Return to Practice Form

Transcription

1 Return to Practice Form Approved July 2017

2 Page 1 Introduction to Return to Practice During the course of their career, many professionals may not practise their profession for a period of time. This may occur for many reasons, which could include parental leave, extended travel, caring responsibilities or illness. We know that these professionals may wish to come back to their profession and resume their practice. However when returning to the profession after a prolonged period (greater than two years) a process of updating or refamiliarisation may be required to ensure safety of both the registrant and the patients or service users in his/her care. This is why CORU has established this process and set out Return to Practice requirements. Return to practice requirements applies to anyone who has not practised their profession for more than two years. They apply equally to those who are applying to the register for the first time or for those who are seeking restoration to the register. Please note that if you have never been registered and have not practised your profession for a period of two years prior to applying for registration, you will need to fill in both an online application form in addition to this Return to Practice form. If you take a break in your practice of less than two years, you can begin practising again without having to meet any additional requirements set by CORU. We believe that this is flexible enough to accommodate registrants who take a short break from practice (and particularly for registrants who take leave for family reasons) without compromising public protection and our role in upholding standards. You should complete this Return to Practice form if: You are a Health and Social Care Professional in one of the professions regulated by CORU And You wish to register for the first time in the Republic of Ireland where you are resuming practice in your profession after an absence of two years or more. Or You wish to return to your register in the Republic of Ireland but have not practised your profession anywhere in the last two years Application Exceptions There are certain circumstances where an applicant should not complete this form unless he/she is requested to do so by CORU. If you need clarification whether you need to complete this form, please contact CORU. Applications for restoration to the register If you are returning to the register after requesting that your record be removed, you will need to complete a restoration to the register form. If you are returning to the register after having been removed for non-payment of fees, please contact CORU.

3 Page 2 If you have been practising outside of the Republic of Ireland in the last two years, you will be required to provide the Board with documentary evidence of this along with your application. Overseas Applicants If you are applying to register for the first time in the Republic of Ireland with an international qualification, you will be required to have your qualification assessed to determine that it meets the standards of proficiency for registration. You may obtain details from the CORU website at The Requirements for Return to Practice 0 2 years out of practice no updating required 2 5 years of practice minimum of 210 hours of updating 5 years or more out of practice minimum of 420 hours of updating The Elements of Return to Practice The period of updating must consist of contact hours spent engaging in one or more of the following: 1) Supervised practice; (see page 4 for more details) 2) Formal study; (see page 5 for more details) and/or 3) Private study (see page 5 for more details) All applicants are required to prepare a learning plan for discussion and agreement with their supervisor prior to commencing their period of supervised practice. The areas of your profession that you need to update will depend on: the area in which you are going to work when you begin practising again; your previous experience; any relevant skills you gained while you were out of practice; and any relevant developments in your profession while you were out of practice. Please see Table 1 for profession specific requirements which detail the number of hours of updating you must complete and the required elements. You are required to keep an accurate record of your period of updating which may be required by the Board for your profession. Your responsibility You are responsible for your own period of updating with any assistance that you may get from your supervisor, and for making sure that you meet standards set by your Board before you return to practice. CORU seeks this information so that it can verify that your updating period took place. You are responsible for your own learning, and for deciding whether this updating will allow you to practise in a lawful, safe and effective manner.

