Compliance Policy: Mentor - Optometry Council

This Policy will be published on the Council’s website, provided to practitioners when mentor conditions are imposed and provided to nominee and approved mentors. It should be read in conjunction with the Council’s Mentor Approval Position Statement.

Practitioners whose registration are subject to conditions imposed in NSW requiring mentorship, must practise in compliance with these conditions as well as with the requirements of this policy.

A practitioner who is the subject of mentor conditions imposed in NSW after August 2015.

_{¹ This policy applies where the condition is imposed under Part 8 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW).}

This policy sets out the Council’s expectations of a practitioner who has mentor conditions imposed on his/her registration.

A practitioner who is the subject of mentor conditions must comply with both this policy as well as the conditions imposed on his/her registration. If a condition is inconsistent with any part of this policy, the condition prevails.

Practitioners who are the subject of mentor conditions must:

1. Nominate a proposed mentor to the Council within 21 days of the date of imposition of the conditions. The practitioner must nominate a mentor who they believe fulfills the criteria found in the Mentor Approval Position Statement. The Council will not automatically approve a nominated mentor and approval cannot be assumed. Practitioners must have received confirmation of approval of any mentor to ensure compliance with their conditions. In the event that a nomination is declined, the practitioner is required to nominate another proposed mentor within 21 days.
2. Participate in face-to-face and/or telephone meetings with the Council-approved mentor at a frequency determined by the mentor.
3. Authorise the mentor to inform the Council (in an approved reporting format, at a frequency required by the condition) that these meetings have occurred, and ensure that the mentor does in fact provide those reports.
4. Authorise the mentor to inform the Council immediately if the mentoring relationship ends or of any concerns regarding the performance of the practitioner or his/her compliance with any conditions on his/her registration.
5. Meet all costs associated with mentorship.
6. Inform the Council if the mentor is or will be unavailable for two or more consecutive meetings within the reporting period.
7. Must not enter into an arrangement or association with the mentor which could cause a conflict of interest.
8. If the approved mentorship arrangement ends or is suspended, you must nominate a proposed replacement mentor to be approved by the Council.

Failure to comply with this policy constitutes a breach of conditions.

Any breach of conditions may be referred to the Health Care Complaints Commission for investigation as a complaint.

The Council may also consider taking interim action under s 150 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW)open_in_new (National Law).

Practitioners should know that the definition of unsatisfactory professional conduct (see s 139B(c) of the National Law) includes contravention of a condition to which a practitioner’s registration is subject.