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HPC Regulation of Applied Psychologists - Thoughts and Reflections

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I am writing this to hopefully get this clear in my head so this is how I see the current situation and some of my thoughts. If I have got anything wrong just let me know! The Health Professions Council (HPC) is a register of health professionals who have to meet certain standards relating to their training, professional skills and behaviour (http://www.hpcheck.org) and the Government are implementing placing applied psychologists on this register. So to use the title ‘applied psychologist’ you must sign up to the HPC register. This has got to be a good thing for the profession and continue its development and evolution and personally for each psychologist will see themselves develop as they have to undergo certain CPD requirements. Currently the only route that is being considered for the training required to becoming an applied sport psychologist is the BPS route with the end result of becoming chartered. What about the BASES SE process? BASES have responded (http://www.bases.org.uk/newsite/news123.asp) to say that their training is comparable to the BPS. If the HPC do not recognise BASES SE then potentially the profession could lose or miss out on the people that come from a sports background (coaches etc) who do not have a generic psychology background, myself included coming from a sport science/sport development background. I understand the need for the generic background and think that Sport Psychology is in a transitional period of development here in the UK but undertaking my training during this time is confusing as the goal posts always seem to move. I have investigated doing a conversion course to allow me work towards being chartered through the BPS but this will knock me back a few years on my career path.

Tags: applied psychologist, bases se, chartered bps, cpd, sports science, the health professions council (hpc)

Posted April 4, 2008 at 7:34 AM by DavidH | Permalink | Comments(1)

Comments

You know, it shouldn't necessarily knock you back a long way. You can sit the exam independently, as far as I know - and if the BASES competencies are really in line with GBR, then your self-study towards accreditation should enable you to pass the exam.

I do think that a psychologist has to have a solid grounding in psychology first and foremost - it is then applied to sport - but in my view if BASES have done their homework then no-one should really lose out as the opportunity is (or was a few years ago) available to demonstrate eligibility for GBR through the exam.

Must be worth investigating.

If, as I've heard might be true, the BPS/HPC say that you have to have converted before your MSc, then although I can understand some of the potential arguments, I think that they will be making a tough situation worse than it needs to be.