Contents

1. What is Fitness to Practise?
2. What is the School Fitness to Practise procedure?
3. Fitness to Practise Stage One procedure
4. What are the possible outcomes of Fitness to Practise Stage One procedure?
5. If Stage One is not resolved - what are the next steps?
6. Referral under the Code of Student Conduct
7. Fitness to Pracise Stage Two procedure
8. Interim findings of Stage Two procedure
9. Possible outcomes
10. Is there an appeal procedure?

 

What is Fitness to Practise?

The University of Glasgow has a Fitness to Practise procedure and the regulations are outlined in the University Regulations at Regulation 36.

Fitness to Practise applies to all students registered on specific professional degrees, such as Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Teaching, Community Development, and Veterinary Medicine.

The Fitness to Practise procedure can also be used to protect the health and wellbeing of students and to ensure that they are appropriately prepared for entry to the profession and clearly understand and demonstrate professional behaviour.

The procedure is also to comply with requirements of professional bodies and to ensure that students meet professional expectations and to protect Glasgow University against legal claims.

Examples of when a student may be investigated under the Fitness to Practise regulations include: inappropriate interactions with patients, clients, children or service users, concerns regarding students’ behaviour in the professional context (e.g. on placement), or student's ill health or mental health issues that prevents the demonstration of standard professional competencies, substance misuse, being accused of a crime, or any other breach of their particular School’s Code of Professional Conduct and Fitness to Practise.

What is the School Fitness to Practise procedure?

There are two stages in the Fitness to Practise procedure;

i) Stage One; and

ii) Stage Two.

Schools will appoint a Fitness to practise Officer to oversee the Fitness to Practise process. They may also appoint a Fitness to Practise Investigating Officer who will carry out a separate investigative report.

At all stages of the procedure, you should be given information in writing and sent details in advance of any meetings you are asked to attend, and given an explanation of the procedure and why it is taking place.

You will be allowed to bring a supporter with you to the meetings. This could be a friend or family member or staff from the SRC Advice Centre.

Fitness to Practise procedure (Stage One)

Fitness to Practise usually begins with Stage One where you may be invited to attend a meeting with the Fitness to Practise Officer.

After the initial meeting, the Fitness to Practise Officer may appoint a Fitness to Practise Investigating Officer to carry out futher background investigations into the case and they may also wish to meet you.

After their meeting the Investigating Officer may write a report and once received, the Fitness to Practise Officer may decide to resolve the case.

What are the possible outcomes of Fitness to Practise Stage One?

Depending on what the informal resolution stage is decided you may be asked to attend a further meeting with the Fitness to Practise Officer.

Based on the Investigating Officer's report, some outcomes include that you may still be given certain conditions, such as given a warning to refrain from or not to repeat unprofessional behaviour, or asked to agree to certain undertakings, such as being asked to write a reflective essay on the events which led to the investigation.

Or you may be asked to seek welfare or medical treatment or advice or encouraged to seek support from student services.

Also, whether to refer the case to a School Fitness to Practise Hearing or to manage the case by the informal procedure or alternatively that no breach of the School Code of Professional Conduct and Fitness to Practise has occurred.

If the informal procedure is not resolved - what are the next steps?

If the Informal procedure cannot be resolved, it may be followed if necessary by the Fitness to Practise Formal procedure (Stage Two). Your case will be referred to the School Fitness to Practise Committee. 

This could be for the following reasons (some examples):

If a minor incident is repeated or appears to form a pattern of behaviour;

Following a review of the informal procedure, if there are further concerns of continuing unprofessional behaviour;

If the Fitness to Practise Officer deems the behaviour to be sufficiently serious to require a formal investigation.

Referral under the Code of Student Conduct

If you are being investigated under Fitness to Practise, you can also be referred to the Head of Student Conduct at the same time, where considered necessary. The Code of Student Conduct procedure is outlined here.

 

Will the police be involved?

Where the university believes a criminal offence may have been committed, either on campus or off campus, it may report the matter to the police. The university may suspend proceedings under Fitness to Practise while any police investigation is ongoing.

Where a student is charged with or convicted of a criminal offence, they must let the University know.

 

I have been suspended - what is a temporary suspension of study?

The Head of School or Fitness to Practise Officer may decide to temporarily suspend you from your studies while the investigation is ongoing.

Precautionary measures pending an investigation are not a finding of misconduct, nor a formal conduct sanction.

