Competence, fitness to practise and continuing professional development: The ethical basis of educational psychologists’ practice

Abstract

AbstractIn this article questions are raised about what constitutes fitness to practise for educational psychologists, starting with a discussion of “valid practice” and the current concern in many professions with “revalidation”. Most professions imply that “competence”, derived from a licence to practise or its equivalent, and adherence to an ethical code, constitute the basis of their current “fitness to practise”, and hence the justification for public trust or confidence. However, if we are thinking in terms of protection for the public or public confidence, this notion of “competence” must be considered a weak concept, since, once demonstrated through initial qualification and additional professional requirements for “membership” (the “licence”), it is rarely if ever subsequently checked. The article considers questions of qualification (licence to practise), ethical codes and continuing professional development (CPD) for educational psychologists, welcomes the move by the British Psychological Society (BPS) toward mandatory CPD as a means for revalidation of competence, and suggests that a core aspect of ethical practice implies a commitment to the maintenance of current fitness to practise.