Competence Assessment Application

Guidelines

You must be registered in New Zealand before you can be issued with a practising certificate, and must satisfy the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand (OTBNZ) of your current clinical, cultural and ethical competence to practise before a practising certificate may be issued.

The competence assessment applicationis part of the process used by the OTBNZ to ensure that all practising occupational therapists are competent to practise.

Fees

  • Previously registered practitioners: $59.00
  • New applicants: $184.00 (note: this fee is included in the $690.00 registration application fee for overseas qualified applicants)

Who Needs to Submit aCompetence Assessment Application?

  1. All applicants who have never previously been registered with the OTBNZ (except new graduate applicants).
  1. Allregistered and previously registered practitioners who have not practised in New Zealand in the last three years unless:
  2. they have practised overseas for at least two years during the last three years; and
  3. they are providing a competence attestation (on the required OTBNZ form), from an occupational therapist with whom they have practised for at least six months continuously during the last three years.
  4. All restoration to the register applicants.

What Does The Competence Application Consist Of?

This Competence Assessment Application consists of two parts:

Part A enables you to partially demonstrate your cultural competence by successfully completing the online Maurioracourse calledFoundation Course in Cultural Competency (Māori) and submitting a certificate of completion. Part B also assesses your cultural competence through the examples you use.

Part B enables you to demonstrate your competence in all five of the OTBNZ’s registration competence areas.Applicants are expected to provide examples in all 5 competency areas whether they have been residing in New Zealand or not. It is expected that applicants apply the learning from the Mauriora Foundation Course in Cultural Competency to provide examples that are unique to the New Zealand context. Your certificate provides evidence you have completed the course. Incorporating some of your learnings into the Competence self-assessment demonstrate your ability and intent regarding competence in this area. Part B should be shown to your Employer/Supervisor/Referee, who is asked to provide information supporting your application[1] (if applicable).

Part C is the supporting Referee documents.Please provide three references.

Part D is your curriculumvitae (CV). Please provide your current CV.It should include information on your work history and experience. It would assist if your work history is recorded in chronological order beginning with the most current employment/practice/volunteer work. Please record the month and year you commenced and ended each employment/voluntary work period. If there are periods during which you have not done any occupational therapy work, please document these and explain what you were doing during this period/s. Please also explain any gaps in your work history.

Part A: Foundation course in Cultural Competency (Māori)

The OTBNZ requires individuals who are submitting a competence assessment application to successfully complete the Mauriora course;Foundation Course in Cultural Competency (Māori)and to submit a copy of their certificate of completion.

Course Information

The Foundation Course in Cultural Competency (Māori)provides an understanding of New Zealand’s culturally diverse population, with an in-depth (although not exclusive) emphasis on Māori culture. The course also focuses on the importance of health literacy and how health professionals can make a difference to outcomes. It has messages on cultural diversity and cross-cultural interactions in the health sector, highlighting the need for health professionals to be competent in dealing with people whose cultures differ from their own.

The course has three modules. It takes about an hour to complete these combined modules. The course takes longer if users review the additional online reading and resources. Each training module is supported by videos, video transcripts, additional reading resources and library references. This is currently a free online interactive training tool.Users require a broadband connection and a computer.

How to access the online course:

  • Applicants can access the online course directly by clicking the following link: Foundation Course in Cultural Competency(Māori).
  • Alternately, applicants can also access the course by visiting the Mauriora website at

How to submit the Certificate of Completion:

Successful applicants will be able to download a PDF Certificate of Completion. All Certificates of completion should be emailed directly to .

Part B: Competence self-assessment guidelines

Note: The OTBNZ documentCompetencies for Registration and Continuing Practice (2015)(available on the OTBNZ website) outlines the outcomes and performance indicatorsrelevant to each of the competency areas; please familiarise yourself with this document prior to completing Part B.

In your self-assessment you are asked to provide examples ofyour practice against the fiveareas of competency outlined in the OTBNZ’s competency document ‘Competencies for Registration and Continuing Practice’.

This is not an examination; it is a self-appraisal. We are asking you to think aboutyour own practice. We want statements from you about what you actually do, we do not want copies of courses you have attended, the results of your appraisals, your job description or what occupational therapy practice should be.

When you look at the OTBNZ competency document you will see that there arefivebroad things you must be competent in. Each competency has a desired outcome, which you are expected to achieve in your daily practice, regardless of the setting or your level of experience. The performance indicatorslisted under each outcome statement are the specific actions and abilities that OTBNZ expects you to be able to demonstrate. We would like you to select some of the performance indicatorsfor each competency area and write a brief statement describing how you achieve those performance indicatorsin your practice.

