Fitness to Practise

Faculty of Science Criminal Convictions Policy

Terms of Reference

The Faculty of Science, Criminal Conviction Panel will consider all applicants for a place on a programme within the Faculty of Science who declare a criminal conviction.

Membership

• Chair - Director (or nominee)
• Secretary
• 2 Academic Staff Representatives from each school (including at least one registered Pharmacist and one member of staff who is registered with the HPC from within the Faculty)
• 4 independent senior level practitioners with experience appropriate to the case
• Adviser

Advisory Group

The membership may be extended from time to time to include advisory members who have a vested interest in process and procedures:

• Skill Support Officers
• CETL/Work Based Learning Administrators
• Admissions and Recruitment Co-ordinators
• Recruitment and Marketing Co-ordinator
• Admissions and Information Officers
• Programme Leaders Academic Managers
• Database administrators

Quorum for Panel Meetings

• Chair
• Secretary
• 2 Academic Staff Representatives (including one that is not directly connected to the student's programme of study
• 1 External Representative (from the area most appropriate to the case)

Frequency

The Panel will meet three times per year with additional meetings convened as necessary. Some programmes within the Faculty are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and therefore students applying to, or enrolled on these programmes must be asked to declare any criminal convictions (including spent convictions, cautions or formal reprimands), prior to be offered a place on a programme:

• MPharm
• MPharm (MAHSA)
• Biomedical Science

All students on these programmes (listed above) are required to complete a CRB enhanced disclosure and should be cautioned that all convictions will be identified and if they are found to have made a false declaration, the offer of a place may be withdrawn at any stage the programme.

All students on these programmes (listed above) will be registered with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) from November 2010 onwards.

All students on these programmes (listed above) are required to complete an annual self declaration confirming their status regarding their criminal record.

Prospective students on programmes exempt from the ROA must be asked to declare ALL criminal convictions.

1. The applicant will state on the application form if they have a criminal conviction(s).
2. The nature of the convictions will be investigated and if applicable a preliminary decision may be made by the Director of School.  The decision and the appeals process will be communicated to the prospective student in writing.
3. Applicants may be accepted subject to satisfactory police checks and ISA Registration, however they will not be allowed on placement until satisfactory police checks are received and considered and ISA registration is confirmed.
4. If a student fails to disclose or only partially discloses any criminal conviction/s they will immediately be suspended from the programme whilst an investigation is undertaken.  Investigation is conducted in line with the University procedures for breach of the University Code of Conduct and/or Fitness to Practise Issue.

During the decision making process, the Faculty's Criminal Conviction Panel will refer to guidance and information including such that is provided by the Regulator.

MPharm

• Code of Conduct for Pharmacy Students
• Guidance on Student Fitness to Practise Procedures in School of Pharmacy
• Assessment of Good Character
• Good Character Assessment Framework Template
• University Code of Conduct
• University Regulations

Biomedical Science

• Guidance on Health and Character
• Guidance on Conduct and Ethics for Students
• Assessment of Good Character
• Good Character Assessment Framework Template
• University Code of Conduct
• University Regulations

All other programmes

• Assessment of Good Character
• Good Character Assessment Framework Template
• University Code of Conduct
• University Regulations

Faculty of Science Criminal Convictions Protocol

1. All disclosures from CRB checks and ISA will be submitted to the Criminal Convictions Panel;
2. The Chair will open the panel hearing and summarise each case;
3. Each case will be considered separately, and in accordance with the appropriate Regulator's regulations and guidance;
4. Panel members will advise the Chair of their opinion of the case.
5. The Chair will summarise the Panel's decision. The outcome of the hearing will be confirmed in writing within five (5) working days of the decision;
6. The student will be notified of the appropriate appeals procedure;
7. Decisions made against individuals will be reported to the Regulator as appropriate;
8. Whilst the guidance is issued by the regulators, regulators will not participate in student fitness to practise cases. The regulators are not a fitness to practise adjudicator or an appeal body for students in schools. Regulators however, are the final arbiter in relation to an individual's eligibility to enter into pre-registration training; and their inclusion on the appropriate profession's register.
9. The 'Regulator' reserves the right to set aside a school's fitness to practise decision, if there are grounds for doing so.
10. The Faculty or the University cannot guarantee entry to The Register as this is a decision that must be made by the Regulator and can only be made at the point of application to join The Register.

Copies or links to these documents are available on the Faculty's website.

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