A new independent organisation to promote ethical hearing service practice and handle complaints against audiologists and audiometrists is in force from 1 October 2024.
The Hearing Professional Conduct and Complaints Body Ltd (HPCCB) is the culmination of years of work and replaces the previous AudA and ACAud Inc. HAASA Ethics Review Committees (ERCs).
Former ERCs chairperson and now HPCCB chairperson Ms Claire Hewat said the new body would promote ethical hearing service practice to audiologists, audiometrists, members of the public and others.
“It will also handle complaints regarding the provision of hearing services by audiologists and audiometrists who are members and/or clinically certified by the Australian College of Audiology (ACAud) Inc. HAASA and Audiology Australia (AudA),” she said.
“Since the first joint Ethics Review Committees in 2018, AudA and ACAud Inc. HAASA have been committed to creating a single independent entity for the handling of complaints.
“The establishment of the HPCCB is the culmination of years of work between the professional bodies and ERCs to determine the best model for the separate entity.”
Hewat said the independent body would further increase the consistency of the management and investigation of breaches of the Code of Conduct and the provision of ethical and professional guidance.
The Code of Conduct for audiologists and audiometrists sets the professional and ethical standards that members and/or clinically certified audiologists and audiometrists must meet.
“Furthermore, the establishment of the HPCCB as a separate entity to AudA and ACAud Inc. HAASA reinforces the independence of the complaints handling process from the hearing professional bodies,” Hewat added.
“It will also provide some administrative process improvements, as all matters will now be handled by the same body.
“Otherwise, the powers and approaches of the HPCCB in providing support and guidance and handling complaints will be identical to those under the ERCs.”
Hewat said that if practitioners had a current matter open under the ethic review committees there was nothing they needed to do.
“Your matter will be transferred over and handled from 1 October 2024 by the HPCCB,” she said.
Read more about the HPCCB at hpccb.org.au
