Accreditation process

Education providers? seeking accreditation are strongly advised to contact RCOT as early as possible, prior to the proposed start date of the pre-registration programme. This flowchart offers guidance on how far in advance an education provider should contact RCOT:

• Preparing for RCOT accreditation

RCOT’s approach to accreditation is collaborative and focused on ensuring quality pre-registration programmes. During the preparation for accreditation, RCOT is able to support the education provider as a ‘critical friend.’? Pre-registration programme teams? are encouraged to seek advice and guidance from RCOT early in the development or review stages to ensure they have a clear understanding of the requirements of accreditation and RCOT’s Standards. RCOT staff are available to respond to queries and discuss any areas of concern raised by the pre-registration programme teams. Once documentation is submitted, the formal accreditation process is commenced and from this point, RCOT will act as the auditor and be unable to continue in the role as ‘critical friend.’

‘Programme documentation’ refers to the collection of documents prepared by the education provider and submitted to RCOT as a key component of the Accreditation Process. The programme documentation should demonstrate how the pre-registration programme meets RCOT’s Learning and development standards for pre-registration education. The Accreditation Panel will review the documentation prior to the Accreditation Visit, which must be submitted to RCOT at least 6 weeks before.

RCOT’s Learning and development standards for pre-registration education are aligned with HCPC’s Standards for education and training, to streamline the preparation process for education providers seeking RCOT Accreditation in addition to HCPC? approval.

Variation exists between education providers in the information documented across the pre-registration programme’s handbooks, strategies, policies, procedures, curricula and other resources describing and supporting the education to be delivered. However, the table below lists the broad document categories required by RCOT and the specific components which are most commonly captured within each category. The programme documentation may be requested in hard or soft copy.

Each education provider seeking Accreditation is appointed an RCOT Accreditation Panel. The role of the Accreditation Panel is to review the pre-registration programme and assess whether it meets RCOT’s Learning and development standards for pre-registration education, the requirement for RCOT Accreditation. The Accreditation Panel assesses the programme documentation and visits the education provider to meet with the pre-registration programme team and other stakeholders, then recommends whether the pre-registration programme should be Accredited.

RCOT Accreditation Panels include 1 RCOT Officer and 1–2 RCOT Accreditors. RCOT Officers are staff members, who co-ordinate and manage the Accreditation Process, including:

• liaising with the education provider’s quality office about the remit and expectations of the Accreditation Panel;
• guiding the Accreditation Panel through all related meetings;
• providing guidance to the education provider on how to meet RCOT’s Learning and development standards for pre-registration education;
• ensuring the Accreditation Panel uses RCOT’s Learning and development standards for pre-registration education and follows the Accreditation Process;
• ensuring relevant conditions, recommendations and commendations are presented to the education provider;
• ensuring responses from the education provider following an Accreditation Visit are addressed promptly.

RCOT Accreditors are occupational therapists and professional members of RCOT in good standing, who have experience in occupational therapy pre-registration education and practice. RCOT has a clear disclosure of interests’ process, to identify any potential conflicts before an Accreditor is allocated to a specific Accreditation Panel. RCOT Accreditors must be independent assessors. If an education provider has worked with an Accreditor in the development of their pre-registration programme or as an adviser on the Accreditation Process, this individual will not be eligible to join the Accreditation Panel.

Where a new occupational therapy pre-registration programme is being Accredited or where 2 or more pre-registration programmes are being considered at the same event, the RCOT Accreditation Panel will consist of 2 RCOT Accreditors and the RCOT Officer. During visits for the purposes of Re-accrediting a single pre-registration programme, the RCOT Accreditation Panel will include 1 RCOT Accreditor, 1 training Accreditor and the RCOT Officer. Such events are the opportunity for new Accreditors to shadow the experienced Accreditor as a training experience.

Our accreditation panel visits you either remotely or on-campus to meet the programme team and key stakeholder groups. Your key stakeholder groups will vary depending on the length, agenda and format of the accreditation visit and if:

• it is for a new or existing pre-registration programme
• it is for one or more occupational therapy pre-registration programmes
• it is for a new or existing education provider
• the visit is held jointly with the HCPC
• if you are holding an accreditation event for multiple healthcare professional programmes, involving other professional bodies and need a joint accreditation visit.

For programmes starting in September, the accreditation event should be no later than the previous June and for programmes that start in January, the latest would be October.   
We do not offer retrospective accreditation.  Applications for accreditation can be made by a pre-registration programme already running or for a programme that has expired. Only new learners starting a programme in the academic year following accreditation being awarded can be classified as having completed an RCOT-Accredited and WFOT-approved pre-registration programme.
Accreditation visits vary in length from a minimum of 1.5 and up to 3 consecutive days.  The first meeting of the day should not start before 8.30am and the final meeting of the day should end no later than 5.00pm.  Meetings are with a range of stakeholder groups and a tour of the teaching facilities, including specialist areas such as suites.  The agenda for the accreditation visit will be discussed with all participating stakeholders to make sure it meets everyone’s needs.

