Experienced PractitionerGateway

The Experienced Practitioner Gateway process 

Milly Brittain, Project Administrator, Academy for Healthcare Science

The Experienced Practitioner Gateway offers a process to widen access to the CRP Register for experienced practitioners without level 6 qualifications on a time-limited, exceptional access basis. This access route opened in January 2023, and is intended to operate for a limited period of 2 years only read more

To access the Gateway applicants must be able to evidence that they have a minimum of three years working at the level of practitioner. All applicants to the Gateway will need to discuss their intended application with their line manager and colleagues to ensure that they are working at the right level prior to submission.

Once the application has been submitted, the applicant will be emailed by the AHCS portal system to confirm receipt. It then goes through an administrative check and if further information is required, an email from the AHCS portal system will be sent to the applicant. The applicant then has 28 days from receiving the further information email to provide the additional evidence via the AHCS portal system. If this is not feasible within the timescale set, the applicant should get in touch with crpadmin@ahcs.ac.uk.

If no further information is required, the applicant will be informed of the next steps:

• Route One: Applicants that are able to provide evidence that they have been working for a minimum of 5 years at the level of practitioner and have achieved level 5 education or equivalent will receive confirmation by email of eligibility to progress to apply to join the CRP Accredited Register directly.

• Route Two: Applicants with less than 5 years’ experience working at practitioner level and without a level 5 qualification will have their application assessed by a panel to determine if they are eligible to go through the Experience Practitioner Gateway. The panel will normally include a representative from the AHCS and two trained panellists who have knowledge and experience related to the CRP role and career pathways.

Route Two - on average, once an application has been submitted, it takes three months to be processed, although it might take longer if additional information has been requested from the applicant, or where it is necessary to involve additional panel members. For example, as part of the AHCS quality assurance process.

Once the panel has concluded its review of the application, the applicant will receive one of the following outcomes:

• Confirmation that they have passed through the gateway; or

• Receive further information regarding their portfolio.

The applicant has 28 days from the date of further information request to make changes to their portfolio; once submitted, portfolios are then sent to one of the original panel members for assessment at the next Gateway panel.

If an applicant has queries regarding their eligibility for the Gateway, please don't hesitate to get in touch with crpadmin@ahcs.ac.uk.  For information regarding the Experienced Practitioner Gateway, please refer to the AHCS page.

Please review this diagram highlighting the routes to registration.

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