HCPC’s professional liaison service: prevention, partnership and support

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) protects the public by regulating 15 health and care professions in the UK.  Physiotherapy is the largest profession group, with over 70,000 registered physiotherapists. The HCPC is primarily known for its regulatory functions: setting standards, approving education programmes, maintaining a register, and taking action when standards are not met. 

Recently, the HCPC has expanded its support for registrants, including the development of the Professional Liaison Service.

This service aims to promote professionalism, ethical behaviours and enable current and future professionals to embed and achieve high professional standards. Working with employers, it also promotes developing healthy cultures and working environments for its registrants.

Professional liaison consultants

The Professional Liaison Service is delivered by four professional liaison consultants, located in each of the four UK countries, and this four-nation approach ensures tailored support across the UK. Florence Milliken, inspired by her diverse experiences as a physio, team leader and service user, was drawn to the role of professional liaison consultant for Northern Ireland. 

Hugh Tregoning, a CSP member and practicing physiotherapist with NHS and private sector experience, has taken on the role for Wales. 

While Fiona Campbell, a speech and language therapist, is professional liaison consultant for Scotland; Iain Spink, a music therapist and researcher, covers England. 

More information about the service and each consultant can be found on the HCPC website page titled 'Professional Liaison Service'.

Supporting physiotherapists

Through education and influence, professional liaison consultants will support physios to understand, embed and achieve the standards set for them by the HCPC. Educational programmes include:

• Professionalism in practice – a suite of evidence-based workshops for registrants, and their managers and leadership teams, which explore the impact of poor cultures and unprofessional behaviours. 
• #myHCPCstandards – a programme of webinars and workshops that explore the revised standards of conduct, performance and ethics, supporting registrants to understand the standards updates which came into effect on 1 September.
• Joining the UK workforce – a programme designed for international registrants to supports their transition to UK practice.

Delivering sessions on professionalism, culture and leadership, both for the NHS and the private sector, supports CSP members and their managers to foster environments conducive to safe and effective care.

Professional liaison consultants also engage with and influence a range of different stakeholders, always with the aim of promoting healthy cultures and professionalism. 

They bring learning and intelligence back from registrants and workplaces to the HCPC to inform and improve the service it provides. 

The team has also developed resources specifically designed to support students and newly qualified physios:

• Becoming a health and care professional programme (on the student hub) aims to support students to explore what it means to be a healthcare professional. It covers important subjects such as raising concerns, using social media, managing your own health and wellbeing and continuing development.
• The HCPC’s principles for preceptorship are designed to support students as they enter the workforce. At this point, the programmes (mentioned above) also become relevant and support continuing professional development.

Our advice to students and newly qualified physiotherapists is to engage with the HCPC initiatives and resources alongside CSP resources and development opportunities to support you to navigate your professional journey, enhancing essential skills and your confidence in delivering high-quality care.

Physiotherapists can contact the HCPC Professional Liaison Service on their website and via this link.