Ethics and professionalism CPD for health practitioners in Australia [email protected]
Sign in Choose courses

Online course · Australia

Professionalism and Professional Standards for Psychologists

Conduct, Scope, Records, CPD and Accountability Under the Psychology Board's Standards

  • About 2 hours
  • 15 scenario questions
  • Reflective account
  • Certificate of completion
  • Online, self-paced

About this course

Most notifications about psychologists are not about clinical theory; they are about records, boundaries, billing, communication and what was said in a report. This course sets out the professional standards that govern psychology practice in Australia and how to build them into the way you work.

The course opens with what professionalism means for a registered psychologist: registration categories, protected titles, the public register, the annual declaration and how standards are used when conduct is questioned. Scope comes next, from how registration, endorsement, training and experience combine, to working across settings, jurisdictions and languages, and delegating to assistants and non-registered staff.

CPD gets detailed treatment, including peer consultation that genuinely counts, recency after career breaks or non-clinical roles, and audit readiness. A full section covers records: what a psychology record must do, writing session notes to a professional standard, security and retention, arrangements for practice closure, death or incapacity, and the use of AI scribes and recordings.

The remaining sections address fees and billing integrity, advertising and claims, indemnity insurance and contracts, conduct outside practice and online, section 130 self-reporting, mandatory notifications, responding to complaints, conditions and undertakings, respectful workplaces and practice governance.

What you will learn

  • Place yourself correctly within registration categories, titles and the public register
  • Describe your current scope accurately and grow into a new area with training and supervision
  • Plan CPD and peer consultation that count, and keep a portfolio ready for audit
  • Write session notes and keep records that meet professional standards, including when an AI scribe is used
  • Set fees, bill funders, advertise and describe your qualifications without misleading anyone
  • Give the Board notice of section 130 events on time and understand when a notification about a colleague is mandatory
  • Respond calmly and professionally to a complaint, notification, condition or undertaking

Who this course is for

  • Psychologists in private practice, group practices and community services
  • Psychologists employed by hospitals, schools, government and corrections
  • Practice owners responsible for systems, staff and billing
  • Psychologists changing area of practice or returning from a break
  • Provisional psychologists preparing for general registration

How the course works

  1. Enrol online and the course appears under My Courses in your Probity Courses account, ready to open on a computer, tablet or phone.

  2. Work through 7 sections and 27 short lessons in order, at your own pace. Your place is saved in the browser you use, so you can stop and come back.

  3. Use the key points, scenarios and reflection prompts in each section, and write your own notes as you go; they stay with your course pack.

  4. Finish with a 15-question final assessment. You need 12 correct answers (80%) to pass, and you can retake it after a short pause if needed.

  5. Write your reflective account, submit the short feedback form and your completion is recorded. Download a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 2 hours); record the time you actually spend.

Course content

8 sections · About 2 hours · 15-question final assessment

1The Professional Standards Framework for Psychologists4 lessons
  • What Professionalism Means for a Registered Psychologist
  • Registration Categories, Titles and the Public Register
  • Registration Standards and the Annual Declaration
  • How Standards Are Used When Conduct Is Questioned
2Scope of Practice and Competence4 lessons
  • Defining Your Scope: Registration, Endorsement, Training and Experience
  • Moving Into a New Area of Practice
  • Practising Across Settings, Jurisdictions and Languages
  • Delegation, Assistants and Non-Registered Staff
3CPD and Recency of Practice4 lessons
  • The CPD Registration Standard in Practice
  • Peer Consultation That Counts
  • Recency of Practice: Career Breaks, Non-Clinical Roles and Return
  • Audit Readiness
4Records and Documentation Standards4 lessons
  • What a Psychology Record Must Do
  • Writing Session Notes to a Professional Standard
  • Security, Retention, Practice Closure and Death or Incapacity
  • AI Scribes, Recording and Digital Records
5Conduct in Business and Public Communication4 lessons
  • Fees, Financial Transparency and Billing Integrity
  • Advertising, Titles and Claims
  • Professional Indemnity Insurance and Contracts
  • Conduct Outside Practice and Online
6Accountability to the Regulator4 lessons
  • Self-Reporting Events Under Section 130
  • Mandatory Notifications: About Others and About Yourself
  • Complaints and Notifications: Responding Professionally
  • Conditions, Undertakings and the Register
7Professional Relationships and Practice Governance3 lessons
  • Working With Colleagues, Referrers and Teams
  • Respectful Workplaces: Positive Duty and Psychosocial Safety
  • Practice Governance: Making Good Conduct Routine
8Conclusion, Final Assessment and Reflection4 lessons
  • Conclusion and key points
  • References and quick-reference guide
  • Final assessment (15 questions, 80% pass mark)
  • Your reflective account

Assessment and certificate

  • Certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 2 hours); record the time you actually spend.
  • A written reflective account you can keep with your CPD records.

Questions about this course

Does the course explain the CPD requirements for psychologists?

Yes. It explains the Psychology Board's CPD registration standard, including the peer consultation component, and how to keep records that would satisfy an audit.

Can I use an AI scribe for session notes?

The course explains what Ahpra and the Board expect when practitioners use AI tools, including consent, checking accuracy and keeping responsibility for the record. Your employer's policy and privacy law also apply.

What counts as a section 130 event?

Events such as being charged with or convicted of certain offences, losing appropriate indemnity cover, or having rights or billing privileges restricted. The course lists them and explains the seven-day timeframe.

Is the professionalism course a repeat of the ethics course?

No. They are designed as a pair. This one covers standards, records, CPD and accountability; the ethics course covers reasoning through hard cases.

Can I count this course towards my CPD?

That is your call under your Board's CPD standard: you choose activities that match your scope and the learning needs in your plan. If this course fits, file the certificate of completion, record the time you actually spend and note one change you will make in practice.

Related courses

A$189About 2 hours
Enrol