Foundations of professional clinical practice
We are developing a contemporary professional and ethical code to underpin future physiotherapy practice for all our members. A number of different resources currently underpin physiotherapy practice.
Charting the Future
CSP are currently working on a project, called Charting the Future, to prepare the physiotherapy profession for the future. As part of this we are developing a contemporary professional and ethical code to underpin all our members’ future physiotherapy practice and conduct. This will supersede the existing Rules of Professional Conduct, Core Standards of Physiotherapy Practice and the Assistants’ Code of Conduct. For the time being these resources are still current for practice.
This project will also stimulate debate within the profession and with our stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for us all. And it will develop a shared understanding of how physiotherapy can and does contribute to the health and wellbeing of the UK population. Physiotherapy’s core skills and knowledge will continue to be used in innovative ways. New skills and knowledge will also be developed. These will contribute to physiotherapy’s developing scope of practice.
More information about the project and how to get involved is available on the Charting the Future section of this website.
Standards of Physiotherapy Practice (SOPP)
A collection of documents describing the professional consensus on the practise of physiotherapy for members of the CSP working in any occupational setting. The Standards reflect all practice areas, settings and specialities and set the national standards against which individuals and services can compare their performance. The Standards of Physiotherapy Practice currently comprise:
- Core standards of Physiotherapy Practice (2005)
- Service Standards of Physiotherapy Practice (2005)
- Clinical audit tools (2000)
Additional guidance for clinical practice may also be available from specific Clinical interest groups. Further information on the current standards is also available on this site.
Rules and Code of Conduct
The role of the Rules, for qualified and students members, and the Code, for associate members, is to reflect the reasonable behaviour expected of a physiotherapist or physiotherapy assistant as a professional. A breach could result in a formal complaint being received by the Society from a member of the public, other professional or chartered physiotherapist. See more about the current Rules and Code.
Scope of physiotherapy practice
Rule 1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct relates to Scope of Practice and states:
Chartered physiotherapists shall only practice to the extent that they have established, maintained and developed their ability to work safely and competently and shall ensure that they have appropriate professional liability cover for that practice.
Current guidance on the scope of physiotherapy practice is available.
Code 1 of the Code of Conduct for physiotherapy assistants relates to Scope of Practice and states:
Physiotherapy assistants shall only practice to the extent that they have established, maintained and developed their ability to work safely and competently to the tasks delegated to them by Chartered physiotherapists
Current guidance on the role of physiotherapy assistants in relation to delegated tasks is also available.
Please also see on this site a section on competence, relevant to all members, and more detailed information about the scope of physiotherapy practice.
HPC Standards of Proficiency for Physiotherapy
These standards apply to all physiotherapists registered with the HPC and, in relation to clinical resources, knowledge and evidence, expect registrants to be able to effectively appraise, implement and evaluate the evidence in their practice. HPC Standards of Proficiency are available from the HPC website http://www.hpc-uk.org/
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