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Professional Designation Policy

 

POLICY FOR DEVELOPING, AWARDING, MONITORING AND REVOKING PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS

 

Purpose

This policy establishes the criteria for how Saiosh develops, awards, monitors and revokes professional designations for occupational health and safety practitioners in South Africa.


Introduction and Background

Saiosh is a Professional Body recognised by SAQA in terms of its Policy and Criteria for Recognising a Professional Body and Registering Professional Designations.

Saiosh has registered Professional Designations with SAQA in terms of its Policy and Criteria for Recognising a Professional Body and Registering Professional Designations.

The SAQA Policy and Criteria for Recognising a Professional Body and Registering Professional Designations requires Saiosh to have policy and criteria to develop, award, monitor and revoke its professional designations in terms of its own rules.


Objectives

The objectives of this policy and criteria are to:

  • Advance the objectives of the NQF.
  • Promote the public understanding and trust in the occupational health and safety profession.
  • Promote occupational health and safety as a professional career.
  • Enable social responsibility, accountability and pride within the occupational health and safety profession.
  • Protect the public from malpractice within the occupational health and safety profession.
  • Promote the Continued Professional Development (CPD) of health and safety professionals.


Scope

This policy and criteria apply to:

  • All members of Saiosh who is registered with a professional designation
  • All Saiosh office bearers who perform functions associated with the awarding of professional designations.
  • Any persons appointed by Saiosh who perform functions associated with the awarding of its professional designations.

 

Developing Professional Designations

  • Saiosh will develop and continuously improve professional designations and criteria for achieving the best possible designations for occupational health and safety practitioners in South Africa.
  • Saiosh will develop such professional designations and criteria in an inclusive manner through consultation with its members.
  • Saiosh will continuously align its professional designations and criteria to global best practises.
  • A need for additional professional designations may be identified by industry, individuals and / or practitioners within the field of occupation health and safety.
  • Should the need be identified for an additional professional designation, a formal application process, by completing SAQA’s prescribed documentation and application forms, will be followed. The designation description will include:

     

    • Designation description
    • Underlying Qualification Registered on the NQF
    • Workplace Experience / Experiential Learning / Practical Experience
    • Competency Assessment
    • Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Requirements
    • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
    • Designation Competencies
    • Professional Designation Progression Pathway

       

  • The professional designation is based on knowledge, skills, and abilities that are specific to the occupational health and safety profession, which will be used to develop the competency framework, related to the designation.
  • The designations will be developed in line with the legislative directives, requirements, and the guidelines of SAQA, and aligned with relevant qualifications registered with SAQA.

 

Awarding of Professional Designations

Individuals who apply for a Saiosh professional designation and meet the criteria for the professional designation are awarded the designation.

The criteria will include:

  • Specific qualification requirements
  • Passing a stipulated assessment
  • Submission of Portfolio of Evidence, if applicable
  • Specified number of years of experience
  • Specified practical experience.

The process of application is by means of electronic submission, the reviewing and assessment of the application and required documentary proof provided, is performed by the registration board consisting of experienced, designated occupational health and safety professionals, as mandated the Saiosh Board of Directors to manage the application and certification processes.

The appointed administrators provide the submissions to the registration board for review and approval.

Where applicants meet all requirements and criteria of the relevant designation, it is awarded in a fair and transparent manner, based on the evidence provided by the applicant. Where the applicant does not meet the underlying qualification requirements, a RPL assessment may be requested and applied. The RPL process will be applied in a manner which addresses Saiosh’s commitment to the principles of equity, redress, and inclusion, as well as Saiosh and SAQA policies and procedures, in a fair and transparent manner.

The outcome of the application is shared with the applicant in writing, and a designation certificate provided to the individual.

 

Monitoring of Professional Designations

  • Saiosh monitors the good standing of designated members to ensure the criteria for the professional designations are constantly met.

     

  • This monitoring includes but is not limited to the auditing of CPD activities of members, with regular reminders to uphold CPD requirements and status of their membership on an annual basis, in line with the CPD policy of the professional body, and membership requirements.

     

  • Monitoring is done in a fair and transparent manner, which includes various communication channels with the members of the Saiosh.

     

  • Saiosh will submit a list of all active designated members in a form acceptable to SAQA for uploading to the National Learners Record Database.

 

Revoking of Professional Designations

  • Saiosh retains the right to revoke any Professional Designation awarded to an individual on the following basis:

     

    • Failing to meet the CPD criteria as determined by the Saiosh CPD Policy for the given term. (see exemption note below)
    • Failing to ensure member good standing on membership fees as determined by the Saiosh Board.
    • Should the member be found guilty of a criminal offence, or a complaint of unethical conduct reported by a member, an employer, or a member of the public.

       

  • Should a contravention of the above be brought to the attention of the Saiosh, the following process will be followed:

     

    • a disciplinary hearing will be conducted,
    • if confirmed that the member contravened any of the stipulated criteria, the member will be advised of the sanction in terms of the disciplinary process.
    • The member’s professional designation will be revoked.
    • The member will be informed in writing.
    • The member’s designation will be removed on the database.
    • The Saiosh website will be updated accordingly.
    • SAQA will be advised during the relevant reporting cycle of Saiosh.

       

  • The revoking of any designation by Saiosh will be done in a fair and transparent process, as set out in the disciplinary process of the institute.

     

  • Exemptions will be considered in the case of maternity leave, temporary incapacity, being out of the country for an extended period. An application for exemption must be submitted to Saiosh in writing by the designated member.

 

  • An applicant who is denied a professional designation, or a professionally designated member who has their designation revoked, may appeal the outcome of decision by following the appeal process as set out in the disciplinary process of Saiosh.