Practising
Certificate
Information
One of the functions of the Psychologists Board under the Health Practitioners
Competence Assurance Act 2003 ("the Act") is to authorise the
registration of health practitioners. The principal purpose of the Act is
to protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing for
mechanisms to ensure that health practitioners are competent and fit to practice
their professions.
Before applying to the Psychologists Board for a Practising Certificate
(annual or interim) under the new Act, you are advised to read the following
information.
Provisions of the HPCA Act 2003
One of the key provisions of the Act is that unqualified persons must not
claim to be health practitioners. Please familiarise yourself with the
following provision:
Unqualified person must not claim to be health practitioner - Section 7(2) HPCA Act 2003
No person may claim to be practising a profession as a health practitioner of
a particular kind or state or do anything that is calculated to suggest that the
person practises or is willing to practice a profession as a health practitioner
of that kind unless the person is a health practitioner of that kind; and holds a
current practising certificate of that kind.
In other words, you may not claim to be practising psychology as a
psychologist or state or do anything that may suggest that you practice or are
willing to practice psychology as a psychologist unless you are a registered
psychologist and hold a current practising certificate.
IMPORTANT: Section 7(5) states "Every person commits an offence
punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding $10,000 who contravenes
this section."
Applying for an Practising
Certificate
Every registered psychologist who wishes to practise as a psychologist must
obtain a practising certificate by applying to the Registrar of the Board.
You can request an application form from the
Deputy
Registrar (Registration) or download a PDF copy [click
here]This form is for practising certificates to cover the year
starting 1 April 2008 through to 31 March 2009. You will be required to provide your registration number,
residential, mail and work address details, contact numbers and email address,
and to sign a Statutory Declaration stating that you believe you are competent
to practice in accordance with your scope of practice.
The standard Annual Practising Certificate year is 1 April until 31 March. Your
scope of practice, and any conditions if applicable, will be endorsed on your APC.
The fee for a practising certificate is $595.00 including GST. Payment
can be made by personal cheque, or bank cheque made out to the "Psychologists Board", and MasterCard or Visa credit card payments are accepted.* A payment section
has been included on the Practising Certificate application form.
Once you have submitted an application form including the required fee, you
will are regarded as holding that Practising Certificate (under section 26(1)
for Annual Practising Certificates, or section 31(1) for Interim Practising
Certificates) from the date when the Board receives the application and payment,
until the date it is issued or you are notified by the Registrar that it will
not be issued. It is a good idea to note in your diary when you posted
your Practising Certificate application form. The Registrar will issue an
annual practising certificate if none of the cases stated in the section 27(1)
applies - see Restrictions on Issue of APCs below.
*The Board does not accept bulk payments for practising
certificates.
Restrictions on Issue of
Annual Practising Certificate
The Registrar will issue a Practising Certificate if she believes that there
are no reasons to refer the application to the Board under section 27(1).
The Registrar may decline to issue a practising certificate if satisfied that any
information included in the application is false or misleading.
There are grounds set out in the Act under section 27(1) in which the
Registrar must submit an application to the Board for its consideration.
These include:
-
the applicant has, at any time, failed to maintain the required standard
of competence; or
-
the applicant has failed to fulfil, or has failed to comply with, a
condition included in the applicant's scope of practice; or
-
the applicant has not satisfactorily completed the requirements of any
competence programme that he or she has been ordered by the Board to
complete; or
-
the applicant has not held an annual practising certificate of a kind
sought by the application within the 3 years immediately preceding the date
of the application; or
-
the applicant is unable to perform the functions required for the
applicant's profession because of some mental or physical condition; or
-
the applicant has not, within the 3 years immediately preceding the date
of application, lawfully practised the profession to which the application
relates.
The Registrar may also decline to issue a practising certificate until any
outstanding fines, expenses, or costs are paid.
If an annual practising certificate is declined, the Board may issue an
interim practising certificate for a period of up to 12 months and with any
conditions the Board specifies.
Practitioners will be given an opportunity to make written and oral
submissions prior to any decision being made to decline an annual practising
certificate application, or to include or vary conditions in the health
practitioner's scope of practice.
(You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the PDF files; it's available to download for free. It may take a while to download.)
Frequently Asked Questions -
APC Renewals
1. Do
I need to purchase an Annual Practising Certificate (APC)?
If you intend to practise in New Zealand for all or any part if the year 1
April 2008 to 31 March 2009 you will need to purchase an APC. APC Renewal
Notices will be mailed out to current holders of APCs at the end of January. If you
do not receive a form by post download an APC Application form from this website:
PC
Application Form.
2.
What if I am not going to work in the year 1 April 2008 to 31 March
2009?
You do not need to purchase an APC. You do need to inform the Board.
Tick the “non-practising” box on the APC Renewal Notice or
Remittance Advice then sign, date and return it to the Board.
3.
What do I do when I return to the workforce?
Every registered psychologist who wants to return to
the workforce must apply to the Registrar for an annual practising certificate. The application form is available in PDF format [click
here] or contact the Deputy Registrar for an electronic or posted copy.
4.
Who is responsible for the purchase of an APC?
The practitioner is responsible for making sure they have a current APC.
Employers will often check on the currency of practitioner's APCs.
APCs should be displayed for public viewing.
5.
When do I have to pay for my APC?
To ensure that you receive your APC by 1 April
in any APC year, your payment must be with
us before the end of March.
6.
How can I pay for my APC?
Payment is accepted by cheque made out to the "Psychologists Board"
or credit card (Visa or MasterCard).
Send in the APC fee WITH the APC Application form or APC Renewal Notice.
7.
What do I do if I have not received my Renewal Notice?
Download a copy of the APC application form from this website (see
number 1 above).
CHECK:
Has your address changed in the past 12 months? Have you informed the
Board as required under the HPCA Act?
If you are unable to retrieve your Renewal Notice from your previous address,
go to the Change
of Address page (here) and provide information
required.
Section 140 of the HPCA Act requires registered psychologists to ensure that
the Registrar has your current postal address, current residential address, and
(if applicable) current work address.
8.
What do I do if I have changed my name?
Within one month after a changing your name, you must give the Board's
Registrar written notice of your new name.
A certified copy or statutory declaration as evidence of your name
change could be supplied. A
Justice of the Peace, Solicitor or Notary Public is authorised to certify these
documents. Please write your registration number on your certified copy.
9.
What do I do if my employer wants to pay for my APC?
Employers should note that the Board no longer accepts bulk APC payments from
employers and that payment of the APC by the due date is the responsibility of
the practitioner. Payment should
accompany the original Remittance Advice for processing by the bank.
10.
Can I fax my payment details or ring and give you my credit card details
over the phone?
NO! - Please return your original
Remittance Advice as it has an individual barcode that cannot be transmitted
electronically.
11.
If I lose my APC can I get another one?
NO! - We
only issue one copy. If you declare that your APC is lost, we will issue a
letter verifying that you hold an APC.
12.
What happens if I pay after 1 April 2008?
You are legally required to hold a current APC by 1 April 2008.
The amount payable if paid by 31 March 2008 is NZ$595.00.
The amount payable if paid after 1 April 2008 is NZ$695.00. 13.
I have not received my APC and my employer tells me if I do not produce
it on 1 April I will be unable to work - what can I do?
Anyone who has submitted an APC application accompanied by the fee is to be
treated as the holder of that certificate from the date when the Board received
the application until the date it is issued (refer section 30(3) of the HPCA Act
2003).
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