From Freshers' Week to Professional Practice: What You Need to Know

Starting university is both exciting and daunting. You are about to embark on the journey into higher education, meeting new people, forming professional networks and for many, the first time away from home. There is a lot of information to consume, but one thing that is very important to understand, is that students who study on professional courses are expected to uphold high standards of behaviour.

Professional courses are those that lead to professional registration or membership upon graduation, and are thus subject to codes of conduct or ethics, sometimes referred to as ‘fitness to practise’. These include courses such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, law, finance, and architecture, along with some healthcare and teaching programmes. The consequences of a disciplinary or fitness to practise finding against a student studying on a professional programme is much higher than those studying non-professional programmes, because a finding would need to be reported to the student’s relevant regulatory or professional body and/or employer. This in turn, could impact on the student being able to register with their relevant body, and in the most serious cases, they could be prevented from practicing in the profession altogether.

Professional standards

Professional and regulatory bodies set standards which they expect its registered members to adhere to at all times. These standards equally apply to students studying on a professional course. Professional standards set out the relevant body’s expectations of its members. Regulators exist to protect the public and uphold trust and confidence in the profession, and do this by ensuring that only those who meet their requirements are allowed to practice. 

Fitness to practise

Students studying on professional courses are required to demonstrate high standards of conduct and behaviour. It is also important that they are physically and mentally fit to undertake the demands of their profession. Fitness to practise relates to the ability to meet those professional standards. If concerns are raised about a student’s fitness to practise, then a fitness to practise panel may be convened, which is a separate process from a disciplinary panel. Most universities have separate policies for disciplinary and fitness to practise procedures, which will refer to each other as required.

A student studying on a professional programme will one day become a member of that profession, and so universities have a duty to ensure that students on a professional course are fit to practise in that profession, or will be when they complete the course. As individuals who will go on to work with members of the public or patients, universities must comply with the requirements of professional or regulatory bodies, and they will not allow a student to be awarded a qualification that permits them to practice a profession if they are not fit to do so.

The Office for the Independent Adjudicator provides the following examples of issues that may lead to fitness to practise concerns:

• academic misconduct (for example plagiarism, cheating in examinations, forging records);
• other disciplinary offences (for example antisocial, abusive or threatening behaviour, sexual misconduct, violence, bullying or harassment, damage to property, internet access abuse, substance/alcohol abuse);
• health and safety breaches;
• failure to disclose convictions or other information that the student is required to disclose;
• inaccurate or falsified placement documentation;
• unsafe practice, incompetence or requiring too much supervision;
• unprofessional behaviour, including:
  • lack of respect, aggressive or poor attitude, laziness;
  • indiscipline, failure to follow dress code, inappropriate use of mobile phone, poor time keeping, poor attendance;
  • failure to self-reflect, lack of insight;
  • failure to engage with investigations into unprofessional behaviour;
  • poor self-management, lack of personal accountability;
  • dishonesty;
  • breaking patient confidentiality
• behaviour away from the student’s studies, including:
  • criminal conviction eg violent offence; offence of dishonesty
  • disruptive behaviour in the community;
  • inappropriate use of social media;
• safeguarding concerns;
• poor mental or physical health or serious physical impairment that interferes with the student’s ability to practise safely (see section on Health and disability issues);
• failure to seek help or engage with appropriate services in relation to health issues;
• poor communication or language skills.

As the above list shows, fitness to practise covers a range of behaviours, both during your training and in your personal life – from how you treat your peers and seniors at university, to how you conduct yourself on a night out or on social media. It is vital that all students are aware of the types of conduct which could see them face a panel, but this is particularly important for students on a professional course, and is something which students should be mindful of from day one of their studies.

Examples of the different regulators and their standards

Each regulatory body has its own code or set of standards in place to regulate its members and to protect the public. The standards describe what is expected of their members. The below provides some examples of these: 

General Medical Council (‘GMC’)

The GMC is the independent regulator for doctors in the UK. 

‘Good medical practice’ is the GMC's core guidance for doctors. It sets out the values and principles on which good practice is founded and describes what it means to be a good doctor. The guidance is divided into four domains: knowledge, skills and performance; safety and quality; communication, partnership and teamwork; and maintaining trust.

More specifically, it says that a good doctor will:

• make the care of your patient your first concern
• be competent and keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date
• take prompt action if you think patient safety is being compromised
• establish and maintain good partnerships with your patients and colleagues
• maintain trust in you and the profession by being open, honest and acting with integrity.

It should be noted that the Good medical practice has been updated, and students are advised to familiarise themselves with the updated standards before they come into effect on 30 January 2024.

The GMC offers a range of guidance and case studies which provide more detail on various topics to assist doctors. These can be found here.

Medical schools and educators are responsible for determining the fitness to practise of individual students, and they follow guidance and advice published by the GMC in doing so. The GMC states that fitness to practise “is a part of how medical schools help their students become excellent professionals.” Once a doctor is registered, the GMC monitors their fitness to practise. The GMC has produced a guidance document for students titled Achieving good medical practice: guidance for medical students, that outlines the standards of professional behaviour expected of them both inside and outside of medical school. It is an important document for medical students to be aware of, as it shows how the principles and values of Good medical practice apply to you as a student.

 

General Dental Council (‘GDC’) 

The GDC is the UK professional regulator of over 114,000 members of the dental team.

