The evolution of registration

Anne Godfrey explains the changes to Chartered Status and Registration

You may have seen our recent communication regarding the changes to registration and the launch of a new Chartered EHP programme in September 2018. 

All part of our drive to create a modern, fit for purpose membership body which reflects the whole profession, encourages diversity and inclusion and assesses the ongoing competence of its practitioners. 

For two years members have been asking me about the future of the PPP and now I am able to provide an answer. I believe that what we are delivering will be exactly what current students, recent graduates and employers require from their professional body.

So why the changes? Our current curriculum has been in use for seven years and now needs to be updated. The timing couldn’t be better as the learning landscape has transformed recently seeing changes to learning routes, digital transformation in education and skills, regulatory changes that impact how environmental health professionals carry out their work and demands from employers across all three sectors for highly competent, work-ready individuals.

Over the last year we have worked with members, employers and the wider stakeholder network to understand what it means to be an EHP, define professional standards and build a competency framework that will support practitioners wherever they work. Key drivers for change include: 

• Revalidation of competent practitioners – Timely assessment of continued professional practice and development will ensure rigour in those who represent the profession, raise standards and protect the public.
• Raising the perceived value of the environmental health profession - our role in setting standardised competencies is essential for the credibility of the profession with employers, regulators and the general public.
• Provide meaningful professional development – a clear framework for career development and innovation in professional practice
• Broadening access to recognition and qualification – accessible to all, while ensuring robustness in what is recognised as professional
• Broader than just knowledge – professionalism embedded into learning provision with both reflective practice and practical application
• Engage the next generation of environmental health professionals – reach out to future EHPs and build pathways that allow them to learn and develop in a variety of ways

"What does the future look like?"

Our vision for the Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner Programme 

• A new, two year, practice based route to Chartered Status
• A programme built on the CIEH Professional Standards and Competency Framework
• A natural career development aspiration for members
• A widely recognised ‘gold standard’ for the industry
• A recognition of the knowledge, skills and behaviours of excellent practitioners
• An alternative to EHRB registration 

Our aim for the Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner Programme 

Develop highly competent and professional practitioners. The programme will:

• Provide structured learning and development opportunities
• Enable candidates to apply learning in practice
• Assess knowledge, application of knowledge and professionalism
• Equip candidates with skills which will ensure that they continue to develop their practice
• Enable employers to collaborate in the learning delivery and grow their own workforce 

The Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner Programme will launch in September 2018, and further details will be released in the near future. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected]. We're really excited about what we're building with your help. We hope you are too.