Requirements of a HCP to identify themselves at assessments

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Could you provide me with the guidelines and/or regulations pertaining to PIP and WCAs that indicate whether or not it is a requirement for the HCP carrying out the assessment to identify themselves? And also their occupations (as this is highly relevant in the case of MH, for example)?

I have trawled through the WCA Handbook and PIP Assessment guidelines but cannot find any reference to what should be a basic requirement and the claimant's right to know.

A claimant is required to provide proof of identity before their assessment can proceed. However, I have been provided with many instances of the (usually Atos) HCP refusing to provide a surname and/or occupation. Yet the Atos Customer Charter makes a big deal about their assessments being "fair, accurate and objective". How is it "fair" to be assessed by a person paid from the public purse that refuses to identify themselves or confirm that they are sufficiently qualified to carry out the assessment?

There is also the Equality Act 2010, reasonable adjustments, to be considered. A claimant with MH issues, such as paranoia, for example, may find this refusal by the HCP to identify themselves extremely distressing and it creates an atmosphere of distrust for all claimants before the assessment has even begun. Also, if the HCP was a physiotherapist, for example, and refused to provide this information at the start of the assessment, this would render the HCP's report useless for a MH-based assessment, as the courts have ruled that a physiotherapist's assessment of a person with MH issues has no value; meaning that it is extremely important to have the HCP's profession/qualification established prior to proceeding with the assessment.

As the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is responsible for approving HCPs, what does the DWP have to say about HCP's who refuse to identify themselves or confirm their suitability, professionally speaking, to conduct the assessment?

Furthermore, if a HCP failed to identify themselves and state what their occupation is: nurse, doctor, midwife, physiotherapist, etc., would the claimant be within their rights to cancel said assessment without fear of sanctions?

Please send me the relevant data pertaining to this issue.

Yours faithfully,

Georgina Smith

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John Slater left an annotation ()

This may be relevant. When the DWP/Atos published the report on the pilot for audio recording of WCA (04/06/2011) it included numerous quality measures. These included:

Did the HCP:-
- tell you their name?
- wear a name badge?
- put you at ease?
- explain the purpose of the assessment?
- explain how the assessment would be carried out?
- give you enough time to describe your symptoms/difficulties?

This does strongly suggest that the DWP/Atos believe that the HCP should do all of the above.

Georgina Smith left an annotation ()

Hi John,

Thanks for that info. I found the PDF you mentioned and it's very interesting. As with most things produced by Atos it's a little misleading. The HCP's 'name' is mentioned throughout - but I doubt that's their full name.

I know from feedback from hundreds of people that the HCP is VERY unwilling to give their surname - often quoting the DPA, the idiots.

To be honest, we need DWP guidelines on this, as the likes of Atos will come and go.

Personally, I'm not sure why HCPs are so coy with their ID - we can always SAR our documents and the name will be on their report.

Just to go off topic a little; interesting the excuses given for not wanting the WCA recorded - almost like they had something to hide, LOL! Mind you, the competent ones had no issue with it.

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