Over the years the Psychologists Board has made statements about its scopes of practice in its Annual Reports to the Minister of Health that are consistent with the statements made in its newsletters, on its website, and in other places. For example, in its 2010-2011 report, it said it had taken a very broad, flexible approach to defining the scopes, thereby minimising any workforce impediments, and that psychologists are free to practise in any area in which they are personally competent, but the public are also able to readily identify those practitioners who have completed specialised training in Clinical, Counselling, or Educational Psychology. These statements were repeated in the 2012-2013 report and the 2015-2016 report. In the 2017-2018 report the wording was tweaked slightly. An abbreviated statement appeared in the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 reports, a very short statement appeared in the 2020-2021 report, and in the 2021-2022 report the Board said its current scopes of practice could provide greater clarity, and that review and clarification of scopes of practice was included in the Board’s programme of work through to the end of 2023.
More...
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011
This Annual Report states:
Scopes of practice
The Board has taken a very broad, flexible approach to defining scopes of practice for the profession, thereby minimising any workforce impediments. All psychologists hold the “Psychologist” scope, which includes the foundational, core competencies common to all branches of the profession. The Board has also established “vocational” scopes, but only where they are clearly required for public protection. In this way psychologists are free to practise in any area in which they are personally competent, but the public are also able to readily identify those practitioners who have completed specialised training in Clinical, Counselling, or Educational Psychology.
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013
This Annual Report contains the same statement:
Scopes of practice
The Board has taken a very broad, flexible approach to defining scopes of practice for the profession, thereby minimising any workforce impediments. All psychologists hold the “Psychologist” scope, which includes the foundational, core competencies common to all branches of the profession. The Board has also established “vocational” scopes, but only where they are clearly required for public protection. In this way a psychologist is free to practise in any area in which he or she is personally competent, but the public are also able to readily identify those practitioners who have completed specialised training in Clinical, Counselling, or Educational Psychology.
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016
This Annual Report contains the same statement:
Scopes of practice
The Board has taken a very broad, flexible approach to defining scopes of practice for the profession, thereby minimising any workforce impediments. All psychologists hold the “Psychologist” scope, which includes the foundational, core competencies common to all branches of the profession. The Board has also established “vocational” scopes, but only where they are clearly required for public protection. In this way a psychologist is free to practise in any area in which he or she is personally competent, but the public are also able to readily identify those practitioners who have completed specialised training in Clinical, Counselling, or Educational Psychology.
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018
This Annual Report contains a similar same statement but, for unknown reasons, the language changed from “In this way a psychologist is free to practise in any area in which he or she is personally competent”, to “Within their scope of practice a psychologist is free to practise in any area in which he or she is personally competent”:
Scopes of practice
The Board has taken a very broad, flexible approach to defining scopes of practice for the profession, thereby minimising any workforce impediments. All psychologists hold the “Psychologist” scope, which includes the foundational, core competencies common to all branches of the profession. The Board has also established “vocational” scopes, but only where they are clearly required for public protection. Within their scope of practice a psychologist is free to practise in any area in which he or she is personally competent. The public are also able to readily identify those practitioners who have completed specialised training in Clinical, Counselling, or Educational Psychology or Neuropsychology.
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019
This Annual Report contains the following statements (at pages 5 and 10):
Scopes of Practice
Two new scopes of practice were proposed, with one declined and one still under consideration at the end of the reporting year. Fully qualified psychologists may now apply for registration in any of five scopes of practice – one general and four vocational scopes.
The Board has become concerned that a tendency to drift towards a “proliferation of scopes” may, for a relatively small profession, have the unintended consequence of undermining rather than enhancing protection of the public or making psychological services more accessible. The Board therefore sought to promote understanding about the nature and purpose of a scope of practice – as a tool for protecting the public – and emphasised that the key question is whether there is benefit to the public, rather than to the profession.
…
Scopes of practice
The Board has taken a very broad, flexible approach to defining scopes of practice for the profession, thereby minimising any workforce impediments. All psychologists hold the foundational, core competencies common to all branches of the profession. The Board has established a “Psychologist” scope and number of “vocational” scopes, but only where they are clearly required for public protection.
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020
This Annual Report contains the same statement as the second statement above:
Scopes of practice
The Board has taken a very broad, flexible approach to defining scopes of practice for the profession, thereby minimising any workforce impediments. All psychologists hold the foundational, core competencies common to all branches of the profession. The Board has established a “Psychologist” scope and number of “vocational” scopes, but only where they are clearly required for public protection.
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021
This Annual Report contains this shorter statement:
Scopes of practice
The Board has established a “Psychologist” scope and number of “vocational” scopes, but only where they are clearly required for public protection.
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022
This Annual Report states:
Scopes of practice
Section 11 of the Act requires the Board to describe the contents of the profession in terms of one or more scopes of practice. The purpose of scopes of practice is to define the parameters of the relevant scope of practice, based on the qualifications and competencies required to practise within that scope of practice. This assures members of the public that their health practitioner is qualified and competent to provide the services described in the scope of practice in which they are registered.
A scope of practice may be described in any way the Board thinks fit, including (but not limited to) by a name or reference commonly understood by other health practitioners; by reference to an area of science or learning; by reference to tasks commonly undertaken; or by reference to illnesses or conditions to be diagnosed, treated or managed. The Board must also prescribe the qualifications required to practise within each scope of practice.
The Board has identified that its current scopes of practice could provide greater clarity. Review and clarification of scopes of practice is included in the Board’s programme of work through to the end of 2023.
Source documents
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021
Annual Report for the year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022