CHRE Performance review report 2011-12 - Professional Standards ...

Education and training
2.7 The Standards of Good Regulation in this area are generally being met, with a few
exceptions, mostly in the area of continuing fitness to practise. We recognise that
this is a work in progress, and that schemes to demonstrate registrants’ continuing
fitness to practise are at different stages of development. We welcome the efforts
that are being made across the board to improve the effectiveness of continuing
professional development (CPD), and registrants’ compliance with CPD
requirements.
Registration
2.8 We are pleased to see the improvements that the regulators are making to improve
the accessibility of their registers and the level of information about registrants’
current and historic fitness to practise status shown on the registers, the ongoing
development of online methods to make registration a quicker, more
straightforward and timely process, and increased audit of registration processes
and decisions. We are aware of a range of different approaches being taken to deal
with Lapsed Registrations, and we intend to look more closely at this area of
practice as a project in 2012-13.
Fitness to practise
2.9 We have observed the greatest variation in the regulators’ performance in the area
of fitness to practise. Some regulators are managing their caseloads effectively,
supported by robust case management systems. However others are still working
to achieve effective control of the core elements of an effective fitness to practise
framework, including timely and robust investigation and decision-making. We have
provided specific comments on timeliness, legally qualified chairs, case examiners,
initial handling of potential fitness to practise allegations, and information security.
Conclusions and recommendations
2.10 This year’s performance review has shown that the regulators are generally fulfilling
their statutory responsibilities and are focussed on public protection. However, we
have recommended some actions for the regulators, have highlighted areas of work
that we will take forward as well as encouraging the Department of Health, Social
Services and Public Safety Northern Ireland to continue implementing Pharmacy
(1976 Order) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012.
For the regulators
2.11 We recommend that the regulators should:
Address the areas of concern highlighted in their individual reports
Review this document as a whole, taking account of our views, and consider
whether they can learn and improve from the practices of the other regulators
Ensure that their Councils review and discuss the performance review report in
a public Council meeting.
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