If for whatever reason you have let your professional registration lapse, now is a great time to return to the AHP workforce as there are lots of recruitment opportunities available. It is easier than you may think to regain your HCPC registration and get back into practice.
There are different requirements depending on how long you have been out of practice for. Full details available on the NHS Scotland website has all the up to date legal information for re-registering.
Further information is also available from the Health and Care Professions Council.
Contact us
If you are considering returning to work within Ayrshire and Arran we would be happy to discuss this with you and support you with the process. To discuss this further please contact us on the email address below:
aa.aaahppracticeeducation@aapct.scot.nhs.uk
Case studies – journeys in returning to practicing AHPs
Ayrshire and Arran have supported and employed many AHPs back into practice. Here are some staff telling their stories.
Ann’s Story
My name is Ann Cook. I qualified as an Occupational Therapist (OT) in 2006. I am currently employed by Ayrshire & Arran health Board in Ayrshire Central Hospital I am a band 5 rotational occupational therapist in the Honey comb based in wards 1, 3 and 4. Ward 1 elderly rehabilitation and wards 3 & 4 are mental health wards.
I studied at Glasgow Caledonian University and graduated with BSC in Occupational Therapy in 2006. Whilst at University I was diagnosed as having dyslexia. One of my supervisors suggested I get tested for dyslexia after supervising me on placement.
I came off the register in 2007 being unable to obtain an Occupational Therapy post. I then obtained various care jobs, prior to joining the Scottish Ambulance Service where I started in Patient Transfer eventually going back to Glasgow Caledonian University and getting a certificate in Education for Ambulance studies, qualifying me as an Ambulance Technician in 2013. I then worked as an Ambulance Technician with the Scottish Ambulance Service. Whilst working as an ambulance technician I encountered patients who had various issues that would be supported by Occupational Therapy. That Occupational Therapy could support these patients to remain independent in the community.
I realised that the skill I learned during my Occupational Therapy studies could be used to assist these patients to live as independently as possible. I even attempted to get involved in the SAS liaison with the falls team to use some of my OT experience there but I had to attend these meeting whilst working nights and during my sleep time or being unable to attend and there was a serious lack luster approach to supporting this group within the SAS. Also the SAS seems unwilling to support Ambulance Technicians in extended roles preferring to concentrate on Paramedics.
I spent ten years trying to do find someone or somewhere that would take me for supervised practice. After contacting OT’s in various institutions including the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital & Glasgow Royal Infirmary with little or no response and I was coming to the end of my tether. There was some response from a Senior OT who seemed to lose interest. By chance I encountered a previous OT placement supervisor who gave me the contact details of her boss and that’s where the story gets interesting.
On the whole my career move has been interesting, rewarding and challenging. I’m getting used to a different pace, management, recording systems and CPD environment. On the whole I’m enjoying these new challenges and look forward to the developmental, progression and support opportunities that being an OT offers. Also instead of dipping quickly into patients’ lives to save life and limb. I’m getting an insight into their lives and being allowed to support them maintain their independence and living as full a life as possible.
Samantha’s Story
My name is Samantha, a graduate from Glasgow Caledonian University in 1997 with a BSc Hons in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. I am currently employed by Ayrshire and Arran Health Board working as a Band 6 Dietitian with the Intermediate Care Team in East Ayrshire.
My first employment after graduation, was at Ayr Hospital from1998 to 2003. In 2003 my career progressed into the role of Band 6 Elderly Mental Health Dietitian based at the Ailsa Hospital until my maternity leave in 2007. A return to work part-time was my initial plan. However, as I was keen to extend leave to nurture and raise my son as a full time mother, this period of leave extended until 2014 when I felt ready to return to practice. I had the desire to re-engage with my identity and purpose as a Dietitian alongside motherhood.
The route back to re-registration in 2014 required me to complete a period of 30 days of updating my knowledge and skills. This was facilitated by the Dietetic Lead in South Ayrshire, and permitted access onto 25 days of supervised clinical practice within the community team—a mixture of domiciliary visits and GP clinics. Private study was then completed for the five remaining days to bring me up to date with current developments in health and social care which were relevant to my profession. I found the process to be straightforward, and it was a pleasure to be reintegrated with the Dietetic Community Team again, and to make a difference to patients’ lives.
In 2015 after a brief locum post at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, I successfully secured a Band 6 position at Midpark Acute Mental Health Unit in Dumfries and Galloway within a multidisciplinary team. I continued my practice here for almost four years, but oftentimes found the commute to be challenging, especially in the winter months. However, this period of practice facilitated deepening my knowledge, skillset and growth, all of which has been vital for my current role in ICT in East Ayrshire. My personal and work life is enriched by returning to Dietetic practice and securing my current position closer to home and family.