Understanding the types of concerns the College receives and investigates is of interest to both registrants and the public.
There are two main types of investigations:
- complaints from members of the public (usually clients or their families) and
- reports from other sources, typically from employers or other occupational therapists.
Investigations Data Overview: December 2023-May 2024
From December 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024, the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee (ICRC) made decisions on a total of 15 investigations: 8 on complaints investigations and 7 on Registrar’s Investigations.
For the 8 complaints, the decisions broke down as follows:
- Take no further action (dismissed) – 3
- Advice and guidance (helpful information to assist the registrant in their future practice) – 4
- Undertaking (the registrant must complete specified remedial activities, which they have agreed to undertake) – 1
In the Registrar’s Investigations, the decisions broke down as follows:
- Take no further action (dismissed) – 3 *
- Undertaking (the registrant must complete specified remedial activities) – 2
- Referral to discipline – 2
*One of the Take No Action cases above involved the same subject matter as one of the cases which was referred to discipline. This case was dismissed in lieu of referring the other matter to the Discipline Committee.
Every investigation will identify one or more concerns and the ICRC makes a decision on each one. These concerns are connected to occupational therapy competencies.
Competencies Data Overview: December 2023-May 2024
The following competencies were identified in the 14 matters decided by the ICRC – this does not include the one Take No Action mentioned above. It is important to note that competencies are identified for each concern in every matter, regardless
of whether the ICRC took any action or not.
Competencies are not counted for the one matter that was closed in lieu of referring the subsequent matter to discipline, which dealt with the same issues.
Competency A: Occupational Therapy Expertise
- A1 Establish trusted relationships (9 cases)
- A2 Use occupational analysis throughout practice (3 cases)
- A3 Determine clients’ needs and goals for occupational therapy services (2 cases)
- A4 Assess occupational participation (2 cases)
- A5 Develop plans with clients to facilitate occupational participation (2 cases)
- A6 Implement the Occupational Therapy Plan (1 case)
Competency B: Communication and Collaboration
- B1. Communicate in a respectful and effective manner (9 cases)
- B2. Maintain professional documentation (3 cases)
- B3. Collaborate with clients, other professionals, and stakeholders (4 cases)
Competency C: Culture, Equity, and Justice
- C1 Promote equity in practice (2 cases)
- C2 Promote anti-oppressive behaviour and culturally safer, inclusive relationships (2 cases)
Competency D: Excellence in Practice
- D2 Improve practice through self-assessment and reflection (2 cases)
Competency E: Professional Responsibility
- E1. Meet legislative and regulatory requirements (9 cases)
- E2. Demonstrate a commitment to minimizing risk (8 cases)
Serious Concerns
Some of the more serious or repeated competency gaps that were found in some of these decisions were:
- Obtaining proper consent (Competency E1.3)
- Time theft issues, for example: arriving late, leaving early and, overall, not working the expected hours (Competency E2.1 which speaks to following an organization’s policies and procedures)
- Matters involving potential boundary breaches or violations, including sexual abuse (E1.9 and E1.1 – “Respect the laws, codes of ethics, rules and regulations that govern occupational therapy”)
- Being mindful of cultural sensitivities in both documentation and in communication, (Competencies C1 and C2)
Also of note: In all but 2 complaints, gaps in both the A1 and B1 competencies were identified. This demonstrates that most complaints involved issues of communication. While competency B1 speaks directly to communication, A1 – establishing trusted
relationships with clients – is limited if communication is an issue.
Complaints data and analysis helps inform the development of College resources to support the delivery of safe, ethical services. Quality Assurance activities, practice resources, webinars, and articles such as Communication is Key are available online for all registrants.