We are collaborating with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to offer two free online events where our Professional Advisor, Louise Smart and HCPC Professional Liaison Consultants, Kim Tolley and Fiona Campbell will support you in embedding the recent updates to the standards of proficiency within your art therapy practice.

What are the updates to the HCPC standards?

Art therapists are regulated by the HCPC which sets the standards that registrants – like art therapists – use to ensure safe and effective practice, with the overall objective of protecting the public. The updates to the standards of proficiency include:

• An expansion of the role of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
• A new standard about promoting public health and preventing ill-health.
• Wording changes to move registrants away from a passive understanding of the standards towards active implementation of them.
• Changes to put patients and service users first.
• An elevation of the importance of registrants’ mental health. The previous standards were less about registrant health and more focused on fitness to practise; registrants are now required to develop and adopt clear strategies for physical and mental self-care.

What you will learn

It is important that art therapists actively implement the updated standards of proficiency, especially those specific to the art therapy profession, to ensure safe and effective practice. These events will ensure you know all you need to know about the updated standards and support you to actively embed them within your art therapy practice.

Event 1

Updated HCPC standards – all you need to know

On 25 October 2023 (5-6pm), HCPC will host the first event to ensure you know all you need to know about the updated standards of proficiency to begin to actively implement them within your practice.

This event has now passed. 

Event 2

Embedding the updated HCPC standards – your questions answered

On 31 January 2024 (5-7pm), we will host the second event to support our members in ensuring the updated standards are embedded within your practice.

How have the expansion of the role of EDI, promoting public health, adopting clear strategies for self-care, moving from a passive understanding towards active implementation of the standards, or the changes in relation to putting patients and service users first affected your practice?

This second event will be an opportunity to:

• Ask our Professional Advisor, Louise Smart and HCPC Professional Liaison Consultant, Fiona Campbell any questions that have emerged over the first few months of implementing the updated standards.
• Speak with other art therapists about how they have developed their art therapy services and practices since the updated standards came into effect in September.
• Continue to develop ethical, safe and accessible art therapy practice together.

This event is free and open to members only.

Access event 2

Find out more

• Download the latest standards from the HCPC’s website
• HCPC standards are changing – all you need to know, InSight article by Rosemary Flowers-Wanjie, HCPC Policy Manager