Being ‘fit to practice’ requires a registered Health Play Specialist to have the knowledge, skills, health, and character to do their job safely and effectively.
Fitness to Practice is not a punitive process: its aim is to support practitioners to gain the knowledge, skills, experience, and insight required to meet registration standards. The rationale for a Fitness to Practice policy and process is the protection of the public and of registered practitioners.
SoHPS’ Professional Standards set out the standards of practice and behaviour that Registered Health Play Specialists must adhere to in order to remain registered with SoHPS.
The re-registration process requires every registered Health Play Specialist to regularly demonstrate that they practise safely and that they adhere to the expected Professional Standards.
SoHPS Fitness to Practice process
If an allegation is made, and evidence provided, that a registered Health Play Specialist does not meet the expected standards of education, knowledge, skills, and behaviour, SoHPS will investigate whether they are fit to practice. As part of the investigation process, SoHPS may contact employers, colleges, witnesses, and the awarding bodies.
SoHPS will investigate various allegations including:
- misconduct
- lack of competence
- criminal behaviour
It may be necessary, in the interests of public safety and the reputation of the profession, for SoHPS to suspend an individual from the register as an interim measure while a fitness to practice investigation is undertaken.
Following an investigation, SoHPS may proceed to conduct a Fitness to Practice hearing.
The Fitness to Practice panel can make the following decisions:
- No case to answer.
- Restrictions to practice while skills and knowledge are demonstrated at the level required for registration.
- Suspension from the register for a set period, with detailed feedback on the requirements which need to be met to regain entry to the register.
- Permanent removal from the register.
Raising a concern
If someone has concerns about the fitness to practice of a Registered Health Play Specialist, they should raise their concerns, in the first instance, with the employer, college or university to see if the concern can be resolved at a local level.
If the concern cannot be resolved locally, the matter should be referred in confidence to The Chair of Trustees of SOHPS on the email registration@sohps.org.uk.