Fitness For Practice Policy
Becoming a professional teacher, health or social worker means more than just acquiring knowledge and skills. Students on professional courses (i.e. in health, education or social work) cannot complete the curriculum without coming into close contact with children and/or vulnerable adults.The University has a duty to ensure that no member of the public is harmed as a consequence of participating in the education of their professional course students. If the conduct of a student falls below the high standards of honesty or behaviour that the public has a right to expect from these professions, the University has the right to terminate a student’s registration.
Any offer of a place to study on a professional health, education or social work course at Brunel University is conditional upon a completed application for the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) previously known as an enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check. Only those applicants being deemed fit for practice will be admitted to a professional course. Fitness for practice covers four areas:
Students with a Criminal Record
Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar a student from being accepted onto a professional course. Students are required to declare all convictions, cautions, warnings or reprimands, irrespective of the reasons or the length of time since they were given. Full details of the guidelines for admitting students with a criminal record are given in Annexes 2-5 of the Admissions Policy.Should a student acquire a conviction, caution, warning or reprimand whilst on course, this must be declared to the University. Failure to do so may result in the automatic termination of that student’s registration at the University.
Students with a Medical Condition
As part of the admissions process, students must declare all medical conditions on the medical questionnaire, including any mental health or behavioural difficulties or drug or alcohol problems. Such declarations are made to the medical doctor and not to the University. Any conditions that need University support must also be declared to the Disability and Dyslexia Service. Full details of vaccinations are also required and students on health courses may be prevented from going on placement until the required vaccinations are up-to-date. The medical doctor, in consultation with the School, will decide whether the student is fit for practice and the needs of placement institutions will be considered at this time.No decision to refuse entry to a student on medical grounds will be made without consultation with the relevant School and a full discussion with the student. .
Students with Disabilities
Brunel University welcomes students with disabilities. However, students must declare any disability, including any mental health problems, (1) on their application form to ensure that the University can provide any required support and (2) on the medical questionnaire so that the doctor can assess any reasonable adjustments that may be required on their programme of study and on placement.It is the responsibility of an applicant to make the necessary declarations to the University during the admissions process, as well as to the medical doctor, and failure to do so may result in the student not receiving the necessary support on the course. Once a student has enrolled on course, if there are reasons to believe that the student may not be fit for practice, normal University and School procedures will come into force.
Professional Registration
Applicants to professional teaching programmes are required to provisionally register with the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) before commencing their course. Applicants will need to complete a suitability declaration enabling the GTCE to identify any matters which could impede registration. Should provisional registration be refused by the GTCE, any offer of a place at Brunel University will be withdrawn.Failure by the student, at the time of admission, to disclose information which directly relates to their fitness for practice, may result in the termination of that student’s registration at the University.
