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Return to Practice (RtP) is for someone who has been off the register for two or more years, or if they did not register within five years after qualification. Therefore they will need to complete a period of updating their skills and knowledge. This can be done within the healthcare, educational, and social care sectors.

Returnees can engage in supervised practice in areas such as the NHS, social care, councils, charities, voluntary organisations, and non-profit independent sector organisations. Additionally, private study and formal study can be used as evidence.

Returners may access organisations directly by contacting the RtP Leads or email sajida.hanif@nhs.net for queries and will support Returner to navigate a placement to meet specific needs as convenient for the returner and organisation.

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Use the flow chart to help track the RtP journey requirement.

Start date: Begin whenever you are ready!

Duration: All evidence must be gathered within the 24 months before submitting your forms to reapply to the HCPC. You can return quicker than 24 months if you complete your evidence collection sooner.

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Document includes Models of Employment

Examples of placement routes unpaid/voluntary - NHS route /&Local Authority

Paid employer-led Route - NHS & Local Authority

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Benefits to supporting Return to Practice for Organisations

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Benefits to supporting Return to Practice for Organisations

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Address workforce gaps and hard-to-fill positions: By offering and supporting a Band 3 support worker position and then fast-tracking into Band 5, 6, or 7 positions upon HCPC registration, organisations can effectively "grow their own" workforce.

Access a skilled workforce: The average age of individuals leaving the HCPC register is 44, with an average of 9 years of experience. Additionally, 60% of those leaving are at Band 7 or higher. This represents a valuable pool of experienced professionals (HEE, GEO survey, 2020).

Benefit from experience and motivation: These professionals not only bring clinical and professional experience but also life experience. They are generally motivated, live locally, and are more likely to stay with the organisation.

Reduce recruitment and agency costs: Supporting returnees helps reduce recruitment expenses and reliance on agency staff, while also increasing bank capacity, aligning with workforce planning.

High likelihood of retention: Evidence suggests that returnees who are supported to come back are highly likely to seek employment with the same organisation.

Cost-effective and quick: The average cost to return a professional is £1,175 (HEE, 2021), and returnees can be re-registered within 30-60 days (6-12 weeks).

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Finance Guide for supporting Organisations

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Finance Guide for supporting Organisations

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The £500 payment is intended for providers to support returners and will be allocated to individual departments that host them.

This funding can also be used to enhance the service through educational development, such as funding courses or purchasing educational equipment. The payment is meant to cover any expenses related to setup costs, like DBS checks or establishing Honorary contracts, as well as travel expenses between sites during the placement (returners can only claim travel costs from home to the placement and back, and parking costs at their base placement location).

Email: england.r2pahp-hcs@nhs.net for queries

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The program aims to inspire, support, and boost the confidence of qualified professionals as they return to practice, encouraging them to embrace lifelong learning. This is facilitated through various learning methods and techniques, including simulated clinical experiences.

The course is studied 100% online returnee can start it at any time and study at their own pace.

Programme consist of two Level 6 non-credit bearing modules equating to 210 hours per module to meet the HCPC Return to Practice (RtP) guidance for those requiring the following periods of updating within 2-5 years (30 days) and 5+ years (60 days).

Email for further details: AHPreturntopractice@coventry.ac.uk

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Allied Health Professionals Return to Practice | Coventry University

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Virtual Learning Programme for Health and Care Professions Council Returners

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The programme provides the opportunity for Professionals whose HCPC registration has lapsed after a break in practice of two years or more, to return to practice in England with proficiency and confidence.

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RtP pathway contact details; Expression Of Interest for returners to complete can be scanned using QR code.

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Return to Practice Programme | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

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Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

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Return to Practice Programme | Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

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How you re-join the register depends on how long you’ve been away and how many practice hours you completed before you left.

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RtP pathway contact details; Expression Of Interest for returners to complete can be scanned using QR code.

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BHT Return to Practice Powerpoint with slide 2 large QR final version (002)

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To express your interest to return to practice populate:https://forms.office.com/e/DyFfr8fB9u

For further queries email:

Careers@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk adminAHP@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk.

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Oxford Health NHS FT | Caring, safe and excellent

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Providing health and social care to people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.

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Placement queries for Return to Practice

Email:helpmeinplacement@ouh.nhs.uk

Expression of interest form : Return to Practice Enquiry (office.com)

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For Return to Practice queries contact Daniel Whitford, Learning Environment Lead

Email : Daniel.whitford@royalberkshire.nhs.uk or

Telephone: 0118 322 8186.

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To be supported by the NHS England (NHSE) HCPC Return to Practice Programme (office.com) complete the form.

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There is support and funding for the following:

All former HCPC registrants who live in England and plan to return to work in England once returned to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register.

Those who have gained a UK HCPC approved programme more than 5 years ago and have never been registered and never practised.

