Registration Changes During COVID-19 Pandemic

27 March 2020

NRCPD is making temporary changes to how registrations and renewals will work for the next few months due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and national guidance. These are difficult and challenging times for the UK and for you as professionals, and NRCPD recognise the financial pressures that many of you are under. We are committed to continuity of registration for all registrants and trainees to ensure that you are always safe to practise, and to fulfil our regulatory and public protection responsibilities, not just now but into the future.

The changes we are making apply to all registers but they are temporary to help during the current situation. NRCPD has listened to a wide range of voices in deciding on these measures and will do the same when considering when they will come to an end, or whether to extend or enhance them. We note the announcement on support to the self-employed by the Chancellor yesterday and recognise that frustratingly this may take some weeks for those that need it and that some may not be eligible for it.

The following measures therefore will take effect for all registrations and renewals made from April 2020 onwards:

• The option of registering or renewing for 6 months or for the usual full year.
• Extension of our normal payment terms from 30 days to 60 days.***
• For freelancers unable to pay within 60 days, we will adopt a more tailored approach to seeking payment that accounts for individual circumstances.***
• Where registrations and upgrades require original certificates, we will accept scans of these sent by the applicant for the time being. We will in due course require to see the originals still.
• Where for whatever reason new certificates are not available from awarding bodies, we will work with them on alternatives until certificates are produced.

*** These will apply to renewals made in March 2020 too.

For everyone on the registers:

• In addition to being able to credit cancelled CPD from March and April to your account, we are giving everyone 1 structured CPD point credit per month from May onwards. CPD is as important as ever and we encourage you to still access online structured CPD and take the opportunity for unstructured too.

NRCPD has considered carefully how we can help alleviate genuine hardship arising from this distressing pandemic, so that you are not forced off the register because of it, and in a way that doesn't harm the future of the registers. These additional measures allow you (if you need it) to delay payment for some months, whilst maintaining the continuity of your registration.

If you are working, paid or voluntary, it is vital that you renew on time, so you don't fall off the register.

These steps are to help those in genuine hardship and to minimise the burden on you. However, we encourage you to still register or renew for the full year and to pay on time if you can. We fully understand the financial impact the crisis will have on you, and we will do what we can to support you in your time of need. We will write to you again next week with further detail on implementation.

If you have any queries at all regarding the registration adjustments, or if you need to confidentially discuss how you can pay fees, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at: enquiries@nrcpd.org.uk

Please stay safe in person and in practise. You can count on our support at this difficult time and for the years ahead.

NRCPD.