Any regulated member who has been referred for an on-site practice visit after a record review will be contacted by their assessor within two weeks of receiving the results of their record review. During this initial conversation, the assessor and regulated member will schedule a date/time for the on-site visit and will discuss:

• Brief overview of the on-site visit (what to expect, timing, etc.),
• How client confidentiality will be maintained,
• Any relevant worksite specifics that the assessor should be aware of,
• Obtaining informed consent from clients (the assessor can provide strategies on how to discuss this with client),
• That employers can contact an ACSLPA practice advisor directly with any concerns about the on-site visit, and
• Any other questions that the regulated member may have about the on-site visit.

Any regulated member referred for an on-site practice visit may find it helpful to go over their record review report regarding the competency to practice concerns that were identified in their records.

Informed consent MUST be obtained from any clients whose care will be observed by the on-site practice visit assessor. Regulated members can obtain client consent for the assessor to observe their session prior to the observation. Once on site, the assessor will also explain their role as an observer of the clinician (not the client), as well as client confidentiality and privacy protection considerations (as per the Health Professions Act (HPA)). The assessor will obtain consent from the client (or their authorized decision maker) prior to the observation.

Regulated members should forward to their assessor the contact information for the parents/guardians of minor clients who will be observed in a school setting, without their parents/guardians present, at least 48 hours before the day of the scheduled observation.

Further guidance will be provided to regulated members referred to an on-site practice visit about obtaining informed consent for observation at the time of referral.

If informed consent cannot be obtained, your assessor will schedule another on-site practice visit.

During the initial scheduling phone call, regulated members can discuss with their assessor how best to manage the assessor’s presence at the worksite (e.g., where the assessor should wait prior to client observations/meeting with the regulated member, any rules or expectations of the worksite, etc.).

Regulated members will be permitted to use a setting different to their usual practice setting for observations with the on-site practice visit assessor. For example, clinicians who work in classrooms may use a private space for the observation, or clinicians may ask clients to come in earlier in the day if permissible/practical.

The on-site practice visit assessor will aim to be as unintrusive as possible during their visit. They will not direct questions to anyone at the worksite apart from the regulated member.

Regulated members who are referred to undergo an on-site practice visit are not obligated by ACSLPA to inform their supervisors or colleagues but may do so at their discretion.

During the initial scheduling phone call, regulated members can discuss with their assessor how best to manage the assessor’s presence at the worksite (e.g., where the assessor should wait prior to client observations/meeting with the regulated member, any rules or expectations of the worksite, etc.).

Regulated members will be permitted to use a setting different to their usual practice setting for observations with the on-site practice visit assessor. For example, clinicians who work in classrooms may use a private space for the observation, or clinicians may ask clients to come in earlier in the day if permissible/practical.

The on-site practice visit assessor will aim to be as unintrusive as possible during their visit. They will not direct questions to anyone at the worksite apart from the regulated member.

Regulated members who are referred to undergo an on-site practice visit are not obligated by ACSLPA to inform their supervisors or colleagues but may do so at their discretion.

In this situation, regulated members can:

• Have their assessor observe them in-person as they provide services to their clients, or
• Have the assessor join the client’s session virtually, or
• Record the virtual session with the client and forward the recording to the assessor for review.

In all instances, client consent will still be required, and regulated members will need to be aware of and comply with any employer policies on recording and sharing recordings of clients, as appropriate. Any recordings from virtual sessions must be shared with ACSLPA in a secure manner (e.g., encrypted email, secure file sharing tool). In addition, the regulated member must make themselves available for debriefing after the session.

ACSLPA staff will contact the regulated member via email with the results of their on-site practice visit within two weeks of the date of the visit. The regulated member will be informed of the outcome of the on-site practice visit (i.e., exiting the CCP, remediation planning, or being referred to the Competence Committee).

Regulated members should note that on-site practice visit assessors will not be able to provide them with any indication of the result of their practice visit during the observation or debriefing. All regulated members who complete an on-site practice visit will be given access to their on-site practice visit report, which details the scoring rubric for the review, along with the member’s performance with each rubric item.

While the College appreciates that being given a remediation plan or being referred to the Competence Committee may cause considerable stress and worry to regulated members, we want to assure members that the aim of the practice assessment, including the on-site practice visit, is to support members in maintaining
competence to practice and the provision of quality professional services to the public.

Regulated members who are unable to demonstrate that they meet minimum competence to practice requirements during the on-site practice visit will be referred for review by ACSLPA’s Competence Committee. In these situations, the on-site practice visit assessor will have made the determination that there is a risk of harm to the public.

The Competence Committee will review the reports and any documentation generated from the on-site practice visit. They may also review the reporting and documentation from the regulated member’s participation in previous stages of the practice assessment. The regulated member may provide a written response regarding the on-site practice visit results, to be reviewed by the Competence Committee. The Committee may then take any of the actions as described in the Continuing Competence Program Manual.

Regulated members should note that being referred to the Competence Committee after the on-site visit does not mean that the member’s practice permit will be automatically suspended. The Competence Committee will carefully review all documentation and recommend actions that are proportionate to the risk of harm posed. Members can refer to the Continuing Competence Program Manual for more information on the potential actions that can be taken in the event noncompliance or unsatisfactory compliance with the CCP.