HSC Clinical Education Centre

HSC Clinical Education Centre

Policy on Validation and Monitoring

of Professional Registration

Appendix 1 8

1.0  Introduction

The HSC Clinical Education Centre (HSC CEC) requires that:

·  a Nurse or Midwife employed in a regulated post must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

·  an Allied Health Professional (AHP) employed in a regulated post must be registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC).

This policy will ensure that the HSC CEC has processes in place to validate and monitor staff required to be registered with the NMC or HCPC in order to commence, and continue to work in a regulated post.

2.0  Aims

The aims of this policy are to ensure that:

·  Nurses, Midwives, AHPs, managers and human resources personnel are clear as to their responsibilities regarding the validation and monitoring of professionally regulated posts (Appendix 1 details renewal registration dates for AHPs).

·  Clear arrangements are in place to validate the regulatory status of Nurses, Midwives and AHPs at the point of employment.

·  Processes are in place to facilitate the recording and monitoring of Nurses, Midwives and AHPs renewal registration status and to provide assurances that these processes are working effectively.

·  Management arrangements are in place to deal with incidents of lapsed registration.

3.0  Policy Statement

It is the policy of the HSC CEC that all Nurses, Midwives and AHPs who have a statutory requirement to be registered in order to practice must hold a valid registration at all times.

Staff required to be professionally registered to undertake the post to which they have been appointed will be personally responsible for ensuring their registration remains valid at all times.

Where professional registration is no longer valid (has lapsed or been withdrawn) the staff member will not be permitted to continue to work in a post.

4.0  Scope of Policy

This policy applies to all staff required to be registered with the NMC or HCPC as the relevant regulatory body in order to undertake the duties of their post.

5.0  Responsibilities – Validation of Professional Registration on appointment

5.1  Validation of Professional Registration on selection (Recruitment and Selection Service)

At the point of selection of new nursing, midwifery or AHP staff, the Recruitment and Selection Service within the Business Services Organisation, are responsible for ensuring that the individual appointee’s registration is valid. This will form part of the conditional offer of employment and subsequent pre-employment checks. An appointee who is not registered will not be employed by the HSC CEC in a post where registration with the NMC/HCPC is a requirement of the post.

6.0  Responsibilities – ongoing monitoring of Professional Registration post-appointment

6.1  Registrant’s responsibility

It is the responsibility of the individual Nurse, Midwife or AHP to ensure that his/her registration remains valid throughout the course of his/her employment. He/she is responsible for informing the operational Line Manager of changes to the registration status (additions, cautions, suspensions) imposed by the NMC/HCPC.

The individual Nurse, Midwife or AHP is also responsible for maintaining and renewing his/her registration and must provide proof of renewal, providing evidence of current registration.

6.2 Line Manager’s responsibility

Whilst the issue of registration remains the responsibility of the individual Nurse, Midwife or AHP, the operational Line Manager is responsible for ensuring that professional staff continue to retain valid registration and that re-registration takes place as prescribed by the NMC/HCPC. Associates are the responsibility of the Assistant Head.

6.3 Seconded Nurses, Midwives or AHPs

In the HSC CEC, the operational Line Manager is responsible for ensuring that an appropriate mechanism is in place to record evidence of current registration status and that staff’s personal records are updated. The operational Line Manager engaging staff will be responsible for ensuring that processes are in place to check the registration of these staff prior to commencement of duty. The operational Line Manager will be required to assure the Head of HSC CEC that the Nurse, Midwife or AHP is registered with the NMC.

6.4 Responsibility of the Head of the HSC CEC

The Head of the HSC CEC is responsible for ensuring that Nurses, Midwives and AHPs comply with this policy and that a periodic audit is undertaken to assure compliance.

7.0 Revalidation

7.1 Revalidation Process

Revalidation is the process that allows nurses and midwives to maintain their registration with the NMC. It builds on existing arrangements for the renewal of that registration. The purpose of revalidation is to improve public protection by making sure that nurses and midwives demonstrate their continued ability to practise safely and effectively throughout their career.

As part of this process, all nurses and midwives need to collect evidence and maintain records to demonstrate to a confirmer that they have met the revalidation requirements.

Completing the revalidation process is the responsibility of nurses and midwives themselves.

7.2 Renewal Dates - Nurses and Midwives within the CEC

Every three years all nurses and midwives will be asked to apply for revalidation.

CEC will maintain a database detailing registration information for all professional staff and will be checked monthly and any lapses reported to line manager and Head of CEC.

7.3 Confirmers

Nurses and Midwives are expected to obtain confirmation, through their line manager that they have met the NMC’s requirements for revalidation. NMC advises that this should be obtained during the final 12 months of the 3 year revalidation period .

The online application opens 60 days before the revalidation application date, which is the first day of the month in which his/her registration expires. He/she must submit their revalidation application by this date.

8.0 Failure to maintain valid professional registration

It is a condition of employment that a Nurse, Midwife or AHP employed in a regulated post must maintain his/her professional registration throughout the duration of the employment. A Nurse, Midwife or AHP who fails to renew his/her professional registration will be suspended with no pay, until valid registration status can be proved. The decision on the course of action will be taken by the Head of the HSC CEC with advice from Human Resources. A Nurse, Midwife or AHP who experiences difficulty in renewing his/her registration must advise his/her operational Line Manager immediately.

It is illegal to practice as a registered nurse or midwife in the UK with a lapsed registration, and to falsely represent yourself as being registered when you are not. Operational Line Managers will, therefore, initiate formal disciplinary proceedings against staff who fail to adhere to the conditions of their employment. The outcome of disciplinary proceeding may result in dismissal.

9.0 Legislative compliance, relevant policies and procedures

This policy has been developed in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2002 Part III; Articles 8-12. It should be read in conjunction with the following:-

The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. (NMC 2015)

Midwives rules and standards (NMC 2012)

This policy has been developed in line with HCPC standards - http://www.hcpc-uk.org/audiences/employers/registration/

10.0 Equality and Human Rights considerations

This policy has been screened for equality implications as required by Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and for compliance with human rights and disability legislation. Documentation to evidence the screening has been produced and is publicly available.”

Using the Equality Commission’s screening criteria, no significant equality implications have been identified. This policy will therefore not be subject to an equality impact assessment.

11.0 Policy implementation

All operational Line Managers must ensure that relevant staff have access to this policy, understand its content including provision of any necessary training, and are aware of its aims and purpose immediately on its release.

All operational Line Managers must ensure that new nursing and midwifery and AHP staff have access to this policy, understand its content including provision of any necessary training, and are aware of its aims and purpose immediately on their appointment.

A supporting standard operating procedure has been developed to evidence compliance with this policy.

12.0 Review of policy

The HSC CEC is committed to ensuring that all policies are kept under review to ensure that they remain compliant with relevant legislation. This policy will be reviewed by the HSC CEC’s Senior Management Team in November 2018 or earlier if further guidance is issued. The review will be noted on a subsequent version of the policy, even where there are no substantive changes made or required.

13.0 Sources of advice and further information

Further advice and information regarding this policy can be obtained from the Head of the HSC CEC, Assistant Heads or Senior Education Managers.

Appendix 1

AHP Professional Registration must be renewed every two years

Validation and Monitoring of Professional Registration V2 Page 1 of 8