We do not expect applicants to provide examples against all the performance indicators, though you may if you wish. The minimumnumbers of examples that are needed are given in each competency area in the attached application form. We would rather have quality of examples than quantity;however we require a differing minimum requirement for each competency area.

There is no set number of words for your responses, and we expect that you will need to expand the word document i.e. please don’t feel restricted by the space under each competency on the form.

We ask you to indicate which performance indicator each example is addressing. This also assists you in identifying that you have sufficient examples for the assessment, and in reducing the time taken for you to receive the outcome of the assessment.

Some guiding examples will be shown in the relevant sections of the application form.

Non-practising role?

If you have not practised occupational therapy for some time, you will find that the non-occupational therapy skills usually fit under a range of competency areas. For example, “practising in a safe, legal, ethical and culturally competent way” applies to any position or role you may fulfil. In thinking about competency 1: “applying occupational therapy knowledge, skills and values”, the facilitation of occupation applies to many contexts, for example child-rearing, sports coaching or training employees or colleagues. In preparation for your competence self-assessment you should familiarise yourself with the OTBNZ’s ‘Competencies for Registration and Continuing Practice and think about how you could apply examples from other roles within your life, or previous roles you have held.

More information about returning to practice after some time away from the profession is found on the OTBNZ website. You are also encouraged to contact the Professional Advisor or one of our Registration team for further advice.

Notes

Please do not send copies of documents from Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolios such as previous Job Descriptions, entire Professional Development Portfolios or copies of resources developed.

It is not necessary to provide this sort of material. Verification of what you have written occurs via the comments entered in the ‘Referee/Employer’ section at the back of the form. Please show your self-assessment to someone who knows your practice and ask them to complete the ‘Referee/Employer’ section and provide comment on your self-assessment.

Every person submitting a competence assessment application is required to provide additional information in regard to the following (if applicable):

  • communication issues
  • health issues
  • disciplinary issues
  • convictions.

If you require any additional information please email: .

Part B: Competence Self-Assessment

Personal Details

Surname: ______

First names:______

Previous Names: ______

Date of Birth: ______

Registration/application number: ______

I am currently employed as an occupational therapist: Yes No

I have enclosed my curriculum vitae: Yes No

I have enclosed the appropriate fees:

Previously registered practitioners: $59.00

New applicants: $184.00 (note: this fee is included in the $690.00 registration application fee for overseas qualified applicants)

Paid by Cheque Visa/MasterCard

Self-Assessment

Please include evidence for theminimumnumber of requested examples under each competencearea. Please expand the space provided or attach additional pages with your examples.

APPLYING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND VALUES

You apply what you know. You engage with people and communities to enable occupations based on rights, needs, preferences and capacities. You work within the context of each client’s environment to optimise their participation and well-being.

An example of one self-assessment statement in this competency could be:

1.5 I worked with clients enabling them to identify meaningful, realistic goals relevant to their needs. For example through assessment of a young client we identified that losing weight and joining a football team were his primary goals, and were able to link a number of activities towards achieving these goals.

Please provide a minimum of 8 examples. Remember to indicate/label which performance indicator you are illustrating.

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PRACTISING APPROPRIATELY FOR BICULTURAL AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND

You treat people of all cultures appropriately. You acknowledge and respond to the history, cultures, and social structures influencing health and occupation in Aotearoa New Zealand. You take into account Te Tiriti o Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi and work towards equal outcomes for all your clients.

An example of one self-assessment statement in this competency could be:

2.15 Recently the organisation I work for was redeveloping some policies. In order to be sure that our consultation process for gaining a Māori perspective was appropriate and valid I first discussed this with our kaumatua to find out the best process to go about our consultation. I was conscious of potential power imbalances; perceived or otherwise; and that the process we undertook was a way to ensure a meaningful partnership where everyone felt they could express their views and that these would be considered in the resulting policy. I had some initial ideas about how the consultation might work, but these were altered following my discussion, and the resulting process was really empowering for all.

Please provide a minimum of 6 examples. Remember to indicate/label which performance indicator you are illustrating.

Note:If you are an overseas applicant please ensure that the knowledge gained from completing the Foundations course in cultural competency are incorporated in your self-assessment examples.