Registrants who remained on the HCPC register for more than two years but have not practised and consider themselves to be out of practice.

NHSE will reimburse up to £800 out of pocket expenses to support those registered on the NHSE Return to Practice Programme.

Email: england.r2pahp-hcs@nhs.net

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Return to Practice handbook to support with keeping track of your RtP journey

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A practice supervisor’s standard activities for Returnee

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A practice supervisor’s standard activities for Returnee

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This should include:

Working alongside the Returnee, providing both informal and formal supervision, and offering feedback on their progress.

Ensuring the entire multi-disciplinary team understands the Returnee’s role to foster a supportive team environment.

Identifying learning opportunities and ensuring the Returnee has frequent access to them, while fairly allocating these opportunities among Returnees, students, etc.

Encouraging the Returnee to reflect on their experiences during the placement, helping them identify any gaps in their knowledge and skills.

Status of the Returnee in Practice

Returnees should be integrated into the team and viewed as professionals refreshing their skills, not starting anew. It may be beneficial to initially support them similarly to newly qualified health professionals, while acknowledging their prior experience as they rebuild confidence and skills.

Signing Off Patient Records and Counter-signatories

Although counter-signing Returnees’ notes is not mandatory, it is good practice for supervisors to review and discuss return-to-practice notes. It is recommended that Returnees sign all records with their name, profession, and status (e.g., ‘Returnee Occupational Therapist’). Proper recording of a clinician’s signature is part of good record keeping and a legal requirement. Organisations using digital signatures should ensure Returnees have access to clinical systems and record signatures using a system such as Smartcards.

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Return to practice (HCPC) programme is now live on the NHS England learning hub platform.

https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/rpt

This course is intended to improve understanding of the HCPC return to practice process and the support offered by The NHS England Return to Practice programme for HCPC returners.

The course offers specific content for returners, supervisors, and organisations. As everyone involved in the return to practice process gains a better understanding of the process and the support available, returners can be supported more effectively to rejoin the health and care workforce.

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Recorded webinar for anyone interested in learning more about the HCPC Return to Practice Process, including valuable tips and key considerations

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NHS England Workforce, Training and Education

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An Evening with the HCPC on Return to Practice

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This program offers knowledge updates and opportunities to refresh Returnees clinical skills and grow as a practitioner. The learning contributes towards the 30 or 60 days of updating mandated by the Health and Care Professions Council. However please be aware that additional updating and supervised practice outside this course may be necessary to meet returnees individual requirements.

Course delivery is remote and flexible to meet returnees needs with access to resources.

Email Claire.Hartley@bcu.ac.uk for further queries

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This return to practice programme is for health and care professionals who are/have been on the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register, which includes Allied Health Professions.

It builds on the success of our prior programmes, which have supported a range of allied health professionals to get back on the HCPC register.

This programme will provide you with key knowledge updates, as well as opportunities to revisit your clinical skills, and develop as a practitioner. The learning counts towards your 30 or 60 days of updating required by the Health and Care Professions Council. Please note you may need to complete additional updating and supervised practice opportunities outside of this course to fulfil your personal updating requirements.

Open to:

Art Therapists (music, drama, art)

Biomedical Scientists

Clinical Scientists

Hearing Aid Dispensers

Practitioner Psychologists

Chiropodists / Podiatrists

Dietitians

Occupational Therapists

Operating Department Practitioners

Orthoptists

Paramedics

Physiotherapists

Prosthetists and Orthotists

Radiographers - Diagnostic and Therapeutic

Speech and Language Therapists

This course is not open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

You will study this course remotely and flexibly guided by a professional mentor who will support you to complete your own return to practice action plan. We know returners need to study around their existing commitments, and that every returner's needs are different, so you pick the learning that is relevant to you from a suite of study topics and practice learning events. You also have access to a range of profession specific learning resources. All of our topics are aligned to NHS England's pillars of education, leadership, research, and clinical practice and are mapped against the HCPC Standards of Proficiency enabling you to build your confidence in readiness to return to the profession you love.

During the course you will have opportunities to practice your clinical skills in live simulations, clinical practice scenarios and virtual cases, as well as take advantage of workshops with our subject specialists and our experts by experience. Our careers team are also on hand to develop your employability skills ready for working in a contemporary NHS, Education or Care environment.

Topics include:

Tackling inequality in health and social care including respecting diversity and difference

Reflective practice

Supervision

Using evidence to inform practice change

Updates on current health, education and social care policy, practice, sustainability and core values

Maintaining practitioner mental health and well-being, and building resilience

Why Choose Us?

This is one of only 2 programmes of its kind in the UK

You can undertake this programme flexibly, at a distance helping you fit this around other commitments

You can undertake virtual practice- based learning that will help you get ready to return, as well as update your theory

You will work with our Experts by Experience, who will share their lived experience of healthcare through your course.

