OTnews May 2023 | Page 54

Disability

Feature

Health and character declarations – our experience

As an occupational therapist working with a health condition , do you always need to inform the Health and Care Professions Council ? Georgia Vine and Anne Keen share their stories and look at some of the support available .

T here are many occupational therapists , working in a variety of settings , who have a mental health and / or physical health condition or disability . RCOT members who have a health condition regularly contact our Professional Advisory Service and are often unaware there are other occupational therapists experiencing similar issues and that there is support available for them if needed .

The Health and Care Professions Council ( HCPC ) has guidance on health and character , which details what is expected of registrants who are experiencing issues with their health . It states that registrants ( or people applying to join the register ), only need to declare information about a health condition if they believe that their health may affect their ability to practise safely and effectively .

Georgia ’ s story

When Georgia Vine graduated in July 2021 , she ‘ couldn ’ t wait ’ to apply for her HCPC registration and finally be able to call herself an occupational therapist . However , this normally exciting first step into practice ‘ soon became a battle of many months ’.

She explains : ‘ Although my journey was unexpected , it became clear that becoming a registered occupational therapist wasn ’ t going to be straightforward for me when filling out HCPC ’ s registration form .

‘ This is because of one question that was phrased as : “ Do you have any physical or mental health condition that would impair your fitness to practise the profession to which your application relates ?” The answer was either yes or no .’

As a disabled person who has cerebral palsy , Georgia says that ‘ this question stumped me a little ’. She wrestled with whether to disclose or not disclose her disability . ‘ I knew from practice placements that reasonable adjustments could be made to ensure that I met fitness to practise standards ,’ she reflects .

‘ Yet , as someone who has been disabled and has had to fight and justify my needs all my life , my internalised ableism was telling me that if I did not disclose , I would be penalised later down the line .’

For this reason , Georgia ticked yes . However , there were no further or additional boxes for her to specifically discuss or even declare her cerebral palsy .

‘ Something else I ’ d like to highlight is the phrase “ would impair ”,’ she adds . ‘ The word “ would ” appears unequivocal , whereas the phrase “ could impair ” is much more accessible . Health fluctuates and no two years with a disability – or days for that matter – are ever the same .’

Georgia then received an email from HCPC saying it was sorry to hear that her health condition may affect her ability to practise and that , as she had not provided any evidence about how it affects her , she therefore needed to tell HCPC how she thought her disability will affect her practice .

‘ This hurt ,’ she says emphatically . ‘ I ’ m not sorry I ’ m disabled , nor should anyone else be for me . I knew what I was getting into when I applied to go to university in 2017 , so , I ’ ve had plenty of time to get my head around the fact that the way I practise will look different to others .

‘ And as for how I think my cerebral palsy will affect me in practice , I was again stumped . Yes , of course I know how my disability affects me , but as someone who ’ d only had placements to go off , I was very confused as to what information HCPC needed . Telephoning to register and just getting told “ whatever you think ” didn ’ t help either .’

After a few weeks of deliberation , Georgia replied to the email . ‘ I disclosed my cerebral palsy

54 OTnews May 2023