Recency of practice

There are no exemptions to this standard.

When you apply for registration

When you apply for registration as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner, you must meet this registration standard. This includes practitioners applying for new or another type of registration, such as changing from non-practising to general registration.

You don’t need to meet this registration standard if you are a recent graduate applying for registration for the first time and it is within two years of finishing your qualification.

At renewal of registration

When you renew your registration, you must declare if you comply with this registration standard. By declaring that you meet the Board’s recency requirements, you are saying that you have the required minimum practice hours within your scope of practice.

During the registration period

Your compliance with this registration standard may be audited. It may also be checked if the Board receives a notification (complaint) about you.

Other possible consequences

The National Law establishes other possible consequences if you don’t meet the recency of practice requirements in this standard. Registration standards, codes or guidelines, may be used in disciplinary proceedings against you as evidence of what constitutes appropriate professional practice or conduct for the profession (section 41 of the National Law).

You can work part-time or temporarily and still meet the requirements of the standard.

For example:

• working one day a week (7.5 hours a day) for at least five months in a year should be enough to meet the standard, so long as the total hours worked meets 150 hours of practice
• working one day a month (7.5 hours a day) will probably not be enough to meet the standard.

If you are audited, you will need to give evidence that you have met the requirements of the standard. The evidence that you provide will depend on your practice. You may give evidence of your employment which could include:

• pay advice, and/or
• statement of service from your employer and position description, and/or
• correspondence from your employer/s, and/or
• other evidence of practice that you have carried out.

You must keep records as evidence that you meet the requirements of this standard for five years.

Yes, if you have practised in your scope of practice for at least 450 hours over the previous three-year period.

The block of practice hours can occur at any time during the three-year period, in one block or multiple blocks. For example, you could practise in year one, have year two off and practise again in year three. 

The definition of practice is broad and can include both clinical and non-clinical roles. You may not have any direct contact with patients, but if your work relates to your practice of the profession, you can meet the recency of practice standard if you have practised at least the minimum number of hours in your chosen scope of practice.

For example, if your scope of practice involves a teaching, research or policy role relating to your profession, you may be able to use hours worked in these roles to meet the standard.

The Board does not regulate the scope of practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners. It’s your responsibility to make sure that you are safe and competent in your scope of practice. The definition of practice is broad and includes both clinical and non-clinical practice. If the administrative work and/or clinical practice you perform fall within the practice definition, you will satisfy the requirements for recency of practice in the standard.

For example, if you have not completed the required number of hours to remain safe and competent in the clinical aspects of your scope of practice. In that case, you may be required to carry out some supervised practice, further education and training, or an assessment or examination, to assess your competence to practise. See also I’m changing/extending my scope of practice – what do I need to do?

If you haven’t completed the minimum hours set out in the registration standard you will need to advise the Board when you renew your registration or apply for registration. This will not necessarily prevent you from renewing your registration and continuing to practise or from returning to practice.

Practitioners who do not meet the requirements of the standards will usually be required to make a submission to the Board that details:

• your registration and practice history
• the length of your absence from practice
• the amount of practice completed (including statements of service if available)
• the role/scope of practice you wish to undertake (including position descriptions etc.)
• CPD activities or relevant study undertaken
• professional activities
• professional contact or engagement maintained, and
• any other relevant factors that should be considered.

When deciding on a safe and appropriate way for you to show your competence and ability to practise safely, the Board will:

• assess the likely effect any gap in practice may have had on your skills, knowledge and ability to practise safely, and
the type of practice you propose to undertake.

To do this, the Board may require you to undertake some supervised practice and/or further education and training and/or an assessment or examination to ensure you are safe and competent to practise.

All applications are assessed on an individual basis and on information available. Your submission helps the Board fully understand your circumstances so it can decide what is the safest and best way for you to return to practice. The Board’s decision will be based on the consideration of several factors including, but not limited to the following:

1.1 Registration and practice history, including the length of time away from practice, application of knowledge and skills and the nature and scope of practice before the break from practice.

The general principles that inform these considerations are:

• The longer you are away from practice and not applying your skills and knowledge as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner, the higher risk is that you may have lost some skills and knowledge that may affect your ability to practise safely.
  
  For example, a practitioner who has been absent from practice for five years is more likely to have reduced knowledge and skills which may pose a higher risk to the community, than a practitioner who has been absent from practice for only two years.
  
  
• If you can show that you have consolidated and embedded your knowledge and skills over a period of practice, it may be possible that you have retained more skills and knowledge after a break in practice than another practitioner who has not had the opportunity to embed and consolidate their knowledge and skills.
  
  For example, a graduate who has never applied their skills and knowledge may be more adversely affected by an absence than an experienced practitioner who has practised for many years.
  
  

1.2 Any continuing professional development or education completed or professional contact maintained during a break from practice.

The general principles that inform these considerations are:

• Engaging with or staying connected to the profession while on a break from practice may help reduce the risk of losing your skills and knowledge. For example, keeping up with developments and advances in the profession, engaging with colleges, attending conferences and meetings etc.
  
  
• Using your knowledge and skills as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner in a role not titled as being an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner.
  
  For example, working as a health service manager or working as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker in particular settings help maintain some of your skills and knowledge.
  
  
• Carrying out continuing professional development (CPD) keeps your knowledge up to date, keeps you engaged in your profession, and may help maintain your recency of practice.
  
