The Health and Care Professions Council is the regulatory body set up to provide protection for the public, by maintaining a register of all health and care professionals that meet their standards for health, behaviour, professional skills and training.
Professions Regulated by The Health and Care Professions Council
The Council currently regulates the following professions:
- Language and Speech Therapists – They assess, treat and help to prevent difficulties with swallowing, language and speech
- Social Workers in England – They are responsible for liberation and empowerment of people, problem solving matters related to human relationships and promoting social change to improve well-being.
- Radiographers – Diagnostic radiographers are responsible for producing and interpreting high-quality images of bodies for diagnosing diseases and injuries. Therapeutic radiographers are responsible for planning and delivering treatments involving radiation.
- Orthotists/Prosthetists – They supply orthoses and prostheses to appropriate patients. An orthosis is fitted onto a body part that exists, while a prosthesis is something that is used as a replacement for a body part that’s missing
- Practitioner Psychologists – They are involved in the study of behaviour, the mind and people from a scientific point of view. They try to understand how mental functions come into play in social behaviour and individuals.
- Physiotherapists – They deal with the movement and function of people and help them to achieve their full potential on a physical level. They approach issues and problems from a physical point of view and restore, maintain and promote well-being.
- Paramedics – They provide specialist treatment and care to injured or acutely ill patients and can carry out some surgical techniques and administer drugs.
- Orthoptists – They specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of visual conditions concerning the alignment and movement of the eyes.
- Operating Department Practitioners – They provide skilled support and care for individuals alongside their nursing and medical colleagues throughout the anaesthetic, surgical and recovery stages of surgery.
- Occupational Therapists – They use various activities to reduce the effects of disabilities, while promoting the independence in all areas of their life.
- Hearing Aid Dispensers – They work in private practices assessing, fitting and providing aftercare hearing aids.
- Dietitians – They treat medical conditions by using nutritional science to devise special eating plans for their patients. They help encourage positive changes in choices of food and promote better health in general.
- Clinical Scientists – They oversee special tests for the diagnosis and management of different diseases. They provide doctors with advice on tests and interpretation of data and carry out research into understanding diseases better.
- Podiatrists/Chiropodists – Podiatrists and Chiropodists carry out diagnosis and treatment on deformities, diseases and disorders related to feet.
- Biomedical Scientists – They analysis specimens from their patients in order to provide data to enable doctors to effectively diagnose and treat diseases
- Arts Therapists – They are psychological therapists who have arts-based experience and training in various psychological interventions making use of art, music or drama as their main communication mode.
Each of the above professions have at least one or more designated titles that are legally protected, for instance, dietitian and physiotherapist. Anyone working using one of the titles above must be registered with the Council. If anyone is practising one of the above professions and misusing a designated title is actually breaking the law and could be prosecuted.
Vision and Aims of the HCPC
The HCPC operates with the view to meeting the following main aims:
- Keeping a public register of members who are qualified to practise using the professional titles listed above.
- Approve and uphold high standards of training and education, and continued good practice.
- Carrying out investigations into complaints and, when necessary, taking the appropriate action
- Working alongside members of the public and a full range of different groups, including various professional bodies
- Promoting full awareness and understanding of what the Council aims to do.
Values of the HCPC
The core values that underpin the work of the HCPC are:
- High Quality Service
- Value for Money
- Responsiveness
- Collaboration
- Transparency
What They Do
The aim of the HCPC ensures that the law is upheld and members of the general public are fully protected against being misled thinking that an individual is a fully registered individual when the fact is that they aren’t. If they receive information that suggests the title being used by an individual is being misused, they will contact the relevant 3rd party or person (or even both), properly explain the legal implications and explain that they should not be misusing that title. If they have evidence that an offence has been committed, they could send a notice telling them to cease and desist, outlining the actions they could take if the individual or 3rd party does not stop.
Generally, the individual or 3rd party is actually unaware of their law, or they have made a mistake. The HCPC takes this onboard and appreciates it and as long as they stop using the title, they will not proceed with any further action.