Equality, diversity and inclusion

The key changes in the updated standards of proficiency can be grouped into a number of themes, of which this is one. The changes in the updated standards extend beyond these themes. To see them all, download the
full standards for your profession >

Why?

The HCPC is committed to ensuring that registrants can provide healthcare to all their service users. EDI requirements already existed in the standards of proficiency and the standards of conduct, performance and ethics, and these changes have strengthened our EDI commitment.

Specific standards:

Registrants must:

• 5: recognise the impact of culture, equality and diversity on practice and practise in a non-discriminatory and inclusive manner
• 5.1: respond appropriately to the needs of all different groups and individuals in practice, recognising this can be affected by difference of any kind including, but not limited to, protected characteristics, intersectional experiences and cultural differences
• 5.2: understand equality legislation and apply it to their practice
• 5.3: recognise the potential impact of their own values, beliefs and personal biases (which may be unconscious) on practice and take personal action to ensure all service users and carers are treated appropriately with respect and dignity
• 5.4: understand the duty to make reasonable adjustments in practice and be able to make and support reasonable adjustments in theirs and others’ practice
• 5.5: recognise the characteristics and consequences of barriers to inclusion, including for socially isolated groups
• 5.6: actively challenge these barriers, supporting the implementation of change wherever possible
• 5.7: recognise that regard to equality, diversity and inclusion needs to be embedded in the application of all HCPC standards, across all areas of practice
  
  

Expectations of registrants:

• Registrants are always expected to provide care to all their service users and ensure their specific needs are responded to
• Registrants should be able to identify when a service user’s care needs to be adjusted because they have a protected characteristic
• Instead of waiting for a service user to raise the need for accommodations, a registrant should be proactively thinking about how to make the care they offer as accessible as possible

Registrants should use their professional judgement when applying these standards. How you meet the standards will depend on your role, your workplace and your individual scope of practice.

What registrants need to do

Registrants need to ensure that they meet the updated standards as far as they relate to their scope of practice. We recommend dedicating some continuing professional development (CPD) time to making sure that any gaps between the standards and your current practice are filled. Our gap analysis tool can be a good starting point for this.

Evidence of these activities does not need to be submitted to the HCPC outside of a normal CPD audit. If you are selected for CPD audit, we’ll contact you at the beginning of your renewal window.

Resources