Effective: September 17, 2022

Click here to view Standard 3.2 Continuing Competence Program as a PDF document.

Standard

The Continuing Competence Program of the College is established and consists of:

• compulsory self-directed professional development activities, and
• interviews, file reviews, practice visits, or other competence assessments as required.

Indicators

To demonstrate this standard, the regulated member will:

a) Complete the following self-directed professional development activities annually:

• • • • reflection on risks and supports to their competence,
      • professional engagement with peers through dialogue and feedback about the regulated member’s practice, and
      • continuing education.

Criteria for successful completion of these activities are established in the Continuing Competence Program Manual.

b) Participate in practice assessments for the purpose of evaluating the regulated member’s competence, as directed by the College in accordance with criteria and requirements established in the Continuing Competence Program Manual, which may include one or more of the following activities:

• • • • interviews with the regulated member,
      • reviewing documents and other evidence referred to in subsection 3.2(c) and (d) which may include client records,
      • on-site practice visits, which may include conducting interviews with persons having knowledge related to the regulated member’s practice, including, but not limited to, colleagues, employers, and clients and
      • any other method of evaluation the Competence Committee considers appropriate.

c) Retain documentation and records related to their CCP submission for at for at least two (2) years after the end of the registration year to which the document relates.

d) Provide, upon request, evidence of having met the requirements of the Continuing Competence Program including, but not limited to, providing copies of documents and records as required by the Continuing Competence Program Manual to the Registrar or Competence Committee for review.

e) Undertake any actions in response to a direction by the Competence Committee, which may be at the regulated member’s own cost.

Actions to be Taken

The following actions may be taken in accordance with this CCP and the applicable sections of the Health Professions Act (HPA).

a)  A regulated member who does not complete the annual self-directed professional development requirements in accordance with subsection 3.2(a) will be ineligible to renew their practice permit.

b)  If the Competence Committee considers that:

1. a regulated member has not complied with one or more requirements under section 3.2(a) and/or 3.2 (c),
2. the results of an assessment of a regulated member’s competence under section 3.2(b) are unsatisfactory, or
3. the regulated member fails to comply with either:

 (i)  a direction given, or
(ii)  a condition imposed

by the Competence Committee, the Competence Committee may undertake any of the following, as appropriate in the circumstances:

1. 1. 1. direct a regulated member to undertake one or more actions as described in the Continuing Competence Program Manual within the time period specified by the Competence Committee,
      2. impose conditions on the regulated member’s practice permit in accordance with section 40.1(1) of the HPA,
      3. refer a matter to the Complaints Director as a complaint, subject to the confidentiality provisions in section 51.1 of the HPA, or
      4. direct the Registrar to cancel the regulated member’s registration and practice permit.

Expected Outcomes

Clients can expect that the regulated member is competent to provide quality professional services.

Glossary

Active practice permit refers to “a practice permit issued to a regulated member under Part 2 of the Health Professions Act.”

Client refers to “a recipient of speech-language pathology or audiology services, and may be an individual, family, group, community or population.” An individual client may also be referred to as a patient.

Competence refers to “the combined knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgement required to provide professional services.”

Competence Committee refers to “a committee established by the Council that consists of no fewer than 3 regulated members in accordance with section 10 of the Health Professions Act.”

Continuing Competence Program Manual refers to “a supplementary policy document that consolidates the pertinent details necessary for regulated members and the public to understand the Continuing Competence Program, how it is administered by ACSLPA, and what is required of regulated members to participate fully in the program.”

General register refers to “the speech-language pathologists general register and the audiologists general register established by the ACSLPA Council under section 33(1)(a) of the Health Professions Act.”

Professional services refers to “all actions and activities of a regulated member in the context of professional practice.”

Registrar refers to “the registrar of the College, appointed by the Council for the purposes of the Health Professions Act in accordance with section 8 of the Act.”

Regulated member refers to “an individual who is registered with ACSLPA in any of the regulated categories of membership prescribed by ACSLPA Bylaws, the Health Professions Act and our Regulations.”