Keeping tabs on competencies

Since July 2023, all accreditation activities are assessed against the revised Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner. We take a look at what it means to new grads just starting out on their careers

The Australian Dental Council (ADC) released the revised Professional competencies of the newly qualified dental practitioner (the Competencies) in 2022, which has come into effect from 1 July 2023.

The Competencies are an important resource for the ADC. These outcomes-focused statements are used in program accreditation to ensure students undertaking dental programs are prepared with the skills, knowledge and capabilities needed to practice safely upon graduation. For the overseas qualified dental practitioner assessment process, the Competencies are an important reference point for mapping and blueprinting examinations.

It is important to note that the Competencies have a broader application beyond the work of the ADC. The dental professions, regulators, consumers and employers all have use for the Competencies.

The most significant change is the consolidation of the Competencies for dentists, dental hygienists, oral health therapists, dental therapists and dental prosthetists into one comprehensive document. This change reinforces that professionalism, communication and leadership, and critical thinking are core skills for all dental practitioners. It also supports collaborative team practice by facilitating a better understanding of competencies across the different dental practitioner divisions.

The revised Competencies also have an increased focus on the provision of culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These revisions are designed to support the inclusion of Domain 6: Cultural Safety into the ADC/Dental Council (New Zealand) Accreditation standards for dental practitioners (the Standards) in 2021. Updates to the Competencies supporting this Domain include aligning the definition of cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the definition agreed across the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme in June 2018. New statements have also been introduced into Domain 1 to ensure the definition of cultural safety is implemented. These statements outline what a practitioner must do to ensure culturally safe and respectful practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Implementation of the revised Competencies will occur across the ADC’s program accreditation and dental practitioner assessment processes. For accredited dental practitioner programs, the ADC is working closely with dental education and training providers and assessors on the implications the revisions to the Competencies will have on the program accreditation process.

Several resources have been developed to support education providers in transitioning to the revised competencies. A webinar was held in late 2022 to provide an overview of the review process, what has changed in the revised Competencies and the plan for implementation. Guidance notes have also been prepared to support education providers with the implementation of the revised Competencies, which cover six focus areas: interprofessional collaborative practice, cultural safety, domestic and family violence, rural and remote populations, social responsibility and at-risk populations. The guidance notes introduce each of the focus areas, outline the revised domains within the Competencies and provide examples of ways providers can prepare students to be able to demonstrate the revised Competencies. The webinar and guidance notes can be accessed on the ADC website.

Planning for the implementation of the revised Competencies against the ADC’s written and practical examinations is underway. Further updates on this planning will be provided on the ADC website as more information is available.

Learn more about the revisions to the Competencies and download your copy today at www.adc.org.au