4 Page 3 Structuring your period of updating You can do your period of updating either on a full or part-time basis. You do not have to complete your entire period of updating in one go. The only condition is that all of your updating should be completed no more than two years before you apply for registration or restoration to the register. If you continued to maintain your continuous professional development (CPD) while out of practice, activities in this area may be submitted for consideration if carried out no more than two years before you apply for registration. The persons involved in your return to practice plan Supervisor The supervisor(s) which you select must make reasonable efforts to monitor and supervise your practice of the profession during the supervised practice period and to provide input, assistance and guidance to you as they deem fit. CORU does not set detailed requirements about the level of supervision needed, or the tasks that you need to do. We believe that you should discuss this with your supervisor. Although in some situations it may be unavoidable, you should ensure that there is no conflict of interest between you and your supervisor. He or she should not be a family member or relative. Please declare in your application form if this is the case. Your supervisor must be a registered professional in the same profession. The person must have been in practice in the same profession for a minimum of three years and not been subject to any disciplinary sanction under the Act. You can look for registered professionals by checking our on-line register at In choosing your supervisor, you should be aware that he/she can only supervise those activities which are within his/her own scope of practice and that the areas in which you would like to be supervised are within his/her scope of practice. This is so that your supervisor can provide relevant input and guidance, and also to make sure that both you and your supervisor are practising in a lawful, safe and effective manner. Your supervisor can be but does not have to be the same person as your attesting signatory. Attesting signatory You need to ask a professional from your profession s Register to sign your Updating period cover sheet, to confirm that you have completed your period of updating (an attesting signatory). The attesting signatory must be a registered professional in the same profession. The person must have been in practice in the same profession for a minimum of three years and not been subject to any disciplinary sanction under the Act. You can look for registered professionals by checking our on-line register at

5 Page 4 The attesting signatory does not need to physically supervise your updating activity, and they do not need to confirm that you are fit to practise. They just need to take reasonable steps to satisfy themselves that you have completed the number of updating hours which are specified for your profession. For example, they might ask to see your certificate from any formal study, or they might ask to see any notes from your private study. Supervised Practice Supervised practice consists of the applicant practising the profession under the guidance of a supervisor and in a structured manner in accordance with the learning plan which has been agreed in advance of the practice period between the applicant and his or her supervisor. Each applicant should familiarise themselves with the domains within the standards of proficiency for their profession prior to preparing his/her learning plan. The learning plan must be structured in a manner consistent with of the standards of proficiency for the profession and it must provide for the applicant to develop, demonstrate and apply his or her knowledge and skills. Your Learning Plan Your learning plan must take into account the following: a) b) c) d) your experience in the profession your intended area of practice upon resumption of practice (if known) the length of time you have not practised the profession any relevant developments in the profession during the period you have not practised the profession; and e) any relevant knowledge and/or skills acquired or developed by the applicant during the period the applicant has not practised the profession. f) engagement in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) (where appropriate) Formal Study Formal study consists of the applicant undertaking and participating in educational courses, training or programmes of education and/or training (including structured educational courses or training delivered electronically and/or through distance learning/webinar) relevant to the practice of the profession. Formal study may include group learning whether undertaken by means of a lecture, workshop, seminar, tutorial, video-conferenced lecture or tutorial or other manner as may be acceptable to the Board. Please provide a summary (in no more than 500 words) of your formal study period and how it addressed your learning needs: You are required to provide a summary of your formal study period and how it addressed your learning needs. The purpose of this information is to help the Board evaluate the evidence that the updating that you have carried out will help you to return to the practice of your profession in a safe and effective manner

6 Page 5 Private Study Private study consists of the applicant engaging in one or more of the following: a) reading professional journals or publications relevant to his or her area of practice; b) engaging in research relevant to the profession generally and/or his or her area of practice; c) engaging in online study or e-learning consisting of education and/or training that is generated, communicated, processed, sent, received, recorded, stored and/or displayed by electronic means or in electronic form including that provided through the internet or other computer network connections, sound and/or visual formats provided through an electronic file, and/or provided through digital or other electronic means; (d) publishing materials in relation to the profession and/or his or her area of practice; and (e) other activities as may be acceptable to the Board