The GDC’s ‘standards for the dental team’ set out the standards of conduct, performance and ethics that govern a dental professional, and what patients expect from their dental professional. It specifies the principles, standards and guidance which apply to all members of the dental team, which is made up of the following professions:

• Dentists;
• Dental nurses;
• Dental hygienists;
• Dental therapists;
• Orthodontic therapists;
• Dental technicians; and
• Clinical dental technicians.

The GDC has nine principles which it expects registrants to keep to at all times. These are as follows:

1. Put patients’ interests first
2. Communicate effectively with patients
3. Obtain valid consent
4. Maintain and protect patients’ information
5. Have a clear and effective complaints procedure
6. Work with colleagues in a way that is in patients’ best interests
7. Maintain, develop and work within your professional knowledge and skills
8. Raise concerns if patients are at risk
9. Make sure your personal behaviour maintains patients’ confidence in you and the dental profession

The GDC provides case studies, scenarios and FAQs to support the Standards which can be found here.

The GDC advises education providers that standards must “be met during training, with the support and supervision of staff on the course, to ensure the safety and confidence of the patients and members of the public, and prepare students properly for starting work once they have qualified.” The GDC states that students should be familiar with the GDC’s nine principles from the beginning of their course, and that students have an individual responsibility to behave professionally and follow these principles at all times.

Student dental professionals can find out the key things they need to know about what is expected of them in the GDC’s introduction for student dental professionals.

 

Solicitors Regulation Authority (‘SRA’) 

The SRA is the regulator of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales. It regulates more than 200,000 solicitors.

The SRA’s Code of Conduct describes the standards of professionalism that the SRA and the public expect of individuals it authorises to provide legal services. They apply to conduct and behaviour relating to practice, and comprise a framework for ethical and competent practice. The Code relates to conduct that takes place both inside and outside of the workplace.

The SRA Principles comprise the fundamental tenets of ethical behaviour that the SRA expects all those that it regulates to uphold. The Principles are as follows:

You act:

1. in a way that upholds the constitutional principle of the rule of law, and the proper administration of justice.
2. in a way that upholds public trust and confidence in the solicitors' profession and in legal services provided by authorised persons.
3. with independence.
4. with honesty.
5. with integrity.
6. in a way that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion.
7. in the best interests of each client.

All individuals applying for admission to the roll of solicitors must be of “satisfactory character and suitability”. In assessing an individual’s suitability, the SRA will take into account anything, including health, which indicates the individual is unfit to meet their regulatory obligations or to be subject to regulatory investigations or proceedings. When assessing character and suitability, the SRA will consider conduct and behaviour including criminal conduct; behaviour which is dishonest, violent, threatening or discriminatory; if you have been made the subject of a serious disciplinary or regulatory finding, sanction or action; and any academic findings against you, such as for plagiarism or cheating. The latter is particularly important for law students to be alert to, because any findings of academic or non-academic misconduct could prevent you from being admitted to the roll of solicitors.

 

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (‘ACCA’) 

The ACCA is the global body for professional accountants.

The ACCA’s Code of Ethics and Conduct (‘the Code’) is set out in section 3 of the ACCA Rulebook, and is binding on all members and students of the ACCA. The Code is set out in three sections:

• Section A: International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards)
• Section B: Professional Accountants in Public Practice
• Section C: Professional Accountants in Business

All new students and members are asked to sign an undertaking that they will comply with ACCA’s Regulations and with the Code.

Set out within Section A of the Code, are the ACCA’s five fundamental principles of ethics, which specify the obligations placed on all members, whether or not they are in practice, and which establish the standard of behaviour expected of a professional accountant. The Fundamental Principles are:

• Integrity – to be straightforward and honest in all professional and business relationships.

• Objectivity – to exercise professional or business judgment without being compromised by:
  i. Bias,
  ii. Conflict of interest; or
  iii. Undue influence of, or undue reliance on, others.
• Professional Competence and Due Care – to:
  i. Attain and maintain professional knowledge and skill at the level required to ensure that a client or employing organisation receives competent professional service, based on current technical and professional standards and relevant legislation; and
  ii. Act diligently and in accordance with applicable technical and professional standards.
• Confidentiality – to respect the confidentiality of information acquired as a result of professional and business relationships.
• Professional Behaviour – to:
  i. Comply with relevant laws and regulations;
  ii. Behave in a manner consistent with the profession’s responsibility to act in the public interest in al professional activities and business relationships; and
  iii. Avoid any conduct that the professional accountant knows or should know might discredit the profession.

Students are required to undertake the Ethics and Professional Skills module as part of the ACCA Qualification and in order to obtain ACCA membership.

In addition, the ACCA makes it clear that students are expected to act with integrity during their studies.  It provides information to help students understand what activities it considers as misconduct; these include cheating, collusion, contract cheating, plagiarism and repurposing. It would be wise for finance students to familiarise themselves with this at the outset of their course and keep this in mind throughout the duration of their studies.

 

If during your studies you run into any issues surrounding your fitness to practise, it is recommended that you seek legal advice as soon as possible, as disciplinary and fitness to practise findings can have a devastating impact on your career, particularly if you are studying on a professional course.

Our Regulatory team are experts in disciplinary and fitness to practise investigations conducted by universities, as well as in the associated areas of safeguarding and the application of the Equality Act 2010.

Further information

Should you have any questions, please contact our disciplinary and fitness to practise experts in confidence or call us on 020 7814 1200. 

 

About the author

Shannett Thompson is a Partner in the Regulatory Team and is the firm’s Training Principal. She has trained in the NHS and commenced her career exclusively defending doctors. She provides regulatory advice predominantly in the health and social care and education sectors.