positively and , after talking to my lecturers about how to interpret “ whatever you think ”, I decided to give them a few examples of what adjustments I ’ d needed on placements ,’ she says .
‘ A case had to be opened for me and after a few more months of me chasing them , I was finally registered . It then took another few months to build up my now-impacted confidence and land my first post , due to the impact this experience had on my mental health .
‘ Although it wasn ’ t the exciting journey that I was expecting , as a disabled activist I do feel that the process needs to change .’ However , Georgia says she learned a few things along the way that she could have done to speed it up .
‘ One major learning curve is that my cerebral palsy doesn ’ t affect my fitness to practise as , with adjustments , I was able to pass all my practice placements . Since first sharing my story last year , I ’ ve had a lot of people contact me who , like me , were worried about not disclosing and getting penalised further down the line .
‘ But you won ’ t get penalised by HCPC themselves , because if you need to disclose your health later down the line this will more than likely come from a conversation between yourself and your employer .
‘ A conversation about reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act ( 2010 ) should happen in the workplace and as long as those adjustments aid you to meet fitness to practise standards , HCPC does not need to know about this .
‘ As a young , 21-year-old , I was scared and thought disclosing was my only option . But it wasn ’ t , as I didn ’ t owe HCPC my medical history . It ’ s very easy to think like this and as someone who ’ s always had to disclose , this is the way I saw it . But conversations regarding reasonable adjustments happen between you and your employer and if this was ever to become a fitness to practise issue , your employer should let you know .
‘ I hope no-one else has to go through the long and challenging process I went through when registering with HCPC .’
Anne ’ s story
Anne Keen works at RCOT as the Professional Advisory Service Manager . She says : ‘ I am a HCPC-registered occupational therapist and my role involves advising our members regarding any issues and questions they have concerning their occupational therapy practice .
‘ I love my job , but it can be challenging and demanding at times , particularly emotionally . In 2018 , I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety following the sudden death of my beloved dad .
‘ My functioning in most areas of my life were affected , including my occupation of work . However , I did not have to inform HCPC of my illness , because it didn ’ t affect my ability to practice safely and effectively and I was able to adapt my practice accordingly , including stopping working when necessary .’
She adds : ‘ My work colleagues at RCOT were incredibly supportive and I was able to step away from answering telephone calls when I was feeling tearful . Although working gave me structure and focus , at times I did not feel able to work and took a period of time “ off sick ”.
‘ Again , I did not have to inform HCPC , as I had stopped practising , due to my illness affecting my ability to practise safely and effectively at that time .’
She concludes : ‘ I regularly support members who are experiencing a variety of health issues and it is often a relief for them to see what support is available and that they are not alone . If you have a health condition that you think may be affecting your practice as an occupational therapist , please contact us for support .’
Advice and guidance
RCOT ’ s Professional Advisory Service is here for members to help you with all aspects of professional practice in the workplace . For details visit https :// bit . ly / 41WEWhM .
All BAOT members are members of UNISON ( except for those who are wholly selfemployed or employed overseas ). To access support visit https :// bit . ly / 41Z9AXU .
For more information on HCPC ’ s health and character declarations visit https :// bit . ly / 3AMP2Wu .
Words GEORGIA VINE , newly qualified occupational therapist , and ANNE KEEN , RCOT Professional Advisory Service Manager . For help and support email professional . enquiries @ rcot . co . uk .
May 2023 OTnews 55