional conduct– Professional body requirements

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…The University must endeavour to ensure that the behaviour, health and professional conduct of students does not constitute a risk to themselves or others

Areas of concern

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Least frequent areas of concernCriminal conviction

or caution• Child pornography• Theft• Financial fraud• Possession of illegal

substances• Child abuse or any

other abuse• Physical violence• Fixed Penalty

Notices

Drug or alcohol misuse

• Drunk driving• Alcohol consumption

that affects clinical work or the work environment

• Dealing, possessing or misusing drugs

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Least frequent areas of concernAggressive, violent or

threatening behaviour

• Assault• Physical violence• Bullying• Abuse

Dishonesty or fraud

• Falsifying research

• Financial fraud• Fraudulent CVs or

other documents• Misrepresentation

of qualifications10

Most frequent areas of concern

Cheating or plagiarism

•In examinations, logbooks or portfolios•Passing off others’ work as own•Forging a supervisor’s name on assessments

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Most frequent areas of concern

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Academic progression•Failure to meet academic standards•Failure to meet practice standards•Poor health that impacts on capacity to engage fully despite reasonable adjustment

Most frequent areas of concern

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Health concerns

•Failure to seek medical treatment or other support•Refusal to follow medical advice•Treatment-resistant condition•Ongoing poor health which limits engagement/capacity to respond to feedback/retention of information

Most frequent areas of concern

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Unprofessional behaviour of

confidentiality or attitudes

•Breach of confidentiality•Misleading patients about their care or treatment•Culpable involvement in a failure to obtain consent•Sexual, racial or other forms of harassment•Failure to keep appropriate boundaries in behaviour•Persistent rudeness to patients/colleagues/others•Lack of ability to work towards and demonstrate the Standards of the Profession•Lack of ability to keep knowledge/skills up-to-date•Lack of appreciation of personal limits of knowledge and skills

Most frequent areas of concern

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Unprofessional behaviour of

confidentiality or attitudes

•Uncommitted to work•Neglect of administrative tasks•Major problems with effective communication in a clinical context (with patients, relatives and other healthcare professionals)•Failure to accept and follow educational advice•Inappropriate or unprofessional behaviour•Major problems with attendance, punctuality, organisational skills or dishonesty•Demonstration of inappropriate attitudes/bias on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, disability and social background

Raising Fitness to Practice

concerns

Who? How? When?• Who?

– Anyone concerned about the behaviour, health and/or professional conduct of a student.

• When?– At any time.

• How?– In writing to the University (Locality

Visitor/PALL).– Cause for Concern Form.

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Cause for Concern Form

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Emergency suspension

Emergency suspension

• A proportionate response• If the student remains in practice conditions may

be imposed• The Practice Educator will be notified by the

Faculty in person or by telephone at the earliest opportunity

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Withdrawal of a student from practice in response to the possible risk to themselves

and others

Determining severity

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1 •Has a student’s behaviour harmed others, or put others at risk of harm?

2 •Has the student shown a deliberate or reckless disregard of professional and clinical responsibility?

3 •Is a student’s health or impairment compromising others’ safety?

4 •Has a student abused a client’s trust or violated a client’s autonomy or other fundamental rights?

5 •Has a student behaved dishonestly, fraudulently or in a way designed to mislead or harm others?

Fitness to Practice

procedure

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Step by step…

Cause for Concern form

Initial discussion between PE and

LV/PALL

Critical incident

investigation

Gathering and documenting

evidence

Referral to Fitness to

Practice panel

Consideration of the evidence

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Support available

ALPS

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Briefing sessions

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• Prior to each placement to allow new practitioners working with our students to understand the philosophy of the programme and practice the assessment process prior to having their first students.

• The aim is to increase awareness and understanding of the programme content and use of clinical/practice assessment forms.

PALL: Isabel Anton-Solanas

An academic with a commitment to Supporting Learning in Practice (SLIP)

• Monitor the status of audits and ensure their timely completion.• Lead in the organisation and delivery of locality based practice learning activities.• Scrutinise student practice evaluations and ensure they are responded to.• Establish student placement lines and ensure every student has a suitable range of experiences.• Work in partnership with Trusts and the SHA, in particular LELs and senior staff to ensure the

provision of a quality practice experience for students.

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Locality Contacts

•University Hospital Southampton•St Mary’s Hospital (Newport)•Hampshire Hospitals (Basingstoke & Winchester)Sil Wallach•Queen Alexandra Hospital (Portsmouth)•East Surrey Hospital (Redhill)•St Richard’s Hospital (Chichester)

Bashir Lwaleed

•Royal Bournemouth Hospital•Poole Hospital•Dorset County Hospital (Dorchester)David Voegeli

•John Radcliffe Hospital (Oxford)•Royal Berkshire Hospital (Reading)•Milton Keynes HospitalRichard Bain

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Locality contacts’ role and responsibilities• Provide guidance and maintain contact between

the Faculty, placement personnel and learner:– Locality contacts are available to respond, within reason,

to learners' expressed needs for information and intervention.

– Locality contacts target and visit specific learners, placement educators and practice placement when:• Learners have specific needs identified.• Placement educators clearly signal that the learner’s

performance is below the standard required for the level of training reached.

• Placement educators need support, guidance, training and advice.

• There is a need to monitor and audit the practice-based learning experience. 30

Any questions?