RWPN Proof of Qualification Policy
Admission to RWPN’s register is through specified qualification routes. These qualification routes are listed in our constitution and are stated here: https://www.rwpn.org.uk/The-Profession. To register as a Vision Rehabilitation Worker or Habilitation Specialist the applicant is required to submit a copy of their original certificate of qualification. This can be submitted by email or by post. This copy will be uploaded to the registrant’s membership record and retained by RWPN in line with our Data Protection Statement and Privacy Policy. The registrant’s membership record will then be updated to indicate that the evidence has been seen. The registrant’s name will appear on the public-facing register.
What can I do if I cannot find my certificate?
RWPN recognises that some registrants may not be able to locate a copy of their original certificate of qualification. Some registrants qualified a significant number of years ago and, in some instances, from institutions that are no longer extant. However, we still need to establish that the registrant has qualified to practise.
Where proof of qualification cannot be supplied, we require that the registrant:
state, in writing, that they are unable to locate their certificate
state the name of the institution where they qualified and the year
provide us with the name of a referee who we will contact to seek supporting evidence
The registrant will not be admitted to the public-facing register, but this additional information is recorded in the area of the registrant's membership record that is not public-facing. Once the additional evidence has been obtained their record will be updated accordingly, unless we are unable to get corroborating evidence. In this case their name will be withdrawn from the register.
RWPN aims to contact a referee within one month of a registrant’s application to join the register.
Choosing a referee
There are two options for choosing a referee:
Option 1. The referee will have been a course tutor or administrator when the registrant undertook qualification training and can testify that they completed and passed the course successfully.
Option 2. The referee will be a manager or former employer who has employed the registrant and can confirm in writing that satisfactory written evidence of qualification was seen when the registrant was employed as a Vision Rehabilitation Worker or Habilitation Specialist.
How do we decide on the basis of the referee’s evidence?
If the information provided by referees via option 1 or 2 is satisfactory, the membership secretary of RWPN’s Registration and Professional Standards committee can admit them to the register and update the registrant’s personal record. The registrant will be notified of this decision.
Appealing the committee’s decision
There is no process of appeal.
This policy was agreed by the RWPN Registration & Professional Standards Committee at a sub meeting on 19th May 2021
Qualifications from outside the UK
Where RWPN receives an application to join any of RWPN's registers and where the qualification is from an institution outside the UK we will seek guidance on the applicability of this qualification. Given the many year's experience, at Birmingham City University (BCU), in reviewing specialist sensory qualifications in relation to their own courses, we will liaise with BCU to get their endorsement. Until any qualification has been endorsed as making the holder fit for practice, the would-be registrant will not appear on RWPN's registers.