7 Page 6 Return to Practice Requirements by profession The requirements set by the registration board for your profession are provided below. Absence from practice between 2 and 5 years Minimum of 210 Hours Updating Profession Dietitians Occupational Therapists Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Physiotherapists Radiographers / Radiation Therapists Social Workers Speech and Language Therapists Supervised Practice Formal Study Requirement Mandatory Requirement Mandatory Min 70 hours Min 21 hours Min 70 hours Min 21 hours Min 105 hours required across one or both elements Min 105 hours Min 31.5 hours Min 70 hours Optional Optional Min 105 hours required across one or both elements Min 70 hours Min 21 hours Private Study Requirement Mandatory Max 105 hours Max 105 hours Max 105 hours Max 73.5 hours Max 70 hours Max 105 hours Max 105 hours Total Hours 210 hours 210 hours 210 hours 210 hours 210 hours 210 hours 210 hours Supervised Practice Formal Study Requirement Mandatory Requirement Mandatory Min 140 hours Min 42 hours Min 140 hours Min 42 hours Min 210 hours required across one or both elements Min 210 hours Min 63 hours Min 140 hours Optional Optional Min 210 hours Optional Optional Min 140 hours Min 42 hours Private Study Requirement Mandatory Max 210 hours Max 210 hours Max 210 hours Max 147 hours Max 140 hours Max 105 hours Max 210 hours Total Hours 420 hours 420 hours 420 hours 420 hours 420 hours 420 hours 420 hours Absence from practice greater than 5 years Minimum of 420 Hours Updating Profession Dietitians Occupational Therapists Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Physiotherapists Radiographers / Radiation Therapists Social Workers Speech and Language Therapists

8 Page 7 Return to Practice Summary Form Part 1. About You Title: Forename: Surname: Application Number (if relevant): Registration Number (if previously registered): Date of Birth: Address Line 1: Address Line 2: Address Line 3: Address Postcode/Eircode: Telephone: Address: Profession/Register: Date when you last practised in your profession: Place of work: Your fulfilment of the requirements for return to practice Period of time since you last practised: Updating Requirement to be fulfilled in hours to Hours meet the requirements: Hours completed and certified in this application Supervised Practice: to return to practice Formal Study: Private Study: Total Hours:

9 Page 8 Part 2. Your Learning Plan. (Please refer to the standards of proficiency for your profession). Please complete this section of the form prior to commencing any aspect of the return to practice requirements. The guidance notes on page 4 may assist you. If you wish to provide further information than the spaces below allow, please submit that information on an additional sheet. Areas for update: Identify areas or skills to address prior to your return to practice, from your weakest to your strongest Objectives What knowledge or skills do I need to refresh, or strengthen to address this area? Activities How will I gain this knowledge or skills? Timeframe How many hours do you think will this take?

10 Page The applicant and his/her supervisor must agree this learning plan prior to the commencement of supervised practice. Signature of Applicant Date: Signature of Supervisor Date:

11 P a g e 10 Part 3. Your Supervised Practice Self-Review Note: If you undertook supervised practice in more than one setting/department, use a copy of this page for each setting or department. Location: Setting/Department: Dates: Total Hours: Please provide a detailed summary of the range of activities that you carried out in your period of supervised practice (at least 500 words) and explain how these activities addressed your learning needs and enabled you to acquire the identified skills: What are your thoughts and reflections on your period of supervised practice? CORU may need to independently verify your period of supervised practice directly with your supervisor.

12 P a g e 11 Part 3. Your Formal Study: Please enter below the courses or programmes that you took as part of your formal study. You may wish to refer to page 4 for details of formal study requirements Title of Course/Programme Date(s) Taken CPD Points (if applicable): Please indicate how this course or programme addressed your learning needs: 1. Location Total Hours: Certificate Attached: No* Title of Course/Programme Date(s) Taken CPD Points (if applicable): Please indicate how this course or programme addressed your learning needs: 2. Location Total Hours: Certificate Attached: No* 3. Location Total Hours: Certificate Attached: No* Title of Course/Programme Date(s) Taken CPD Points (if applicable): Please indicate how this course or programme addressed your learning needs:

13 P a g e 12 Part 3. Your Formal Study (continued): Title of Course/Programme Date(s) Taken CPD Points (if applicable): Please indicate how this course or programme addressed your learning needs: 4. Location Total Hours: Certificate Attached: No* Title of Course/Programme Date(s) Taken CPD Points (if applicable): Please indicate how this course or programme addressed your learning needs: 5. Location Total Hours: Certificate Attached: No* 6. Location Total Hours: Certificate Attached: No* Title of Course/Programme Date(s) Taken CPD Points (if applicable): Please indicate how this course or programme addressed your learning needs: If you have completed more than six courses/programmes of formal study, you may duplicate this sheet in your application. *If you cannot provide a certificate, please provide further details so that your completion of this programme can be verified by CORU.

