Have your say on the proposed revisions to the competencies

Overview

The Australian Dental Council has opened the consultation period for the proposed changes to the Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner (the competencies).

The consultation period will run from 27 September to 11.59pm AEDT Friday 5 November 2021.

The competencies outline at a threshold level what is expected of a newly qualified dental practitioner. We use them in the accreditation of dental practitioner programs and in the assessment and examination of overseas trained dental practitioners.

It is vital that the competencies align with the needs of the Australian population. They focus on ensuring those seeking to apply for registration in Australia have the knowledge and skills needed to practice safely and ethically. This is why we review the competencies regularly.

We started the current review of the competencies in early-2021. This was marked with the convening of the Professional competencies review advisory committee. The advisory committee includes regulators, consumers, employers, education providers, and the dental professions. Committee members have informed the review process and identified potential changes to the competencies.

In April 2021, we conducted a survey to determine whether the competencies worked in their current format and identify potential areas for improvement.

Findings from the survey indicated that respondents were supportive of the proposed focus areas of the review, including:

• cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
• interprofessional collaborative practice;
• care and treatment of people experiencing domestic and family violence;
• at risk groups, including those living with disability;
• preparedness to serve rural and remote communities; and
• social accountability and environmental awareness.

The Draft Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner: September 2021 (draft competencies) outlines the proposed revisions. Many of the proposed changes are minor in nature and aim to ensure clarity and ease of use.

We are now inviting anyone with an interest in the competencies to provide their feedback on the proposed revisions. Information collected during the consultation period will be considered and used to refine the amendments to the competencies.

The revised competencies will then be considered for endorsement by the ADC and released in late 2021.

Our Professional competencies review page provides more information about the process.

We are committed to keeping you updated on the progress of the review of the competencies. Updates will be published to our website as information becomes available.

Respond to the proposed changes to the competencies

Making a submission

We welcome feedback from anyone with an interest in the competencies. This includes, but is not limited to:

• practitioners from the dental professions;
• education and training providers;
• professional associations;
• employers of dental practitioners;
• dental students; and
• dental consumers.

Before making a submission, we encourage you to read the consultation document.

Consultation paper: Proposed changes to the Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner

Draft Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner: September 2021

You can respond by completing the survey, or by copying and pasting this link into your web browser.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Competencies_review

You can also email your response to our accreditation team via [email protected]

Publication of submissions

Individual survey responses and a summary of the responses received will be published on the ADC website. Published submissions will include the names of the respondent and/or organisation making the submission.

All personal contact details will be removed from the submission before its publication.

Submissions containing offensive or defamatory comments or that are outside the scope of subject of this consultation will not be made public.