Threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register

The threshold level of qualification for entry to the practitioner psychologists part of the Register has now been agreed.

At meetings on 11 June 2009, the HPC Education and Training Committee and HPC Council agreed the threshold level of qualification for entry to the practitioner psychologists part of the Register.

This section explains the background to setting to the threshold level of qualification and outlines the threshold agreed by the HPC Education and Training Committee and Council.

Standards of proficiency

The standards of proficiency are the standards for safe and effective practice for entry to the Register in each of the professions we regulate. Their primary purpose is to describe the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to register for the first time. We use these standards when we approve pre-registration education and training programmes or make decisions about internationally qualified applicants for registration.

At meetings on 20 May 2009, our Education and Training Committee and Council agreed the standards of proficiency for practitioner psychologists.

Click here to down the Standards of proficiency

About the standards of education and training and approval of education and training programmes

The standards of education and training are standards which apply to education and training programmes which lead to eligibility for HPC registration.

Our Education Department is responsible for conducting approval visits of education and training providers to ensure that their programmes meet our standards. We assess programmes against our standards of education and training which cover such areas as admissions, assessment standards and practice placements. A programme which meets the standards of education and training will also allow a student who successfully completes that programme to meet the standards of proficiency (the standards for safe and effective practice for entry to the Register for each profession we regulate).

Once a programme is approved, a student who successfully completes that programme is eligible to apply for registration. We grant open-ended approval, subject to ongoing checks via our annual monitoring and major change processes. When we regulate a new profession, we would normally approve the education and training programmes which lead to existing registration. We would then develop appropriate arrangements to visit or monitor programmes over a period of time to make sure that meet our standards. We would inform education and training providers about these arrangements.

About SET 1: Threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register

Standard one of the standards of education and training, known as ‘SET 1’ sets out the threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register for each profession we Register.

SET 1 provides the threshold levels of qualification “normally” expected to meet the remainder of the standards of education and training and therefore successfully deliver the standards of proficiency.

The term “normally” is included in SET 1 as a safeguard against the unlawful fettering of the HPC’s discretion. Our legislation (the Health Professions Order 2001) provides that we are able to set standards for safe and effective practice and for education and training and approve qualifications against those standards. However, we do not have specific powers to set the qualifications required for entry.

Given the terms of our legislation, it would be an improper exercise of its powers for the HPC to refuse to approve a programme which delivered the standards of proficiency and the remainder of the standards of education and training solely on the basis that it did not lead to the award of a qualification specified in SET 1.

The standard currently reads:

1.1 The Council normally expects that the threshold entry routes to the Register will be the following:
1.1.1 Bachelor degree with honours for the following professions:
- chiropody or podiatry;
- dietetics;
- occupational therapy;
- orthoptics;
- physiotherapy;
- prosthetics and orthotics;
- radiography;
- speech and language therapy;
- biomedical science (with the Certificate of Competence awarded by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), or equivalent if appropriate); and
1.1.2 Masters degree for the arts therapies.
1.1.3 Masters degree for the clinical sciences (with the award of the Association of Clinical Scientists’ Certificate of Attainment, or equivalent).
1.1.4 Equivalent to Certificate of Higher Education for paramedics.
1.1.5 Diploma of Higher Education in Operating Department Practice for Operating Department Practitioners.

We need to set the threshold level at the level necessary for people who successfully complete a pre-registration education and training programme to meet all of the standards of proficiency.

In setting the threshold level of qualification for entry, the HPC is setting the threshold academic level of qualification which it would normally accept for the purposes of an approved programme which leads to registration. As the threshold is the ‘minimum’, programmes above the threshold academic level may be approved.

Our primary consideration in approving a programme, whether at or substantially above the threshold, is that the programme meets the standards of education and training and will allow students to meet the standards of proficiency on completion.

The threshold academic level of qualification for entry to the Register applies to pre-registration education and training programmes seeking approval rather than to individuals. Therefore, it would not affect individuals who might have completed on education and training programmes delivered at levels below the threshold in the past.

You can find out more information about our role in education by visiting www.hpc-uk.org/education/

Threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register for practitioner psychologists

At its meeting on 20 May 2009 and 11 June 2009 the Education and Training Committee (‘the Committee’) discussed and agreed the threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register for practitioner psychologists. The Committee’s decision was subsequently ratified at a special meeting of the HPC Council.

In its discussion on 11 June 2009, the Committee took into account the responses to the consultation, the standards of proficiency it had previously agreed and the existing entry routes to the profession. The Committee noted an argument had been made that the level of qualification required in all domains of psychology practice was D level / Level 12 on the relevant qualifications frameworks but that other respondents to the consultation had put forward contrary points of view.

Having regard to the standards of proficiency, existing education and training routes and the various arguments that had been put forward for and against various threshold levels, the Committee decided to set the threshold specific to each of the seven domains. The normal threshold level of qualification for practitioner psychologists as outlined in standard one of the standards of education and training will read:

For practitioner psychologists:

- Professional Doctorate for clinical psychologists

- Professional Doctorate for counselling psychologists, or equivalent

- Professional Doctorate for educational psychologists, or equivalent

- Masters degree for forensic psychologists (with the award of the British Psychological Society qualification in forensic psychology, or equivalent)

- Masters degree for health psychologists (with the award of the British Psychological Society qualification in health psychology, or equivalent)

- Masters degree for occupational psychologists (with the award of the British Psychological Society qualification in occupational psychology, or equivalent)

- Masters degree for sport and exercise psychologists (with the award of the British Psychological Society qualification in sport and exercise psychology, or equivalent)

Approved programmes

When the Register opened on 1 July 2009, we approved all those programmes which led or used to lead to holding a BPS practising certificate and membership of a relevant division. This means that we have approved both professional doctorates delivered by Higher Education Institutions and currently accredited by the BPS and BPS qualifications. We are now able to approve any new education programmes for practitioner pscyhologists against our standards of education and training and standards of proficiency.

We have not approved other qualifications in psychology. For example, we haven’t approved undergraduate psychology degrees or masters degrees where these do not lead directly to registration.

For a list of the approved programmes please click here.

Further information

To read the paper considered by the Education and Training Committee at its meeting on 11 June 2009 click here.

To read the paper considered by the Council at its meeting on 11 June 2009 click here.

To read frequently asked questions about the regulation of practitioner psychologists click here.