Failure to conduct a full / accurate assessment

Type of concern: Failure to conduct a full / accurate assessment

Profession: Practitioner psychologist

Standards

When these events happened, previous versions of the standards were in place (standards of proficiency for practitioner psychologists 2012) and standards of conduct, performance and ethics 2012). To avoid confusion the most recent versions are shown.

Standards of conduct, performance and ethics (1 September 2024)

• 1.1 You must treat service users and carers as individuals, respecting their privacy and dignity.
• 1.3 You must empower and enable service users, where appropriate, to play a part in maintaining their own health and well-being and support them so they can make informed decisions.
• 2.2 You must listen to service users and carers and take account of their needs and wishes.
• 2.7 You must share relevant information, where appropriate, with colleagues involved in the care, treatment or other services provided to a service user.
• 6.1 You must take all reasonable steps to reduce the risk of harm to service users, carers and colleagues, as far as possible.
• 6.2 You must not do anything, or allow someone else to do anything, which could put the health or safety of a service user, carer or colleague at unacceptable risk.
• 7.1 You must report any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of service users promptly and appropriately.
• 8.1 You must be open, honest and candid when something has gone wrong with the care, treatment or other services that you provide, by:
  - where applicable, alerting your employer of what has gone wrong and following the relevant internal procedures;
  - informing service users and where appropriate carers, or where you do not have direct access to these individuals the lead clinician, that something has gone wrong;
  - providing service users and carers with a detailed explanation of the circumstances in which things have gone wrong and the likely impact; and
  - taking action to correct the mistake if possible and detailing this action to the service user and where appropriate, their carer.
• 9.1 You must make sure that your conduct justifies the public’s trust and confidence in you and your profession.
• 10.1 You must keep full, clear and accurate records for everyone you care for, treat or provide other services to.
• 10.2 You must complete all records promptly and as soon as possible after providing care, treatment or other services.
  
  

Standards of proficiency for practitioner psychologists (1 September 2023)

• 1. practise safely and effectively within their scope of practice
• 2.2 promote and protect the service user’s interests at all times
• 4.1 recognise that they are personally responsible for, and must be able to justify, their decisions and actions
• 4.2 use their skills, knowledge and experience, and the information available to them, to make informed decisions and/or take action where necessary
• 4.3 make reasoned decisions to initiate, continue, modify or cease treatment, or the use of techniques or procedures, and record the decisions and reasoning appropriately
• 4.7 use research, reasoning and problem-solving skills when determining appropriate actions
• 13.24 critically evaluate risks and their implications

Measures we put in place to protect the public

The Conduct and Competence Committee imposed a striking-off order.