14 P a g e 13 Part 4. Your Private Study Please enter below the journals, articles, publications etc. that you read as part of your private study. Further details regarding private study are on page Journal or Publication Name: Source of Article or Research: Article title: URL: Hours study: Please indicate the general content of this article or research hypothesis and indicate how it helped you to address your learning needs: 2. Journal or Publication Name: Source of Article or Research: Article title: URL: Hours study: Please indicate the general content of this article or research hypothesis and indicate how it helped you to address your learning needs: 3. Journal or Publication Name: Source of Article or Research: Article title: URL: Hours study: Please indicate the general content of this article or research hypothesis and indicate how it helped you to address your learning needs: 4. Journal or Publication Name: Source of Article or Research: Article title: URL: Hours study: Please indicate the general content of this article or research hypothesis and indicate how it helped you to address your learning needs:

15 P a g e 14 Part 4. Your Private Study (continued) 5. Journal or Publication Name: Source of Article or Research: Article title: URL: Hours study: Please indicate the general content of this article or research hypothesis and indicate how it helped you to address your learning needs: 6. Journal or Publication Name: Source of Article or Research: Article title: URL: Hours study: Please indicate the general content of this article or research hypothesis and indicate how it helped you to address your learning needs: 7. Journal or Publication Name: Source of Article or Research: Article title: URL: Hours study: Please indicate the general content of this article or research hypothesis and indicate how it helped you to address your learning needs: 8. Journal or Publication Name: Source of Article or Research: Article title: URL: Hours study: Please indicate the general content of this article or research hypothesis and indicate how it helped you to address your learning needs:

16 P a g e 15 Part 5. Certification of your supervised practice and documentation prior to submission. Please read the guidance notes on page 3 with regard to supervisors and attesting signatories. This page should be completed after you have completed the return to practice requirements and you are preparing to submit this form to CORU. I agreed and signed a learning plan with the applicant prior to the commencement of the period of supervised practice and I confirm that the applicant has completed the supervised practice and carried out the duties/tasks as documented in this form. Supervised Practice Supervisor Name: Supervisor Registration Number: Supervisor Role: Supervisor Signature: Date: I confirm that the applicant has completed the Formal Study and Private Study elements of Return to Practice as set out in this form. Attesting Signatory Name: Attesting Signatory Registration Number Attesting Signatory Role: Attesting Signatory Signature: Date: Applicant Declaration I confirm that I have completed the period of formal study set out above. As far as I know, all the information in this form is true. I understand that it is an offence to seek to fraudulently obtain registration or to provide false or misleading information in seeking registration. Signed: CORU may make more enquiries to check any part of this form. Date (DD/MM/YYYY):

17 P a g e 16 GUIDANCE FOR SUPERVISORS Prerequisites for Supervisors A supervisor must be a CORU registered professional with a minimum 3 years experience working in the profession, who carries a regular workload and has acquired specialist expertise over time. The supervisor must be actively involved in ongoing updating of knowledge and must have access to literature and reading material in his/her area of work. A supervisor cannot be subject to disciplinary proceedings, under investigation or be registered subject to conditions. Persons in any of these categories should decline to supervise a registration applicant without indicating the specific reasons involved. Role of Supervisor CORU recognises that workload and resource pressures may mean that you are not able to support an applicant undertaking Return to Practice prior to the granting of registration. We are unable to provide any funding for these mechanisms. However, if you can assist, this can be beneficial to both the applicant and employer. The applicant benefits by gaining familiarity and experience with modern settings and experience of working practices, as well as being able to achieve CORU registration. It can be beneficial for the employer should opportunities exist for employment if the applicant becomes registered. The activity of supporting and supervising an applicant in completing a return to practice period could be a useful opportunity for members of registered staff to gain and develop important teaching and mentoring skills, which could be of wider benefit to the employer. This might be suitable for inclusion in a registrant s continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio. The only formal requirement that we set is that a supervisor must be registered in the relevant CORU Register (if it is established). However, as with any other aspect of professional practice, the person must have sufficient experience and training to take on the role. It is the responsibility of the applicant to find and arrange their period of supervised practice. They have to ensure that they arrange the experience they need to meet our requirements and demonstrate they meet our standards. Supervisors have an important role to play in supporting and supervising applicants who are undertaking a return to practice period. If you are able to act as a supervisor your role will be to provide support and supervision to help an applicant achieve the requirements which are set in the Return to Practice Bye-Law for their profession. This might include teaching, mentoring and supervised practice, in a similar way as you might help and support students.

