Fitness to Practise

Being fit to practise means having the skills, knowledge, good health, character, and behavioural standards to complete your course safely and effectively.

It applies to students on courses for regulated and accredited professions. The University must be confident that you are fit to practise before recommending you for professional registration.

The University will assess your fitness to practise throughout your course and investigate concerns such as:

• Criminal convictions
• Unprofessional or unethical conduct
• Health conditions
• Violent or dangerous behaviour
• Misuse of drugs
• Dishonesty
• Risk to patient safety

Anyone can raise a concern with the University. Issues may relate to your health or your conduct, including in and outside of the University and placements, and online.

Examples include:

• Social media comments or posts about placements or staff, or containing inappropriate content
• Fraudulent documents, e.g. timesheets
• Publishing photos of yourself in uniform at a client's home
• False claims of clinical placement hours
• Reports of drink driving
• Poor timekeeping or absences
• Unprofessional behaviour on placement

Note: these lists are not exhaustive. For full details, refer to the University's Fitness to Practise Regulations.

• Complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check during the application process.
• Inform the University about any issue that may affect your fitness to practise before starting the course.
• During your course, tell the University about any issues as soon as they arise, such as getting into trouble with the police, issues on placement, or changes in your health.
• Understand the requirements of the body that regulates your profession.

1. Seek advice. Contact us at SU Advice straight away. We can guide you through the process, help you draft a statement, and even attend meetings with you (subject to availability).
2. Familiarise yourself with the University's Fitness to Practise Regulations.
3. Gather evidence. This could include anything that may prove the allegations are untrue, or that you may use as mitigation or to help the University better understand the situation.
4. Understand your professional body's code of conduct and expectations. It is really important to show your awareness of the required professional standards.

First, your faculty will decide whether an investigation is needed and, if so, will appoint an independent investigator.

You will be notified in writing about the concerns and any evidence, and will be invited to a fitness to practise investigation meeting.

At this stage, we can help you prepare your response and make sure you are clear about the process and its implications. We recommend preparing and sending a written statement prior to the meeting. We have a separate guide on this.

Subject to availability, one of our advisers can also attend the meeting with you.

Following the meeting, the investigator can decide to:

• Take no further action.
• Refer issues for consideration under other regulations, such as the University's disciplinary regulations.
• Allow you to continue as a student but issue advice as to future conduct or impose conditions.
• Ask you to submit a reflective statement for their consideration.
• Refer your case to be considered by a fitness to practise panel.

If your case is progressed to a panel, the University will send you the conclusions of the investigation stage and outline your next steps.

You will receive at least 10 working days' notice of the meeting. You must confirm attendance at least five working days before the hearing. You can submit a written statement at this point too.

The panel will include University staff and independent representatives from your professional area. You will be informed of their names in advance.

We strongly recommend you attend the panel meeting. If you don't, it may go ahead without you.

1. Write a statement. See our guide or contact us at SU Advice for help with preparing what you want to say.
2. Arrange to bring a representative. One of our advisers from SU Advice may be able to join you. They can check that the meeting follows the correct process.

If you take a family member, they can only provide moral support, not speak on your behalf. You may wish to bring witnesses - our advisers can discuss this with you in more detail.

Anyone you bring should be clear about the role you want them to take, and you must inform the panel in advance that they will be with you.

For a full outline of the panel procedure, see the University's Fitness to Practise Regulations.

First, the University will present its case against you. You then have the opportunity to explain what happened and, if applicable, any mitigating circumstances. Afterwards, the panel will decide on the outcome and notify you in writing within five working days.

Be clear, concise, and consistent. Maintain your professionalism. And be truthful - the panel may be able to gauge if you are not being honest.

If you begin to feel emotional you can ask for a short break.

Take a notebook and pen. You may want to note things down to address later.

The panel may:

• Defer a decision pending the receipt of further information or advice.
• Take no further action, if there is no case to answer.
• Allow you to remain on the programme, possibly with conditions attached.
• Exclude you from all, or aspects of, study on the programme for up to 12 months.
• Require you to repeat part of your course.
• Exclude you permanently from further study on the course.
• Exclude you from enrolling on any other award with professional requirements within the faculty or University.
• Recommend to the Vice Chancellor that you are expelled from the University.
• In exceptional circumstances, recommend to the Academic Board that an award that has already been made is withdrawn.

If appropriate, the University will report the outcome to your professional body. The University will inform you if it intends to do this.

For more details, see the University's Fitness to Practise Regulations.

If there's a risk to other students, University staff, or the clients or staff of an organisation where you're training, the Vice Chancellor may decide to suspend you during the investigation.

You may also be suspended by your placement if an issue arises there.

If this happens, contact us at SU Advice as soon as possible.

Yes, if one of the following applies:

• There was an error or irregularity in the process.
• New evidence has come to light that was not available at the time.

You must submit your appeal within 10 working days of the decision being made available to you.

We can discuss your grounds for appeal with you and assist you through the process. See our appeals guide for more information.

• Read the University's Fitness to Practise Regulations.
• Review and keep hold of the letter and evidence outlining the concerns.
• Gather any relevant documents, such as emails, placement records, statements from any staff involved (if appropriate, speak to an Adviser about this), and evidence of mitigating circumstances.
• Reflect on the event. Why did it happen? What have you learned, both personally and professionally? What would you do differently in the future?
• Set aside plenty of time to put together an accurate, concise statement.

• Provide a brief background to the issues from your perspective, in chronological order.
• Address each concern raised, including any breaches of regulations or codes of conduct, and demonstrate your understanding of them.
• Outline any relevant mitigating circumstances that may have affected you at the time of the incident.
• Include specific details, such as the hours you were on shift on the dates in question.
• If your case relates to a patient, discuss facts like their medical history but be mindful not to share identifying or confidential details.
• Explain procedures that you followed and how they demonstrated your skills and knowledge. If you did not follow normal, accepted procedures, explain what is normal and why you departed this.
• Highlight any corrective actions you have taken, such as visiting alcohol support services if the issue relates to driving under the influence of alcohol.
• Describe strategies you will use to prevent repeat incidents, including being aware of who to talk to at the University if you have difficulties.
• Make the case for your preferred outcome.
• Reflect on the situation to show your understanding of what happened, what you would do differently in the future, and how you have learned from the experience.

Be honest and professional throughout, and show you understand why fitness to practise is important. Use clear language and don't assume the reader has any prior knowledge.

How to approach the allegations

Admissions

If an allegation is true, take responsibility and express regret. You may still be able to draft a successful defence.

Highlight any exceptional mitigating circumstances and how they impacted your behaviour. If possible, provide evidence as outlined in the University's Exceptional Circumstances Policy and Procedure.

Denials

If you believe an allegation is untrue, deny it and explain why.

Provide any evidence that supports your denial.

Be prepared for the University to seek further evidence.

Send your statement to us ahead of the deadline for one of our team to review before submission.