Meet a Partner - Vince Clarke

Vince is a HCPC-registered Vince Clarke paramedic, as well a lead visitor and CPD assessor for the HCPC.

What is your role at the HCPC and what do you do?

I am a registered paramedic working in higher education and I have been an HCPC Partner since 2005, when I started as Education Programme Approvals Visitor. This quality assurance role involved attending approval events at education providers around the UK to ensure that their paramedic programmes met the HCPC standards of education and training and the standards of proficiency for paramedics. I remain a Lead Visitor, which is now more reliant on documentation rather than site visits.

I am also an HCPC Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Assessor. This role requires me to undertake the assessment of selected registrants’ CPD profiles on a two-yearly cycle.

I was previously a Conduct and Competence panel member for eight years between 2009 and 2017. This role involved hearing cases and making decisions regarding the fitness to practise of paramedic of registrants.

What do you like most about being a Partner?

Being an HCPC Partner has given me significant insight into the regulatory process for my profession, as well as giving me an extensive knowledge of the range of HCPC approved paramedic programmes around the UK. This has enabled me to utilise this insight in the development of my own educational programmes.

I have been given the opportunity to work alongside HCPC Partners from a range of professions as well as Lay Partners, all of whom bring a different perspective to the role that they are undertaking.

One of the most beneficial aspects of my role has been the knowledge that I have been able to take and use in my teaching role to develop future registrants who fully understand the role and remit of the HCPC.

I have also been able to apply the transferrable skills that I have gained to my various roles for the Royal College of Paramedics. I have written widely about my experiences as a CPD Assessor, producing guidance and support resources for paramedic registrants who are selected to submit their profile, and I undertake the role of Education Ambassador, akin to the HCPC Visitor role. 
All in all, my partner role has been of huge significance in my professional development throughout my career, which is what I like most about the role!

What are the challenges?

The key challenges that I have experienced have been related to streamlining and technological developments. Having started as a Partner when everything was paper based, the move to online CPD submissions and remote hearings and Approval Events has been both challenging and of enormous benefit for my personal and professional development.

Sometimes, the volume of material that needs to be reviewed can feel overwhelming!

Although the machinations of the HCPC are not always as smooth as one would like, I appreciate the openness and collaborative approach of the whole HCPC team in listening to Partners and working with us to get to the most suitable outcome.

Tell us a surprising fact about yourself.

I was a member of the Great Britain Junior Bobsleigh Team in the late 1980’s.