Returning to practice
- committed to update and re-orientate
- committed to CPD to maintain, enhance and broaden your professional competence, as expected of other staff
- able to adhere to Rule I of the Rules of Professional Conduct about safety and competence to practise
- prepared, in most circumstances, to undertake some clinical work during a break to facilitate re-registration with the Health Professions Council by ensuring competence and continuity of care on return to the profession
- flexible in the hours worked to suit the needs of the service and your own personal needs
- prepared, if appropriate, to undertake on-call and emergency duties.
- initial considerations during your career break
- periods of reorientation
- HPC requirements for returners to practice
- occupational settings
- support for returners
- UK funding for returners
- existing return to practice course providers
- useful contacts
Health Professions Council (HPC) requirements
The Health Professions Council will be introducing return to practice requirements in 2006 for new and existing registrants who have been on a career break. Details of the HPC return to practice proposals and CSP response can been found in the related news section of this page, and the final requirements will be available in the CSP guidance pack and on the HPC website.
Want to know more?
For a copy of the CSP guidance pack, contact the CPD Administrator via email or the Enquiry Handling Unit on 0207 306 6666 and request the 'Return to Practice' guidance pack.
When requesting a pack, please provide full address details, the date when you last practiced as a physiotherapist, how long you were practicing before taking your break, the grade you were at when you left, which occupational sector you worked in (NHS, private etc) and your reason for taking a break.
For a copy of a guidance paper for managers wishing to support returners to practice contact the CPD Administrator via email or the Enquiry Handling Unit on 020 7306 6666 and request the managers return to practice guidance paper.
Developing formal return to practice courses
The CSP recognises that some physiotherapists may wish to undertake a more formal period of updating and therefore encourages local higher education institutions and other course providers to develop flexible courses suitable for physiotherapy returners to practice.
The CSP curriculum framework for return to physiotherapy practice sets out the basic principles course providers should adopt when developing such courses.
A list of existing formal return to practice course providers is contained within the CSP return to practice guidance pack and course providers may wish to contact those running existing courses to find out about existing good practice.
