Compliance Policy: Mentor - Dental 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.

_{¹ This policy applies where a mentor 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 28 days of the date of imposition of the conditions. The practitioner must nominate a mentor who they believe fulfils the criteria found in the Mentor Position Statement. The Council will not automatically approve a nominated mentor and approval cannot be assumed. Practitioners must have received written confirmation from the Council 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. Submit a copy of his/her conditions/orders to the Council, signed by the practitioner and the mentor, indicating awareness of the conditions/orders and authorisation, within 28 days of the imposition of conditions.
3. Submit a mentor plan developed in consultation with the approved mentor within 14 days of receiving written advice that the mentor has been approved by the Council. The plan must be approved by the Council and must detail specific objectives/outcomes of the mentoring arrangement required by the condition/order.
4. Participate in face-to-face and/or telephone meetings with the approved mentor at a frequency as determined by the mentor, or as required by the condition. The meetings may involve case reviews and/or discussions of the topic areas required by the condition.
5. Authorise the mentor to submit a report in the prescribed format to the Council including the dates the mentor meetings have occurred, the topic areas that were discussed as well as an outline of any patient records or treatment plans that were reviewed. The mentor reports are to be co-signed by the approved mentor and the practitioner is to ensure that the mentor does in fact provide those reports.
6. Authorise the mentor to inform the Council immediately of failure to attend mentoring meetings.
7. Meet all costs associated with the mentoring arrangement.
8. Inform the Council immediately if the mentor is or will be unavailable for two or more consecutive meetings within the reporting period.
9. Inform the Council immediately if the approved mentoring arrangement ends or is suspended. The practitioner must nominate a proposed replacement mentor within 21 days of cessation of the previous mentoring arrangement, to be approved by the Council.

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

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

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

Practitioners should know that the definition of unsatisfactory professional conduct (see section 139B(1)(c) of the Law) includes contravention of a condition/order to which a practitioner’s registration is subject.