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HCPC guidelines for clinical practitioners

Edexcel IAL Psychology · WPS04 Clinical Psychology and Psychological Skills

Spec 8.3.3 asks for awareness of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) guidelines for clinical practitioners. The component guide says to use the most recent standards and to know about fitness to practise.

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What the HCPC is

The Health and Care Professions Council regulates health and care professionals in the UK and keeps a Register of them. Practitioner psychologists, including clinical psychologists, must be registered.

If there are serious concerns about a registrant's knowledge, skills or behaviour, the HCPC's fitness to practise process can take action, for example restricting or removing their registration. This protects the public.

Standards of conduct, performance and ethics

These apply to every registrant (current version in effect from 1 September 2024). The ten headline standards:

Standard
1Promote and protect the interests of service users and carers
2Communicate appropriately and effectively
3Work within the limits of your knowledge and skills
4Delegate appropriately
5Respect confidentiality
6Manage risk
7Report concerns about safety
8Be open when things go wrong
9Be honest and trustworthy
10Keep records of your work

Standards of proficiency for practitioner psychologists

These say what a psychologist must be able to do (current version in effect from 1 September 2023). There are 15 headline standards, including: practise safely and effectively within scope; know legal and ethical boundaries; look after their own health and wellbeing; culture, equality and diversity; confidentiality; effective communication; record keeping; and reflecting on and reviewing practice.

Links: the culture standard connects to cultural issues in diagnosis (8.1.3); confidentiality and risk connect to the BPS Code of Ethics (9.1.16); the guidelines also apply when evaluating therapies (9.3.1).

Worked example

A clinical psychologist tells a friend, by name, about a client's diagnosis. Which HCPC standard has been broken and what could happen?

  1. Standard 5: respect confidentiality. Client information must not be shared without consent or a legal reason.
  2. A concern could be raised with the HCPC.
  3. Through fitness to practise, the HCPC could take action such as restricting or removing the psychologist's registration.

Answer: Breaking confidentiality breaches standard 5 and can lead to fitness to practise action.

Key idea: The HCPC regulates and registers practitioner psychologists. Know its standards of conduct, performance and ethics (10, in effect 2024), the standards of proficiency (15, in effect 2023) and fitness to practise.

Check yourself

  1. What is the main role of the HCPC?
    • To publish the DSM
    • To fund psychological research
    • To train all doctors
    • To regulate health and care professionals and keep a register to protect the public
    Show answer

    To regulate health and care professionals and keep a register to protect the public. The HCPC regulates registrants and protects the public.

  2. How many headline standards of conduct, performance and ethics are there?
    Show answer

    10. There are ten headline standards.

  3. What is 'fitness to practise'?
    • A physical fitness test for psychologists
    • A type of therapy
    • The time a practitioner must train for
    • The process the HCPC uses when there are serious concerns about a registrant
    Show answer

    The process the HCPC uses when there are serious concerns about a registrant. Fitness to practise is how the HCPC acts on serious concerns.

  4. A psychologist realises a client's needs are beyond their training and refers them on. Which standard does this follow?
    • Work within the limits of your knowledge and skills
    • Keep records of your work
    • Delegate appropriately
    • Be open when things go wrong
    Show answer

    Work within the limits of your knowledge and skills. Referring on when a case is beyond your competence follows standard 3.

  5. How many headline standards of proficiency are there for practitioner psychologists?
    Show answer

    15. The standards of proficiency have 15 headline standards.

  6. Explain why HCPC registration matters to someone receiving clinical therapy.
    Show answer

    It means the practitioner must meet set standards of conduct and proficiency, and if they act unsafely the HCPC can take fitness to practise action, so the client is protected.. Registration means standards are enforced, which protects clients.

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Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.