In early 2009, the Board introduced a Continuing Competence Programme (CCP) as part of its endeavours to meet its obligations under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (the Act). The dual objectives of the CCP are to provide a framework to assist individual practitioners to address the ongoing challenge of maintaining competence while also giving the Board a mechanism to support and ensure practitioners maintain competence. All actively practising psychologists are required to participate in the CCP and will be requested to declare that they have done so when renewing their APC each year.
The full CCP programme can be downloaded here.
Exemplars of CCP Records can be downloaded from the side panel on this page. (The Board thanks those practitioners who have made their records available for this purpose.)
Each year the Board will audit approximately 20% of APC applicants for compliance with the CCP’s requirements. When selected for an audit of their CCP participation, a psychologist will receive a letter and a declaration form from the Board.
The Board will provide each psychologist who has been audited with a summary of his or her audit results plus some feedback and suggestions that we hope will enhance future CCP participation.
Further information and sample letters and forms are available from the "Related Resources" box to the right. If you can't find what you are looking for there, or require further assistance, please contact us.
Section 118(i) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (the Act) requires that the Psychologists Board set standards of ethical conduct and clinical and cultural competence. The Board’s prescribed Core Competencies for the Practice of Psychology in New Zealand have been developed to assist the Board to protect the public, as is their legislated mandate under the Act.
Parts 1, 3 and 4 of the document list those competencies the Board has identified as core to a particular scope of practice - the minimum requirement for competent practice at an entry level. Each of these competencies is underpinned by the Board's Cultural Competencies (refer Part 2) and should be read in conjunction with them. All psychologists practising in the "Psychologist" scope must be able to demonstrate competence in the knowledge and skills listed under that scope.
A psychologist who practises in a vocational scope must also be able to demonstrate competence in the knowledge and skills listed under that vocational scope. The Board have tried to avoid duplication as much as possible and therefore both scopes/parts should be referred to by those practitioners who hold a vocational scope.
These competencies may be used in the assessment of initial qualifications for registration and scopes of practice, as standards in competency reviews and competence programmes, and/or in the Board's processes for accrediting tertiary educational institutions. They should also serve as a guide to members of the profession.
Core competencies for the new "Counselling Psychologist" scope are currently being developed.
The Core Competencies stand alongside the Code of Ethics for Psychologists Working in Aotearoa/New Zealand [2002] (English only) (Te Reo only) and any best practice guidelines adopted or endorsed by the Board.
The Board's Standards of Cultural Competence for Psychologists Registered under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 and Those Seeking to Become Registered apply to all psychologists in New Zealand. The guidelines have been developed to reflect the skill, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for effective cultural practice. It is expected that all psychologists, regardless of their area of practice, will consider and incorporate these guidelines.
The New Zealand Psychological Society has compiled a very useful set of resources to help practitioners develop and maintain cultural competence. (Click here to go to the NZPsS Bicultural Resources page. Be sure to scroll down on that page to view the “Cultural Competence Resources” section).
CCP Records Exemplar 1 (Partial)
CCP Records Exemplar 2 (Partial)
CCP Records Exemplar 3 (Partial)
We welcome your comments on this website, on your interaction with the Board, or on any other aspect of the work we do.