  For example, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner who has not done any CPD throughout a three-year absence is more likely to have reduced skills and knowledge than someone who maintained their CPD throughout absence from practice.
  
  
• Doing relevant study or training during a period of absence may also help maintain your skills and knowledge. For example, doing advanced practice credentialing, or further study related to the practice of the profession may be very helpful in maintaining your skills and knowledge.

1.3 Intended scope of practice, including, proposed role.

Additional factors that may need to be considered to understand the inherent risk associated with your proposed practice environment:

• The risks associated with your proposed type of practice and any professional education or development done or required to support your intended role.
• Access to supervision (if required).
• Any loss of your skills or knowledge.

For example, the requirements to return to independent practice in a remote area might be different to the requirements to return to team-based practice in an urban area with high levels of oversight, support and backup.

Ensuring the safety of the public during a return to practice is the paramount consideration of the Board.

When considering matters related to recency of practice, the Board:

• may refuse registration (or renewal of registration).
• require a practitioner to complete a period of supervised practice.
• and/or require them to complete a competence assessment.
• and/or require them to complete specified retaining/re-education.

Each case is assessed and managed on its own merits and with public safety being a paramount consideration. Generally, though:

• A practitioner with a gap in practice of between zero and seven years is likely to be required to complete a period of supervised practice to show their competence and ability to practise safely.
• A practitioner with a gap in practice of more than seven years is likely to be required to complete some form of retraining and/or an assessment of competency (at their own expense). In addition, a subsequent period of supervised practice may also be required.

Supervised practice

The Board may decide that completing a period of supervised practice is the most appropriate way for a practitioner to show their competence and ability to practise safely. This is the most common approach used by the Board.

The Board will impose conditions on the practitioner’s registration that they must successfully complete a specified number of hours of supervised practice, at the end of which their supervisor will report on their competence and ability to practice safely.

The number of hours required will vary depending on individual circumstances but can range from one week of full-time practice to over a year of full-time practice.

The Board must approve all supervised practice before it can begin. The practitioner cannot practise outside of any approved supervision arrangements until the Board has removed the requirement to practise under supervision.

If a practitioner is unsuccessful in demonstrating their competence and ability to practise safely during a period of supervised practice, additional period(s) of supervised practice and/or a competence assessment may be required.

Ongoing failure to demonstrate competence to practise safely may affect a practitioner’s suitability to hold registration.

Competence assessment

The Board may decide that completing a competence assessment is the most appropriate pathway for a practitioner to show their competence and ability to practise safely. This is usually where the Board considers that a period of supervised practice might not safely be carried out and/or may not be sufficient for that practitioner to show their competence and ability to practise safely.

When a practitioner is renewing their registration, the Board may impose conditions on their registration that they must successfully complete a specified assessment that will demonstrate their competence and ability to practise safely. The conditions must be removed from their registration before they can start to practise.

When a practitioner is registering for the first time or returning from not holding general registration, they may be required to successfully complete any specified assessment before their application for registration can be considered.

All assessments are done at the practitioner’s own expense.

Failure to successfully demonstrate competence and an ability to practise safely in a competence assessment may affect a practitioner’s ability to achieve registration or remain registered. However, in some circumstances, the Board may allow a practitioner to re-sit an assessment within a specified time frame.

Retraining or re-education

The Board may decide that a practitioner needs to complete specified retraining/re-education to ensure their competence and ability to practise safely, due to:

• the gap in practise is too large
• there are specific gaps in their skills and training
• and/or there is no other suitable pathway for them to demonstrate their competence and ability to practise safely.

In such cases, the Board will generally refuse a practitioner’s registration or renewal of registration and invite the practitioner to reapply once the training or education specified by the Board has been successfully completed.

Some practitioners may request to undertake a retraining program in place of all or part of a period of supervised practice, and the Board is open to receiving such requests from practitioners. Decisions about these requests are made on an individual basis.

All training or education is done at the practitioner’s own expense.

Scope of practice is the professional role and services that an individual health practitioner is trained, qualified and competent to perform. A practitioner’s scope of practice may include clinical and/or non-clinical practice. If your scope of practice is in a non-clinical role, you do not need to practise in a clinical role to meet the Recency of practice registration standard. However, depending on the amount of time away from clinical practice, you may need to meet additional requirements to return to clinical practice.

The Board’s Code of conduct requires Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners to recognise and work within the limits of your competence and scope of practice.

If you are changing your scope of practice, you may be required to complete additional training to ensure you are competent in your new scope of practice.

The requirements vary depending on the change that you are making:

• if you are narrowing your scope of practice, there are no extra requirements
• if you are extending your scope of practice to an area, you must complete the training that your peers would reasonably expect before taking up your new area of practice, and
• if you are making a substantial change to your scope of practice (for example, moving from a non-clinical role such as an administrative role back to clinical practice), you must develop a professional development plan, for approval by the Board, that details the activities you intend to do to ensure your competence in the new scope of practice.

You must not practise in the new scope of practice until the Board has approved your professional development plan. Your National Board has published a template Substantial change in scope of practice – Plan for professional development on its website that may help.

The Board will consider several factors when reviewing your professional development plan, and you may be required to carry out supervised practice, further education and training, or an assessment/examination to assess your competence to practice in this new role to ensure you remain safe and competent.