In order to best understand the role of the Council it is important to understand the context within which we operate.
The National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) sets out the regulatory framework for health practitioners in Australia. The objectives of the NRAS are to:
- protect the public through the regulation of registered health practitioners and students by ensuring they are:
- suitably trained
- suitably qualified
- competent
- ethical
- facilitate mobility of the workforce;
- facilitate access to services in the public interest, and
- enable the continuous development of a flexible, responsive and sustainable workforce.
The relevant Board in this context is the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia. The Board is supported by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and is responsible for registering health practitioners and deciding the requirements for registration.
The Occupational Therapy Board:
- develops and recommends standards;
- develops and approves codes and guidelines for the profession; and
- approves accredited programs of study which provide the necessary qualifications for registration.
In all states and territories, other than NSW, the Occupational Therapy Board also manages complaints about the conduct, health and performance of registered practitioners and the conduct and health of registered students.
In NSW the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) (the Law) provides the structure for the implementation of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) in NSW. The Law sets out the regulatory framework for health practitioners and students in Occupational Therapy as well as the 14 other health professions.
Our primary role is to protect the public through the management of complaints regarding the professional conduct, performance, behaviour or health of Occupational Therapists in NSW. We protect the public and manage risk to public health and safety by ensuring registered Occupational Therapists and students in NSW practise safely and competently. We use a variety of pathways to manage the different types of complaints.
In NSW the complaints handling model for health practitioners in NSW requires the Occupational Therapy Council to jointly consider complaints with the independent Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC).This is known as a co-regulatory model. Our other key stakeholders are AHPRA and the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia.