Accreditation Standards Review

The Australian Dental Council (ADC)/Dental Council (New Zealand) (DC(NZ)) Accreditation Standards (‘the Standards’) for dental practitioner programs became effective on 1 January 2021.

The Standards are scheduled to be reviewed every 5 years, and the ADC and DC(NZ) are currently planning the 2024–25 review of the Standards.

It is anticipated that the review will include:

• benchmarking the existing Standards against other relevant standards nationally and internationally

• meeting with stakeholders to seek feedback on the existing Standards

• a stakeholder survey to seek feedback on the existing Standards including how they are working and how they might be improved

• wide-ranging consultation including education providers, professional associations, dental students and assessors

• oversight from an advisory committee.

The objective is to identify and consider changes to the Standards for subsequent approval by the ADC Board and Dental Board of Australia (DBA).

The review is necessary to ensure that the standards continue to be current with contemporary benchmarks and expectations, easy-to-use and appropriately focused on public safety. We look forward to engaging with our key stakeholders and hearing your feedback during the various stages of the review.

Physiotherapy Council seeks experts for Accreditation Standards Review

In related news, the Australian Physiotherapy Council is also currently reviewing the Physiotherapy Accreditation Standards and is hosting focus groups to seek perspectives on the Standards before embarking on the review.

The focus groups will be held across Australia on the following dates (all are full day events from 9am to 5pm):

• Melbourne: 15 November 2024
• Adelaide: 21 November 2024
• Perth: 22 November 2024
• Sydney: 28 November 2024
• Brisbane: 29 November 2024

To express your interest in participating in a focus group, or for more information, please contact joanna.duncan@physiocouncil.com.au