Psychologist with police caution granted registration with HCPC

Kings View Chambers has helped a psychologist register with the HCPC despite having a police caution for perverting the course of justice. 

DB made application for registration with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) and was asked to provide information relating to a police caution received some years ago for perverting the course of justice. 

DB instructed health and care defence barrister Catherine Stock to review his situation and to provide advice and assistance in drafting and finalising his response to the HCPC. 

His application for registration was granted.

This case highlights 2 issues: 

• The significance of receiving a simple police caution and the potentially catastrophic effect it can have years later, if you choose a career path in a regulated profession.
• The importance of obtaining specialist legal advice either before or at the point of registration with a regulator.

In many instances a police caution is accepted by an individual without thinking it through. Any entry on a DBS / PVG can have wide reaching consequences further down the line. It is difficult then to challenge the entry but is possible, and we have challenged many entries successfully. 

Catherine Stock, health care defence barrister and joint head of chambers said: “When applying for registration with your regulator, you must disclose any warning, reprimand, caution or conviction whether spend or unspent. It is then vital to properly explain the circumstances and obtain specialist advice on how to frame your explanation.

“This may well save a failed application and the expense and stress of a registration appeal.” 

Following DB’s successful HCPC registration, he said “I came across Catherine Stock at Kings View Chambers after searching the internet for good quality legal advice related to an issue which was affecting my HCPC registration and consequently my professional work. 

“I had made an application to the HCPC and an issue about a police caution related to events in 2014 was a problem. I felt the situation, and the events at the time of the caution had not been justly reviewed and fairly evaluated. 

“I instructed Catherine to review the HCPC registration and advise on the best way forward. She provided advice and assistance in drafting and finalising my response to the HCPC. The outcome was a success and Catherine was a great asset in providing the right advice and guidance. She delivered on time, and in a manner which was accessible and practical.

“I would recommend speaking to Kingsview for an opinion and good advice.”