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Return to Practice - Health and Care Professions

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Undertake online formal study to support your application to re-register with the Health and Care Professions council as an Operating Department Practitioner / Paramedic/ Radiographer/Therapeutic Radiographer/Speech and Language Therapist

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Documents you need to provide | (hcpc-uk.org)

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It is essential that Returnees have a rich learning experience and feel valued and integrated into the team. To facilitate this, managers and supervisors should discuss the Returnee’s needs and how the team can support them.

Returnees should also be open about their learning needs with their managers and supervisors.

Practice supervisors play a critical role in the success of the Returnee’s program. The supervisor must be from the same profession, have at least three years of experience, and not have any fitness-to-practice issues.

At a minimum, the placement provider should give the Returnee an identification badge indicating their role and profession. Before starting in their clinical area, Returnees should receive an introduction letter, key contact details of their RtP Organisation Lead, and information about their local supervisor. Returnees should have access to relevant IT systems and any 'return to practice workbooks' provided by the Organisation to guide their learning, document reflections, supervision notes, and time sheets as evidence during their updating.

Each placement provider should offer pastoral support to Returnees, similar to other learners. This support may come from a member of the clinical education team. This serves as an additional resource for the Returnee but does not replace the existing supervisor. This should be introduced at the start of the placement, the named person contact details and indicating their availability for support or advice. Regular contact is not required by the named pastoral support giver, but they should check in with the Returnee every week or two.

Any concerns should be promptly escalated to the Returnee’s placement manager and/or supervisor, and the Returnee should be informed of this action.

A collaborative approach among those supporting the Returnee is recommended, ensuring all parties are informed of progress or issues as they arise.

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Return to Practice: HCPC – A Guide for Organisations If Things Are Not Going Well 

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Return to Practice: HCPC – A Guide for Organisations If Things Are Not Going Well 

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If a Returnee is facing difficulties completing their practice hours due to development needs, please note: The placement supervisor is responsible for verifying the completed supervised practice hours but does not need to assess whether the individual is ‘competent’ or fit to practice.

Returnees already hold a qualification in their profession. Returning to practice involves regaining HCPC registration and using a protected title. They do not require retraining or formal teaching, as the return to practice process is led and managed by the Returnee. It is their responsibility to identify skill or knowledge gaps and develop an action plan.

HCPC registration is based on self-declaration of competency – supervisors are not certifying Returnees as competent.

If there are concerns about a Returnee’s fitness to practice after completing supervised updating, two options can be considered:

Discuss concerns about signing the form with the Returnee to help them plan additional updating activities.

Sign the form, then raise a fitness-to-practice concern with the HCPC. If there are serious issues or unprofessional behaviour inconsistent with the Organisation’s values or HCPC standards, the Returnee may not meet the RtP HCPC requirements and cannot regain registration.

Potential termination of a supervised practice placement should be included in the contract and discussed with HR or the line manager during placement setup to manage misconduct risks.

To avoid placement termination, implement risk management throughout the placement, including thorough recruitment checks, a detailed induction, pastoral care, a supportive learning environment, and early, open conversations with the Returnee to address any issues and ensure early internal support.

Any concerns about the Returnee should be discussed with the supporting manager. HR should be informed promptly if the Returnee is struggling, so additional support can be provided as needed. Regional or National NHSE RtP Leads can offer assistance whenever necessary.

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Check out the myth busters for return to practice.

For any unanswered questions or queries email either:

National Team: england.r2pahp-hcs@nhs.net

BOB ICB: sajida.hanif@nhs.net

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If you'd like to explore and interested in working in local authorities contacts as below:

Marion Angas

Service Manager - Localities

WBC Lead Occupational Therapist

Adult Social Care, West Berkshire Council, Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD

(01635) 503384 |   Ext 3384

marion.angas@westberks.gov.uk

Carole Lee

Principal Occupational Therapist

Directorate of Adult Care & Health Services

Reading Borough Council

Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU

Contact number : 0118 937 4712

Carole.Lee@reading.gov.uk

Yogita Mistry

Occupational Therapy Team Manager

Prevention & Short Term Services

Wokingham Borough Council

www.wokingham.gov.uk

Email: yogita.mistry@wokingham.gov.uk Tel: 07776491550

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Natasha Pisarski RtP National Programme Lead

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Natasha Pisarski RtP National Programme Lead

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Recorded webinar with information on HCPC RtP Requirements, NHSE RtP Programme to support returnees to self-direct back to the HCPC register, routes to returning and benefits for supporting RtP across organisations

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NHS England Workforce, Training and Education

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Return to Practice  HCPC Register - 17 minute version

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Inspirational Case Studies of AHP Returners

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Inspirational Case Studies of AHP Returners

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Case studies include:

Leadership Returners

Dietitian

Occupational Therapy

Operating Department Pracitioners

Orthoptics

Physiotherapy

Podiatry

Radiography

Speech and Language Therapy