Audit

The Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA) requires that all registered health practitioners maintain their competence, and that the OTBNZ needs to be satisfied that this happens.

The CCFR is the OTBNZ’s chosen tool for practitioners to demonstrate that they are maintaining their competence. The CCFR audit is how the OTBNZ gains assurance that all practitioners are participating in the CCFR and using it effectively.

The audit activity is ongoing and practitioners can expect to be audited every five years. Some audits will be a random selection from the entire practitioner group while others will be targeted at specific groups of practitioners. The OTBNZ may also request a specific practitioner be audited.

The auditors are occupational therapists who have received specific training to carry out this task on behalf of the OTBNZ. The auditors meet regularly with OTBNZ staff to discuss audit issues and to review the feedback from practitioners who have been audited.

The audits are undertaken electronically and are intended to be a supportive and educative exercise, with feedback intended to demonstrate to the practitioner that they can use the CCFR effectively. There is no pass or fail, and it is not a test of competence. It is, however, mandatory for practitioners to comply with the audit process and with any tasks that auditors may request them to complete.

The selection of practitioners for audit and allocation to an auditor is random. Practitioners are given advanced notice of an upcoming audit and both the auditor and practitioner are given the opportunity to declare a conflict of interest.

The auditor will let the practitioner know when the audit is completed. Email is the chosen method of communication as it provides a documented process, giving protection to both parties.