Professional Bodies
If there are requirements on a course that are stipulated by the professional body then the institution is not necessarily responsible for decision made on these grounds as they are out of their control. Therefore courses and exams accredited by for example the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or General Social Care Council (GSCC), have a responsibility to maintain the academic standards set by these professional bodies.
With regards to what the SENDA Code of Practise requires, there are grounds for less favourable treatment but they can only be justified if one of the following conditions is fulfilled:
• It is necessary to maintain academic standards
• It is necessary to maintain other prescribed standards
• It is of a prescribed type
• It occurs in prescribed circumstances
• The reasons are both material to the circumstances of the particular case and substantial
It is the case that if a disabled person or student can show that he or she has been treated less favourable than others for a reason relating to their disability, it is for the responsible body to show that the action taken was justifies and one of the above list. There is a proviso though that the responsible body can only use one of these justifications if the justification would still be valid after reasonable adjustments had been made.
Since the majority of the students graduating from HSC will be entering the NHS, they should have their own policies and recruitment of disabled people. It should be the case that adjustments have already been made to accommodate disabled staff members and patients therefore students will benefit from those adaptations when they do a practise placement or are offered a job after graduating.
It would be advantageous to investigate whether there are any prescribed standards to be met that prevent disabled students from entering professional practise and the students should be made aware of this when they apply for a place. (see section on admissions)
(Adapted from An audit and guidance tool for accessible practice within the framework of teaching the learning, SWANDS, 1992 – 2002).
Maintaining Standards: Promoting Equality is a summary report from the DCR that has just come out and investigates the professional regulations within nursing, teaching and social work and disabled people's access to these professions.