18 P a g e 17 Prior to the Return to Practice Period If you have agreed to act as supervisor and meet the prerequisite criteria, you must meet with the applicant before the period of supervised practice to discuss the key developments and new practices in the profession since they last practised, to set broad objectives for their learning plan and to agree how the applicant would best conduct a period of updating so that they draw maximum benefit from the period of supervised practice and to ensure that the formal and private study undertaken is relevant and equips the applicant to return to the profession with updated skills and knowledge It is recommended that during the period of supervised practice that the supervisor and the applicant meet on at least a weekly basis to discuss progress with the applicant and the general duties that are can be carried out during the period. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to agree and approve a set of learning objectives which are prepared by the applicant prior to the commencement of the period of supervised practice and to assist with the early identification of learning resources journals, research or literature, or formal relevant programmes, modules or CPD with which the applicant can consult and which would be useful for the applicant to complete in order to update his/her skills. During the Return to Practice Period You can treat the applicant in the same way as you might treat a newly qualified graduate or a professional returning to their practice after a career break. As working practices vary between member states and healthcare settings, it is good practice to offer an orientation and induction period before the period of supervised practice begins. This will allow the applicant to become more familiar with local practices such as record keeping and health and safety requirements. In some cases such programmes are run at particular intervals which may occur well in advance of the period of supervised practice. As a registered professional aware of your primary responsibilities, the tasks you ask an applicant to perform (under supervision or otherwise) will depend upon your professional judgement about their ability to undertake tasks safely and effectively. It will also depend on the policies or protocols of your workplace. If you have concerns about your role or about the way an applicant is working during their return to practice period, you should inform a more senior manager and/or consider suspending the period of supervised practice. Please note that the registration board is not asking you to state whether the applicant is capable of working at any particular grade or in any particular setting, it is seeking for you to confirm that the applicant has set appropriate objectives prior to commencing the period of supervised practice, that he/she has completed that period and has made progress in achieving each of the objectives set prior to the commencement of the period. The Registration Board considers all the information in the completed RTP form when making its decision and may contact you for further information if it feels it is necessary. CORU will then write to the applicant to inform them of the decision of the Registration Board.

19 P a g e 18 Certification of completion of the period of supervised practice by the Supervisor Once the period of supervised practise is completed you will need to confirm to CORU whether the applicant has completed the period of supervised practice as agreed and that it has assisted the applicant to meet the objects set out in his/her learning plan. As Supervisor, you will be required to: confirm the full name of the applicant for and his/her application reference number; enter your name, registration number and signature; confirm where the period of supervised practice took place; confirm the start and end dates of the period of supervised practice; confirm that the applicant agreed a learning plan with you in advance of the period of supervised practice and that he/she undertook the required period of practice in the profession. Sign the bottom of the learning plan Complete and sign the certification page. The certification of a completed period of supervised practice is a recommendation to the registration board that the applicant has undertaken a period of updating in the profession. However, the decision whether to register an applicant is a decision for the relevant Registration Board. GUIDANCE FOR ATTESTING SIGNATORIES If you have agreed to be an Attesting Signatory, you must be registered in the same register to which the applicant is applying for registration. You must have been in practice in the same profession for a minimum of three years and not have been not been subject to any disciplinary sanctions, investigations or registered subject to conditions. As an Attesting Signatory, you need to take reasonable steps to satisfy yourself that the applicant has completed the number of updating hours which are specified for your profession. For example, you might ask to see your certificate from any formal study, or they might ask to see any notes from your private study. Certification of completion of the period of supervised practice by the Attesting Signatory As an Attesting Signatory, you will be required to: confirm that the applicant has completed the period of formal study and private as documented in this form. Enter your name, registration number and signature on the certification page Sign the certification page.