Overview and Purpose
Coast Medic strives to deliver excellent patient care to all service users. We acknowledge that every employee will have varying backgrounds, professions, experiences and qualifications.
This policy outlines what is considered to be ‘the Scope of Practice’ and the expectation that all staff and volunteers work within the limitations of their training, qualifications and experience.
This policy also outlines the process for managing a clear breach of scope of practice and the expectation that staff and volunteers must raise concerns when they feel unable to undertake a task due to lack of training or knowledge.
This policy is considered a live document and will be updated and changed to reflect the current practices of the organisation. This document is also subsidised by additional supporting documents which will also be updated as required in line with this policy to ensure currency and accuracy within current national standards.
Scope
This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, contractors and others who are involved with Coast Medic. This encompasses staff who are contracted from other organisations to provide services on behalf of Coast Medic.
Principles of the Scope of Practice Policy
This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, contractors and others who are involved with Coast Medic it also encompasses any member of staff who are contracted from other organisations to provide services on behalf of Coast Medic. For the purpose of this policy are referred to as staff and volunteers.
All staff and volunteers who provide services on behalf of Coast Medic are expected to conduct themselves within organisational policies, procedures and the Coast Medic code of conduct as well as [where applicable] Professional Code of Conducts.
At all times, staff and volunteers must only work within their current scope of their qualifications, competence, skills and experience, ensuring that this is also within the policies and procedures of Coast Medic.
All staff and volunteers should seek help when they feel they are being asked to undertake something that they are not prepared or trained in.
Staff will be provided with appropriate supervision and/or a supportive environment when learning new skills which they have not been assessed as competent in.
Responsibilities
The Clinical Lead is responsible for the implementation of this policy within Coast Medic. The Clinical Lead is responsible for providing oversight of this policy on behalf of the Management Team.
Staff and volunteers should be aware of the content of this policy and how it applies to their role within Coast Medic and adhere to it when volunteering by or providing services on behalf of the organisation.
Registered Healthcare Professionals must act within their professional scope of practice, their professional code of conduct and with the limitations of their experience and additional qualifications.
Scope of Practice
Scope of Practice is defined for this policy as: “Any activity which is undertaken by an employee for which they have been educated, trained and assessed as competent to carry out safely”.
At all times, staff and volunteers must only work within the scope of their qualifications, competence, skills and experience, ensuring that this is within the policies and procedures of Coast Medic.
It is recognised that a staff and volunteer scope of practice will change over time, this will be through gaining a wider range of experience or through the completion of further qualifications or training.
When delivering care and treatment to patients on behalf of Coast Medic, this should be undertaken by regulated Healthcare Professionals, or suitably trained and competent staff.
Training and Development
Coast Medic are committed to providing quality training and development opportunities for all our staff or volunteer.
As part of the commitment to providing quality training and development opportunities an appropriate level of supervision and a supportive learning and assessment environment will be made available when employees are learning new skills which they have not been assessed as competent in.
Where additional skills are taught there will be a number of specific assessment methods (such as a Pre-Course Workbook or Practical Competency Assessment) which need to be completed prior to an employee being signed off as competence. These however vary and the criteria for the assessing competence in the skill will be explained clearly at the time of the face-to-face input.
Further guidance can be sought from the Training and Development Policy.
Healthcare Professionals
Registered Healthcare Professions should work within their level of competence and professional qualifications whilst always adhering to their professional Code of Conduct.
It is the responsibility of the Healthcare Professional to ensure that they meet the individual requirements for registration with their respective professional body, this includes remaining competent in respective clinical skills which they wish to perform.
Coast Medic have devised competencies which should be met by all Healthcare Professionals who provide clinical care on behalf of the organisation. Further guidance on these can be sought from the Competency for Role matrix.
Coast Medic recognises that Healthcare Professionals will hold additional qualifications or competencies in extended clinical skills. It is the responsibility for the individual Healthcare Professional to provide evidence of successful completion and ongoing competence to the Clinical Lead for inclusion within their Personnel File.
If any Healthcare Professional has any concerns about their individual scope of practice, then these should be discussed with the Clinical Lead in the first instance.
It is the responsibility of all health care professionals to ensure that they continue to maintain current registration with their professional body and report any investigations or capacity concerns raised by them to us.
Raising Concerns
Under No Circumstances should staff and volunteer of Coast Medic undertake any task or procedure for which they have not been assessed as competence for or is not within their scope of practice and qualifications.
Staff and volunteers should in the first instance seek help or assistance when being asked to undertake something that they are not prepared or trained in (this includes being assessed and signed off as competent).
All concerns should be raised to the Clinical Lead in the first instance.
Breaches of Scope of Practice
Coast Medic are committed to ensuring that the care which is provided to our service users remains safe and delivered effectively. In incidences where it is reported that a potential breach of Scope of Practice has occurred these will be managed as a Clinical Incident.
All allegations will require investigation and could result in disciplinary action and will be managed in line with the Disciplinary Policy to ensure that Coast Medic meets the obligations and requirements.