During the accreditation visit the panel will meet the following stakeholder groups.  To encourage an open and informal discussion with learners? and practice-based learning providers the meeting should occur without the presence of any university panel  staff.  This includes the Chair, and discussions with the programme team should ideally occur without the presence of any senior management staff.  No  formal notetaking or minutes of the visit are needed.

At the end of the visit, our accreditation panel will provide verbal feedback to the pre-registration programme team on the likely outcome of the accreditation process. We will send you the formal outcome in writing within one week of the visit.
Potential outcomes include:

• Accreditation to be awarded, subject to conditions and/or recommendations
• deferred accreditation.

See the accreditation outcome flowchart for further information.

The Accreditation Panel values a collegiate and supportive approach to each Accreditation Visit and prioritises the opportunity to provide commendations.

Commendations: Commendations are awarded to recognise a particular area of best practice that is considered exemplary.

Conditions: A condition is defined as an obligation that must be met before the pre-registration programme can be Accredited. A condition is set where a standard or criterion from RCOT’s Learning and development standards for pre-registration education has not been met or there is insufficient evidence of it being met.

Recommendations: A recommendation is defined as professional or academic advice that is intended to stimulate debate in order to encourage further enhancements to a pre-registration programme. The education provider is obligated to respond to the recommendation and to justify its response; however, it is not obliged to implement the advice. Recommendations are normally offered when it is felt that a particular standard or criterion from RCOT’s Learning and development standards for pre-registration education has been met at, or just above, the threshold level.

When accreditation is granted subject to conditions, a mutually agreed date is set for a response. The accreditation panel offers support to the pre-registration programme team to implement the changes recommended in the conditions within the agreed timeline.

If further evidence is needed to meet the Learning and development standards for pre-registration education the accreditation decision may be deferred. When this happens a mutually agreed timeline is agreed with the event Chair or quality standards team for a response. A further meeting may be requested to discuss the outcome of this process.
When conditions and recommendations have been met, accreditation is granted and WFOT are notified of the successful outcome.

Accreditation must be in place before a pre-registration programme starts.

The normal timelines and key milestones in the accreditation process are available here.

If you are considering RCOT accreditation for a new pre-registration programme, please contact RCOT as soon as possible to arrange an initial discussion.

If you are considering RCOT re-accreditation for an established pre-registration programme, outside the normal 5-year cycle, please contact RCOT as soon as possible.

An Accreditation Visit will occur no later than June for a pre-registration programme starting the following September and no later than October for a pre-registration programme starting the following January.

RCOT does not offer retrospective accreditation. Applications can be made for accreditation by a pre-registration programme already running or one for which accreditation has previously expired. However, only new learners entering in the academic year following accreditation being awarded can be classified as having completed an RCOT-Accredited and WFOT-approved pre-registration programme. 

Once RCOT accreditation is awarded, RCOT will recognise this achievement by:

• providing the education provider with the RCOT accreditation logo, along with the conditions for use;
• notifying WFOT by adding to or updating the WFOT approved education programmes webpage;
• including the details of the education provider and pre-registration programme in the RCOT Career handbook, produced annually;
• highlighting the pre-registration programme to prospective learners who contact RCOT;
• providing induction sessions for new learners with RCOT’s Education Liaison Officer;
• distributing foundational RCOT resources to all new learners;
• distributing all core RCOT publications to the education provider’s library;
• inviting the education providers’ librarians to annual study days;
• inviting members of the programme team to apply for the role of RCOT Accreditor;
• ensuring programme team is represented on the Council of Occupational Therapy Education Directors (COTED) and associated subgroups.

For quality monitoring and enhancement, the pre-registration programme should be reviewed continually and revised at least every 5 years. An application to RCOT for an extension to the normal 5-year cycle may be considered. RCOT may request an earlier review if there is:

• a major change to the pre-registration programme;
• an inexperienced teaching team managing the pre-registration programme;
• a rapid turnover of educators and support staff since the last Accreditation Visit;
• a high level of innovation in the content, delivery or assessment of the pre-registration programme.

Where an accredited pre-registration programme is not recruited to in the expected timeline, the Accreditation will remain in place for 2 years. If the course is recruited to and runs after that time, RCOT will seek a formal discussion with the education provider and potentially offer a modified Accreditation Visit to ensure that the pre-registration programme remains aligned with the Learning and development standards for pre-registration education.

No, RCOT does not grant retrospective accreditation of pre-registration programmes. This policy is to ensure alignment with WFOT’s requirements. Applications can be made for accreditation by a pre-registration programme already running or one for which accreditation has previously expired. However, only new learners entering in the academic year following accreditation being awarded can be classified as having completed an RCOT-Accredited and WFOT-approved pre-registration programme.