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BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATING

You collaborate. You work well with other individuals, groups, communities and organisations. You use your own and others’ resources, environment and skills to benefit your clients.

An example of one self-assessment statement in this competency could be:

3.5 I fostered a good working relationship with the community support workers employed to help mental health clients. These workers were not employed or managed by the community mental health team so developing good rapport and communication was very important in order to utilise their skills and time to assist with treatment plans that we had in place with the clients.

Please provide a minimum of 6 examples. Remember to indicate/label which performance indicator you are illustrating.

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PRACTISING IN A SAFE, LEGAL, ETHICAL AND CULTURALLY COMPETENT WAY

You act with integrity. You include safety, legal, ethical, and cultural requirements and expectations in your professional practice, and apply them to your work.
An example of oneself-assessment statement in this competency could be:

4.6 As part of the community mental health team I frequently sought advice from and referred to the Māori mental health and Asian mental health teams. I found these services particularly useful as I was bought up in England and had limited experience with Māori culture. I also booked translators when necessary. I did this even when a family member could translate for the client as it was a more reliable way of hearing exactly what the client was trying to express. It then offered the family members an opportunity to agree or disagree without them potentially altering what the client was saying.

Please provide a minimum of 6 examples. Remember to indicate/label which performance indicator you are illustrating.

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ENGAGING WITH AND BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PROFESSION

You engage with your profession. You ensure your practice is professional, current, responsive, collaborative, and evidence-based.

An example of one self-assessment statement in this competency could be:

5.1 I haven’t worked as an OT in New Zealand for a while. Part of getting myself ready to return to practice has meant that I have spent time reading the most recent release of the competencies for practice here. I have also been discussing with my previous colleagues changes in the profession and have identified some things that I need to read about. I have developed a plan that will see me address these learning goals in the next month.

Please provide a minimum of 5 examples. Remember to indicate/label which performance indicator you are illustrating.

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Before progressing to the next section of this application, please ensure that you have included evidence for the required minimum of performance indicatorsunder each competency area.

Important note

Every person submitting a competence assessment application is required to provide additional information in regard to the following (if applicable):

  • communication issues
  • health issues
  • disciplinary issues
  • convictions.

Applicant’s declaration

I declare that all statements made by me on this form are true and correct in every particular.

I agree that the OTBNZ may contact the following employer/s, supervisors and referees in respect of any aspect of this application:

Name / Organisation / Phone number and email address / Relationship to applicant
1.
2.
3.

The above named persons have sighted my self-assessment.

I am not able to provide any employer, supervisor or referee in relation to this application for the following reason/s:

For example, I have not practised as an occupational therapist in the past three years.

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Signed: ______

Dated:______

Part C: Employer/Supervisor/Referee Section

This section is to be completed by the applicant’s employer/supervisor/referee. Copy this section for each employer/supervisor/referee.

Note: Not to be completed if the applicant has not practised as an occupational therapist during the last three years.

Employer/Supervisor/Referee

Name: ______

Position: ______

Company/Organisation: ______

Contact details: ______

Telephone No: between 9.00am – 5.00pm (including area codes) ______

Telephone No: (after-hours) ______

Times available after-hours: ______

Email:______

Applicant’s employment details

Position/job title the applicant held: ______

Department or Unit: ______

Dates the applicant was employed in this position: Start/From: ______

(dd/mm/yyyy)

Finish/to: ______

(dd/mm/yyyy)

Average hours worked per week: ______

What area of practice was the applicant’s primary focus in this role? [Please tick one, or more than one if applicable.]

1

January 2016

  • Physical health
  • Mental health
  • Educational/vocational
  • Developmental
  • Recreational
  • Education/health promotion
  • Systemic (e.g., groups, communities, organisations)
  • Other (please specify)

1

January 2016

Please describe the work setting(s) in which the applicant was employed, including an indication of the responsibilities of the applicant, the range of patients or clients, the type of conditions treated, the methods used for assessment, treatment and evaluation.

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Employer/Supervisor/Referee Declaration

I confirm the employment details above, and have read the information provided by the applicant on competencies 1- 5.

I wish to make the following comments:

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I agree that the OTBNZ may contact me at the phone numbers and email address on page 9.

I declare that I am aged 18 or over, am not a relative of the applicant, do not live at the same address as the applicant, and that all the information I have provided is true and correct.

Signed: ______

Dated: ______

1

January 2016

[1]You do not need to have the Employer/Supervisor/Referee section completed if you have not practised as an occupational therapist during the last three years.