Verification (Good standing) / Attestation
Verification (Good standing) / Attestation
This domain tests how the Council confirms a practitioner's registration status and good standing to third parties: employers, regulators, and immigration or credentialing bodies. It covers verification requests, primary-source confirmation, attestation letters, third-party release, and refusal.
Core rules and concepts
- Good standing means the practitioner is currently registered, has no outstanding conditions or unresolved disciplinary findings that affect practice, and is not suspended or lapsed.
- Verification is normally sent directly by the Council to the receiving body; applicant-handled copies are not accepted as primary verification. Secure portals or sealed envelopes are common.
- A verification request usually requires consent, identity confirmation, the receiving body's details, and a fee. The Council verifies against its own register, not against documents supplied by the applicant.
- Attestation may be a statement of fact (registration dates, licence type, disciplinary history) rather than a character reference. It must be accurate and time-bound.
- Good standing is not permanent. A letter reflects status on the date of issue; employers should re-verify at intervals.
Worked example
A nurse asks the Council to send a good-standing letter to a foreign regulator. The Council's register shows a current licence but an unresolved complaint. The correct action is not to issue a clean good-standing letter. The Council should disclose the complaint status according to its policy, or state that good standing cannot be confirmed at that time. Issuing a letter that omits the pending complaint would mislead the regulator and breach attestation accuracy.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating a photocopy or applicant-supplied letter as verification.
- Assuming a good-standing letter remains valid indefinitely.
- Omitting conditions, suspensions, or pending complaints.
- Releasing information without consent or lawful basis.