If you are suspended, you should be given written notice of the suspension and you also have the right to ask for a review of the decision every 20 working days.

 

Fitness to Practise Stage Two procedure

The Fitness to Practise Officer may decide that a full Fitness to Practise hearing is necessary. You should be provided with documentation of the meeting which will include a list of those on the panel.

You will be invited to attend a panel hearing, and you will be invited to write a personal statement. During the panel hearing, members of the panel will be able to ask you questions.

After the meeting they should decide what is to happen and will write out to you with their decision. This normally takes 10 working days.

Fitness to Practise may also interact with the University’s Code of Student Conduct, depending on the circumstances.  It is possible for misconduct to be dealt with under both procedures.

 

School Fitness to Practise Committee Panel and hearing

Fitness to Practise hearings will take place before a panel led by a Clerk or the Committee and a Committee Convenor.

You should be given advance notice of the committee hearing in writing and can arrange to meet with the Clerk to the Panel. 

Documentation should include a list of the panel members, and copies of reports from the school or by the Fitness to practise Investigation Officer. You are also able to provide a statement together with any evidence.

We can help you prepare for the hearing and help you to provide a personal statement or help you gather relevant evidence for the hearing. This could include medical statements if you have been unwell, for example.

You will be allowed to bring a supporter with you to the hearing. This could be a friend or family member or staff from the SRC Advice Centre.

 

Interim Finding of the Stage Two procedure

i)    The Panel may determine that the student’s fitness to practise is impaired however may consider that remedial action may resolve the impairment. On this basis, the Panel may reach an interim finding. In this circumstance the following outcomes are open to the Panel:

a)   The student is suspended from their programme of study for a period. The student will normally be required to meet conditions set by the Panel in the period of suspension. Their progress, including but not exclusively, against the conditions, will inform both any review meetings and reconvened Hearings.

b)   The student is permitted to continue with conditions and will be formally reviewed.

ii)   The Hearing will be reconvened after an appropriate time interval on one or more occasions to review the student and to reach a final outcome. The Panel Convener and membership will normally remain the same.

 

What is the possible outcomes of the School Fitness to Practise Committee?

Once the hearing has taken place the Fitness to Practise panel can decide on appropriate  outcomes their disposal.

The following outcomes are open to the Committee following a Hearing:

a)   The student receives no warning or sanction.

b)   The student receives a warning as there is evidence of misconduct but the student’s fitness to practise is not impaired to a point requiring any further sanction.

c)   The student receives a sanction. Sanctions are as follows:

Undertaking – A promise given by the student in writing to the Panel that there will not be a repeat of the circumstances or behaviour leading to the referral.

Undertaking and Conditions – A promise given by the student in writing to the Panel that there will not be a repeat of the circumstances or behaviour leading to the referral and that they agree to the conditions or actions which may be imposed or applied. These include but are not limited to:

• remedial tuition; or
• repeat of specified part(s) of the programme of study; or
• increased supervision.

Suspension – This prevents a student from continuing on their programme for a specified time and stops them from graduating at the expected time. During the period of suspension, the student may undergo a medical assessment or medical treatment, or other form of remedy and thereafter be required to demonstrate fitness to practise to the satisfaction of the Fitness to Practise Officer.

Expulsion – The Panel can expel a student from the programme if they consider this is appropriate for ensuring the protection of the patient, or client group, or the public. It is applied where the student’s behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with continuing on a professional programme. 

 

Is there an appeal procedure?

If you wish to appeal against any decision of the School Fitness to Practise Committee, the intention to appeal (IIA) shall be submitted in writing to the Senate Fitness to Practise Appeals Panel at senate-appeals@glasgow.ac.uk within 10 working days of the student being informed of the decision against which they are appealing. Where an intention to appeal is submitted, the full appeal, including the grounds, remedy and all supporting evidence, shall be submitted within 20 working days of the date of the letter or email stating the student’s intention to appeal

If you are considering an appeal please get in touch with the SRC Advice Centre.

 

What should I do?

If you receive notification from the University that they are investigating you under the Fitness to Practise regulations you should contact the SRC Advice Centre as soon as possible as we will be able to provide you with support and advice on how you should proceed and can usually accompany you to any meetings or hearing(s) required. 

We can help to go over any documentation together with you and help you to prepare in advance for any meetings and help prepare a written statement if you wish to create one.