Updating your skills and knowledge

Updating skills and knowledge

In order to return to the HCPC Register, radiographers will need to meet the following requirements, depending on how long they have been out of practice:

• 0-2 years - no requirements
• 2-5 years - 30 days of updating their skills and knowledge
• 5 years or over - 60 days of updating their skills and knowledge

These requirements also apply to someone who has never been registered with the HCPC and who has never practised (or who has not practised in the last two years) but who holds an approved qualification which is over five years old.

For more information, please visit the HCPC website. 

Supervised practice

You need to find a clinical department for a period of supervised practice.

You may plan to return to a specific area of practice e.g. management, lecturing, clinical speciality. If this is the case, then it is reasonable that a period of supervised practice be focused on that specific area, but it is preferable to include at least some time refreshing core skills and knowledge, so that you refresh insight into the broad scope of practice of the profession.

Document all supervised practice on the appropriate HCPC forms.

Suggested resources 

As part of your readmission process, you will be required to document all private and formal study you have undertaken to update your skills and knowledge. 

Below are a selection of resources which could help as you update your skills and knowledge: 

• Free SoR membership

  The Society of Radiographers offers three months' free membership to Returners.

  Contact Joel Wilkins Membership Services Manager, on 020 7740 7228  to claim your three months' free membership.

  Member benefits include:

  • Radiography: This is the official peer-reviewed journal of the Society and College of Radiographers and the European Federation of Radiographer Societies.
  • Synergy: Our monthly professional magazine covering news, updates and practitioner profiles from the world of radiography.
  • Insight: Quarterly journal featuring professional articles and academic posters relating to clinical, research and educational practice. 
  • Member rates for conferences, events and study days / short courses.
  • Free webinar programme and on demand library
  • Access to our downloadable policy and professional guidance document library
  • Access to professional officers for advice and support 

  To explore the full range of benefits, please see here. 

• Imaging and radiotherapy departments

  Please note the following suggestions may not be found in every department: 

  • In-house training resources including access to update mandatory training
  • Copies of all local policies and procedures
  • Books and journals: medical library access including librarian support
  • Practice educators
  • Return to practice network

• Radiography education providers

  If your local higher education institution (HEI) has a post-registration course, they may:  

  • Allow access to library facilities 
  • Provide academic support and / or specific return to practice programme or access to teaching sessions
  • May have a suitable post graduate programme of study 

  To review the list of HEIs with accredited courses, please see here. 

• Useful websites

  The following websites may provide a range of relevant guidance and resources: 

  • http://www.dh.gov.uk: for general National health policy information. Many government produced documents are stored here. 
  • http://www.nhsemployers.org/: NHS specific information on a range of work-related topic
  • https://www.nhs.uk/pages/home.aspx: NHS choices provides information on services and up to date health resources
  • https://www.nice.org.uk/: evidence-based guidance documents
  • http://cahpr.csp.org.uk/: Council for Allied Health Professions Researc
  • https://www.gov.uk/topic/population-screening-programmes: links to all national screening programmes and their standards e.g. breast screening, bowel screening, AAA screening, foetal anomaly screening programme. 

• E-learning resources
  • https://www.sor.org/learning-advice/learning/e-learning: links to College of Radiographers recommended e-learning resources
  • e-Learning for healthcare (elfh) portal: https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/ - contains a range of e-learning modules suitable for radiographers. elfh suggest asking your clinical support manager to contact them requesting access before you get an NHS email address - you may not get it as they prefer you to have an NHS address but it's worth asking. You may be eligible for an OpenAthens account (ask in the hospital library) as well, which will give you full free access.
  • Failing that ‘Image interpretation’ is £100 per year for a single user https://www.eintegrity.org/e-learning-healthcare-course/clinical-imaging.html

  All modules sit under that umbrella, so you can access lots of different areas.

• Social media

  Twitter

  This platform can be a great tool for keeping up to date with the profession. Follow recognised experts or commentators or join groups to find links to useful information and engage in professional discussion

  Examples of Twitter users to follow:

  • @SCoRMembers (official feed from the Society and College of Radiographers
  • @MedRadJclub (a global group of radiographers who engage in a monthly journal club)
  • @WeAHPs (news on allied health professional matters) 

  Facebook
  We recommend you search for Facebook groups focused on your specialist area. Do also follow us for all SoR news: https://www.facebook.com/SCoRMembers/

  Other suggestions include: 

  • Follow ‘radiography bloggers’ or specialist area bloggers
  • Search for, join and get involved in discussion forums
  • Register for free newsletters from special interest groups, charities and NHS commentators