Working within the statutory requirements established for all Health Regulatory Colleges in Ontario; the College views its Quality Assurance Programs as a means of supporting members in maintaining their knowledge and skills throughout their careers. While adhering to rigorous legislative requirements, the College’s Quality Assurance Programs have been designed to be supportive rather than investigative. Whenever participation in Quality Assurance leads to the identification of the need for remediation; information about this remains confidential as member-specific information about Quality Assurance involvement is not publicly available.
Declarations of Completion Due
Each year, members of the College are required to submit Declarations of Completion following their completion of the Self-Assessment Guide and Continuing Professional Development Plan, as well as their Continuing Professional Development Program on a schedule determined by their certificate type and registration number.
The deadline to submit Declarations of Completion was Friday, June 30, 2023. Any members with overdue Declarations have been contacted by the College.
- 2252 members were required to complete the Self-Assessment Guide and Continuing Professional Development Plan and submit a Declaration.
- 2248 members were required to complete a two-year Continuing Professional Development Program cycle and submit a Declaration.
Information about which members were required to make Declarations this year can be found below.
| Certificate Type | Self-Assessment Guide (SAG) | Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program |
| Autonomous Practice | Odd Certificate Number Only | Odd Certificate Number Only |
| Academic | Odd Certificate Number Only | Odd Certificate Number Only |
| Supervised Practice | ALL Certificate Numbers | Odd Certificate Number Only |
| Interim Autonomous Practice | ALL Certificate Numbers | Odd Certificate Number Only |
| Retired | None | None |
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (CPD)
In 2022, the Quality Assurance Committee implemented an additional requirement for the CPD Program. For all CPD cycles beginning after July 1, 2022, members are required to complete at least five credits of continuing education or professional development activities with content related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). These credits may be earned through the completion of activities from any CPD categories.
New CPD Tracking Resources
Until the launch of a new online CPD tracking system under development, downloadable templates have been posted on the QA section of the College Website to assist members in tracking their CPD credits throughout their two-year cycles. These templates should be saved directly to your personal devices and filled electronically or printed for hard copy use. Unfortunately, these templates will not allow for the uploading of supporting records and these should be retained in your own files for future reference.
Members must ensure they continue to retain copies of their Quality Assurance records, including CPD tracking sheets, supporting CPD records related to completed activities, and completed Self-Assessment Guides for a minimum of five years (O. Reg. 73/15: General).
Continuing Professional Development Program Audits
Each year, the Quality Assurance Committee completes a number of audits to verify member completion of the mandatory Continuing Professional Development program requirements. Members from the most recently concluded two-year CPD cycle of July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2023, will be eligible for random selection, which will occur in the early fall. In addition, those members who have failed to make their CPD Declaration of Completion will be required to participate in an audit.
CPD Audit Status Update
During the last quarter (March 1- May 31, 2023), 16 CPD audits were completed. In 14 cases, the Committee determined that the members had completed all requirements successfully, without any concerns.
In one case, a member received remedial feedback, specifically to ensure that they practice within their authorized area of practice and client populations.
In one case, based upon the information provided by the member, the Committee could not determine whether the CPD requirements had been met and referred the member to meet with a College Assessor, pursuant to s.81 of the Health Professions Procedural Code, which is Schedule 2 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, in order to understand the nature of the member’s difficulties.
SELF-ASSESSMENT GUIDE AND CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (SAG/PDP)
SAG Review Status Update
During the last quarter, a panel of the Committee considered one matter involving a member’s failure to make their Declarations of Completion of the Self- Assessment requirements by the deadline. Based on the information provided, the panel believed that the member had completed the requirements in a satisfactory manner.
In four cases, the Committee could not complete reviews of the members’ self-assessment materials due to the members’ significant, extenuating personal circumstances. They took steps to determine whether there were any apparent risks to the public interest in each of these cases, prior to deferring the reviews to a later date.
Those members who will be required to undergo a Peer Assisted Review for failing to submit their 2023 SAG Declaration of Completion will be notified by the College in the early fall.
PEER ASSISTED REVIEWS (PAR)
PAR Status Update
The College continues to address a backlog of ongoing PARs created by restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. As restrictions have eased, the College is currently permitting in-person reviews to resume, while continuing to permit PARs conducted virtually for those who prefer that option.
During the fourth quarter, 11 PARs were completed and reviewed by panels of the Committee. In seven cases, panels believed, based on Assessor reports, that the members’ professional practice adhered to the Standards of the profession.
In the four remaining cases, remedial feedback was provided concerning:
- The requirement to designate a successor Health Information Custodian
- The need to revise informed consent procedures to include information related to mandatory reporting obligations and the limits of confidentiality
- The need to implement a secure system for the purposes of communicating private client information electronically
Additionally, one PAR was cancelled due to the member’s resignation from the College, and one PAR could not be completed, resulting in a referral of the member to the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee of the College for an investigation of their lack of compliance with the Quality Assurance requirements.
There are 25 remaining reviews to be scheduled for completion or resumed following a previous deferral, including deferrals related to COVID-19 restrictions.
During the last quarter, the Quality Assurance Committee formalized criteria for the next stratified random selection of PAR members, which is anticipated to occur this year. The Committee decided that the stratified selection pool will include members who are authorized to practice Rehabilitation Psychology, as well as those with more than 2 complaints resulting in remedial action by the College within the past 5 years.