ACQ Vol 13 No1 2011

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ACQ Volume 13, Number 1 2011 31
Professional issues
(Carlton, 2008). The National Registration and Accreditation
Scheme for the Health Professions was introduced in July
2010 and provides a framework for occupational regulation
that is enabled through statutory registration. Statutory
registration supports regulatory functions through legislated
scopes of practice, codes of conduct and restriction of
profession titles. These functions are achieved by controlling
entry to a profession, maintaining a register of qualified
health professionals, accrediting programs of study, setting
standards of clinical practice and codes of conduct,
investigating and dealing with complaints, and managing
issues regarding practitioner ill-health (Carlton, 2008).
Ten professions are currently included in the scheme,
including chiropractors, dentists, medical practitioners,
nurses and midwives, optometrists, osteopaths,
pharmacists, physiotherapists and podiatrists. These
professions were included on the basis that they already
operated within a statutory registration framework in most
jurisdictions in Australia. In July 2008, the Australian Health
Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) called for submissions
from partially regulated professions wishing to be considered
for inclusion in the scheme. Speech pathology is considered
to be a partially regulated profession given that it is a
registered profession only in the state of Queensland.
Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) in conjunction with the
Speech Pathologists Board of Queensland, on behalf of
the speech pathology profession in Australia, lodged a
submission to be included in the National Registration
and Accreditation Scheme. The submission conveyed the
profession’s intent that statutory registration of the speech
pathology profession across all jurisdictions would provide
a quality assurance and risk management framework to
safeguard public safety, thereby addressing the risks of
physical, social and emotional harm posed by speech
pathology practice. Sound evidence was provided of the
disjointed nature of existing regulatory and governance
mechanisms that are unable to apply sufficient powers
across the entire profession to enable the public to be
effectively protected. Mechanisms provided by the National
Registration and Accreditation Scheme including establishing
and instating a professional board, would enable the public
to identify those speech pathologists (SPs) who possess the
necessary competencies and qualifications to deliver speech
pathology services, and provide the public with an avenue
for addressing complaints about services or professionals
(SPA & The Speech Pathologists Board of Queensland,
2008). This is in contrast to functions undertaken by SPA,
The National Registration and Accreditation
Scheme for the Health Professions
commenced in July 2010. Unfortunately, the
speech pathology profession’s submission for
inclusion in to the National Registration and
Accreditation Scheme was unsuccessful. The
submission prepared jointly by Speech
Pathology Australia (SPA) and the Speech
Pathologists Board of Queensland argued that
existing governance and regulatory
mechanisms directed at establishing and
monitoring clinical practice standards,
competency and professional conduct failed
to provide integrated protection to the public.
The advancement and expansion of the
profession’s scope of practice was also
discussed, including the risks to the public
where these roles are performed without the
competency to do so.
In light of the profession’s unsuccessful
application to be included in the National
Accreditation and Registration Scheme, the
speech pathology profession needs to
determine processes for practice regulation
such that the public can be assured of the
competency of the entire speech pathology
workforce, from entry-level practice, to more
advanced and specialised roles. This paper
discusses the current inadequacies in the
profession’s governance and regulatory
mechanisms, and suggests that a career and
professional development framework could be
implemented as a quality assurance
mechanism to address these issues.
Regulation of practice to ensure
public safety
Occupational regulation of health professions is a
mechanism through which the public accessing health care
services is protected through effective monitoring of the
safety and quality of care delivered by health professionals
Ensuring the competency
of the speech pathology
workforce
The need for a career and professional development
framework
Michelle Cimoli
Michelle Cimoli
This article
has been
peer-
reviewed
Keywords
CAREER
FRAMEWORK
COMPETENCY
PRACTICE
REGULATION
SCOPE OF
PRACTICE
WORKFORCE