Allied Health credentialing and scope of practice
- Working, but not employed by TCHHS application kit
- Mutual recognition application kit
- Review credential and scope application
- Complex practice application kit
- Who can I contact?
Allied Health service providers poster (PDF 310 kB)
Requirements to work in Queensland public health facilities poster (PDF 267 kB)
Credentialing
This is the process to determine, as an Allied Health profession, your competence, performance and professional suitability to practise safely within Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS).
These determinations are guided by professional associations’ scope of practice documents, standards, and requirements from regulatory bodies. We will then assess the information provided by you and determine whether you have the necessary skills, knowledge, competencies and experience.
Defining scope of clinical practice
Separate to credentialing, this determines the support services, staff profile, mimimum safety standards and other requirements to ensure services are provided safely and appropriately supported.
It is specific to the individual in that health care facility, and relates to the resources, equipment and staff available at the facility.
In accordance with the Guideline for Credentialing, Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice and Professional Support for Allied Health Professionals, and the Procedure for Credentialing and Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice and Professional Support procedure (PDF 117 kB), you are obliged to ensure you are credentialed and have a documented defined scope of clinical practice where you are:
- working in TCHHS facilities and services but not employed by TCHHS
- intending to engage in complex clinical practices not traditionally performed by your profession that may pose a risk to patient safety.
Application kit for Allied Health professionals working in TCHHS but not employed by TCHHS
 | If you are not recruited by the TCHHS and intending to practise within a TCHHS facility or service you will need to submit an application for credentialing and defining scope of clinical practice.
You are required to complete the following forms:
|
You will need to provide evidence of the following:
- Qualifications
- Registration (where applicable)
- Eligibility for practising membership of the relevant professional association
- Blue Card (if not from a registered profession and where the applicant intends to work with children)
Any person working within a facility or service of the TCHHS is obliged to work in accordance with the Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service.
Application kit for mutual recognition
| If
you undertake clinical practice in multiple facilities, HHSs or
Department of Health Divisions you need to apply for mutual
recognition. We will review applications for mutual recognition if you
have credentials and scope of practice approved less than two (2) years
from the date of the original application.
You are required to complete the Application form | 0197 (PDF 633 kB) Please note: For Allied Health professionals working in but not employed by TCHHS you are required to complete the Application form | 0217 (PDF 639 kB) |
Application kit for review of credentials or authorised scope of clinical practice
| You
should apply for a review of your credentials or scope of clinical
practice two (2) months prior to the expiry date. The same scope of
clinical practice is not automatically granted.
Complete the Application form | 0199 (PDF 813 kB) Please note: For Allied Health professionals not employed by TCHHS you are required to complete the Application form | 0200 (PDF 791 kB) |
Application kit for complex practice
| For complex practices not traditionally performed by the profession that may pose a risk to patient safety, you are required to provide: |
Any proposal to introduce a new service, procedure or intervention into the TCHHS for the first time must be taken to the Allied Health Credentialing and Defining Scope of Clinical Practice Committee prior to the commencement of the service, procedure or intervention.
The proposal must be accompanied by a draft protocol which provides clear guidance in relation to the parameters of practice and the level of competency required by an individual engaging in the practice.
The committee will make a recommendation about the ability of the facility to support the clinical practice based on safety, cost, support services, staff training, and other considerations.
Factors that may be considered include (but are not limited to) access to the following:
- Specialist medical officers
- Specialised equipment
- Equipment that is compliant with legislation and regulations
- Staffing mix and level of staffing resource
- Specialised teams (Emergency response team, surgical team)
- Service planning
- Capability based planning
- Professional support
The profession will provide recommendations in relation to the human and physical resources necessary to practise utilising recommendations from regulatory and professional bodies.
The committee will utilise any professional advice in conjunction with the committee’s knowledge of health practice and the particular facility in their deliberations and make a recommendation in relation to the draft protocol.
This will include a recommendation about whether you are required to be credentialed in addition to the protocol or whether competency can be managed through the Performance Appraisal and Development process.
This recommendation is then given to the Chief Executive who makes the ultimate decision about whether the new service, procedure or intervention can proceed.
If you are seeking to engage in complex practice not traditionally within the scope of your professional practice within a service that has been approved by the committee, you should submit an application. The application should include information from the facility/department/unit where you intend to work regarding the areas of clinical practice that will be required you, and your:
- qualifications
- registration (if applicable)
- work history
- relevant continuing professional development, and
- professional referees
Who can I contact?
| Allied Health Professional Leader (Southern sector) | Postal address | Email | Phone |
|
Torres and Cape HHS Level 1, William McCormack Place 5B Sheridan Street CAIRNS QLD 4870 |
PO Box 5607 CAIRNS QLD 4870 | tchhs-credentialing@health.qld.gov.au +61 7 4226 3045 |
