Call for applications to the Occupational Therapy Board Threshold Competency Standards Advisory Panel

02 Jul 2015

The Occupational Therapy Board of Australia (the National Board) has agreed to commence a project to develop a new set of threshold competencies for occupational therapy practice.

The National Board recognises that it is important to periodically review threshold competency standards to ensure that they continue to reflect current and emerging practice.

The current threshold competency standards for occupational therapists in Australia (ACSOT) were developed by the professional association, Occupational Therapy Australia in 2010 and since their development they have proved useful in a professional and educational context.

The National Board aims to develop professional competencies that reflect current standards and will be suitable for use in clinical, educational and regulatory contexts.

The National Board will appoint an Occupational Therapy Board Threshold Competency Standards Advisory Panel (the Advisory Panel) to provide a pool of knowledge and experience that will assist in the development of threshold competency standards for the profession.

The Advisory Panel will provide the National Board and/or the external consultant tasked with developing the competencies with subject matter expertise regarding threshold competencies required for the practice of occupational therapy.

In particular the Advisory Panel will:

• provide background information, including information on existing practices and possible deficiencies
• consider and comment on any specific points raised by the OTBA and/or the external consultant
• review draft competencies prepared by the external consultant and provide feedback regarding their adequacy, relevancy, consistency and readability

The National Board is seeking applications from individuals with experience in the areas listed below:

Required to:

• demonstrate experience in training, teaching, and/or assessment of professional competencies
• demonstrate professional good standing
• disclose any interest in a matter being considered by the Panel that appears to raise a conflict with the proper performance of the Member’s functions, so that conflict may be appropriately managed
• post graduate education or experience
• be available to attend meetings
• be willing to enter into an undertaking to keep information they obtain as a Panel member confidential

Desirable to:

• demonstrate knowledge of the threshold competencies required for occupational therapists
• understand the regulatory role of accreditation bodies under the National Law

The National Board will however, consider applicants who do not have experience in all of the above areas. Application will be assessed by a Selection Advisory Panel. The Advisory Panel is time limited until the end of the project, which is forecast for 30 June 2016, and is expected to commence in mid 2015.

The OTBA does not pay sitting fees for Advisory Panel members. Any economy class travel and/or reasonable accommodation required will be booked and paid for by AHPRA.

Candidate information pack and application forms

• Application guide (148 KB,PDF), Word version (578 KB,DOCX)
• Application form (201 KB,PDF), Word version (450 KB,DOC)
• Terms of reference - Threshold competency standards advisory panel (40.7 KB,PDF), Word version (420 KB,DOC)
• Declaration of private interests (175 KB,PDF)

For general enquiries, please contact Statutory Appointments.

Expressions of interest close Monday 13 July 2015.