Embedded Files
Am I eligible to join?
Am I eligible to join?
The aim of the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) Professional Standards Authority (PSA) Accredited Register for CRPs is to ensure all Registered CRPs share a common foundation of skills and experience. To be eligible for registration you must:
Be a member of the CRP Directory
Hold a current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Certificate
Hold a Good Clinical Practice (GCP) certificate completed within the last 3 years
Meet your employing organisation’s requirements for English language ability
Have completed your employer’s statutory/mandatory training
Use a named competency framework or an equivalent evidence based approach to knowledge and skills development
Have at least one year’s experience working comfortably at practitioner level/ level 5 of the Skills for Health Career Framework. The AHCS website lists the experience and application requirements for applicants, which vary depending on your qualifications
Demonstrate in your application that you meet the Standards of Proficiency for CRPs
What does Practitioner level / level 5 of the Skills for Health Career Framework mean?
What does Practitioner level / level 5 of the Skills for Health Career Framework mean?
CRPs working comfortably at practitioner level / level 5 of the Skills for Health Career Framework will be expected to have a comprehensive, specialised, factual and theoretical knowledge within their field of work and an awareness of the boundaries of that knowledge. Please refer to the Scope of Practice for CRPs for further information about the scope of practice.
CRPs working at practitioner level as described above will be using their knowledge and professional judgement to solve problems proactively, making decisions for which they will be accountable, and actively contribute to the service they work in. They will also proactively seek self-development.
The research delivery activities undertaken by a CRP working at practitioner level will often be self-directed and are likely to include some or all of the tasks listed below:
Seeking ongoing informed consent as a voluntary agreement with research study participants, ensuring their understanding of the research and its risks
Identification, screening and randomisation of research study participants
Involvement in clinical research operations, development, regulation and ethics processes
Proactively engaging with colleagues in relation to research study design and implementation and evaluation
Proactively ensuring high quality data input at source and its management through a research workflow
Contributing to the appraisal of evidence gathered in the context of delivering a research study
Contributing to the reporting and dissemination of research study results
Proactively communicating across boundaries to maintain relationships that secure investment in research across all clinical specialties and care settings
The Standards of Proficiency for CRPs set out the minimum standard a CRP must meet to apply to the AHCS PSA Accredited Register for CRPs and maintain their registration. Some of the key standards of proficiency required are listed below. Please refer to the Standards of Proficiency for CRPs for information about all 16 standards in detail. Overall, a Registered CRP will:
Reflect critically and continuously on performance or situations and actively seek feedback from colleagues and research study participants, adapting practice as required to meet the diverse needs of research study participants
Communicate effectively with research study participants, their relatives and carers and colleagues
Contribute to planning and monitor/review the ongoing effectiveness, modifying as and when necessary in a changing environment, identifying and managing sources of risk in the workplace
Lead confidently across networks and have a deep understanding of the research delivery system and research being part of core business in health and social care
Demonstrate credibility, confidence and resilience, and the ability to lead in times of rapid change, actively participating in activities to promote the CRP profession and its contribution to research
It will normally take one to two years of working in a CRP role to reach a practitioner level and standard of practice. CRPs applying to join the AHCS PSA Accredited Register for CRPs are expected to have been working at this level of responsibility for at least one year.
Competency Frameworks
Competency Frameworks
Line managers need to confirm that their organisation uses a competency framework (or equivalent evidence based approach to knowledge and skills development) to track professional development. You may have a defined competency framework in use in your organisation, or you can access and/or adopt use of one of the resources identified below.
Competence approaches - CRP
Competence approaches - CRP
Clinical Research Practitioners Competency Toolkit
Competence approaches - multi-professional
Competence approaches - multi-professional
What evidence do I need to provide the AHCS to register?
What evidence do I need to provide the AHCS to register?
As part of your application, you’ll have to provide structured reflections and supporting evidence that demonstrate how you are meeting the Scope of Practice for CRPs and the Standards of Proficiency for CRPs. Both these documents are available on the AHCS website.
You need to write 3 reflections on how your experiences in the following areas have affected your work. Each reflection should reference at least one of the Standards of Proficiency for CRPs:
Professional accountability (standards 1-6 of the Standards of Proficiency for CRPs)
Leadership (standards 15 and 16 of the Standards of Proficiency for CRPs)
Working across boundaries (standards 7 to 14 of the Standards of Proficiency for CRPs)
You also need to complete a Documented Assurance and Line Manager Confirmation document to confirm you meet the eligibility criteria for registration. This has five parts to it:
Information about the applicant
Evidence of a practice development conversation with a statutory registered health professional (this could be your line manager or someone else)
Two pieces of feedback
Evidence that your communication skills have been observed
Line manager confirmation checklist
The application documents are available on this page of the AHCS website.
Click on the buttons below to find out more about the Standards of Proficiency for CRPs.
Avoid these common application mistakes
Avoid these common application mistakes
Make sure you avoid the most common mistakes that could delay your application. These are listed below:
Experienced Practitioner Gateway application (First step for applicants who do not have a level 6/degree qualification)
Experienced Practitioner Gateway application (First step for applicants who do not have a level 6/degree qualification)
Qualifications: Make sure you do not have a level 6 (e.g. a degree) qualification. If you do, there is no need to make an Experienced Practitioner Gateway Application
Experience: You have a minimum of 3 years’ experience working at practitioner level/ level 5 of the Skills for Health Career Framework in your CRP role
Documents uploaded:
The Current Work section of the Eligibility Form includes all the required information. In this section you need to:
Provide a description (not bullet pointed) of your duties and responsibilities as a CRP
Demonstrate that you are working at the level of practitioner/ level 5 of the Skills for Health Career Framework
Provide a brief outline of how you developed yourself at practitioner/ level 5 of the Skills for Health Career Framework
Confirm that your mandatory and statutory training is up to date in the Your Other Learning section of the Eligibility Form
List your learning in date order in the Your Other Learning section of the Eligibility Form
Employer information: Make sure your current employer's details are the same in all your application documents
Reflective accounts: When writing your reflections, refer to the relevant standards of proficiency and give examples of how you meet them
Documents uploaded:
Use the templates provided to provide your supporting information
Upload your documents in chronological order
If you’re uploading certificates, make sure these are your certificates and not a screen shot
Remember to upload your current GCP certificate
International qualifications: If your Level 6 qualification is from outside the UK, upload a European Network of National Information Centres (ENIC) certificate of comparability with UK Standards
Name changes: If your name has changed from the one on your qualifications, upload a change of name certificate
Line manager's approval: Have your line manager tick or highlight each of the boxes in the Confirmation checklist of registration requirements in section 2.3 and sign the Declaration (Section 2.4)
We also strongly recommend that you speak to one of the CRP Engagement Leads to discuss your application before you submit it.
Need more detailed guidance for you and/or your manager about the process?
Need more detailed guidance for you and/or your manager about the process?
If you would like to speak to someone in your region, please contact one of the CRP Engagement Leads.
Comprehensive guidance for both applicants and line managers is available on the AHCS website.
Ready to start your application?
Ready to start your application?
Head over to the AHCS registration page to start your application.
Page updated
Report abuse