BASRaT launches consultation on professional boundaries.
BASRaT has launched a consultation to help shape new Professional Boundaries Guidance for registered Sport Rehabilitators.
The guidance will support registrants to establish and maintain appropriate professional relationships, protect patients and respond confidently to the boundary-related issues that can arise in practice.
A central focus of the work will be the role that clear professional boundaries play in protecting practitioners as well as patients.
Protecting registrants in practice
Professional-boundaries guidance understandably places significant emphasis on protecting patients from inappropriate behaviour by healthcare practitioners. This will remain a fundamental part of the new BASRaT guidance.
However, registrants can also experience inappropriate, sexualised, intimidating or boundary-testing behaviour from patients and clients. They may face situations in which they feel uncomfortable or unsafe, are unsure whether they can stop an appointment, or worry that challenging someone’s behaviour could lead to a complaint, negative review or escalation of the situation.
Sport Rehabilitation also presents particular practical considerations. Assessment and treatment frequently involve physical contact, close proximity, adjustment or removal of clothing, treatment of sensitive anatomical areas and one-to-one clinical encounters. Many registrants work alone or independently in private clinics, sporting environments, patients’ homes or other settings where immediate support may not be available.
The new guidance will therefore consider how professional boundaries can give registrants a clear framework for:
communicating expectations and establishing appropriate professional relationships;
explaining physical contact and maintaining consent throughout treatment;
managing clothing, exposure, draping and treatment of sensitive anatomical areas;
recognising and responding to inappropriate or sexualised behaviour;
stopping an assessment or appointment when necessary;
refusing or discontinuing care appropriately;
recording and reporting concerning incidents;
managing situations in which a legitimate clinical interaction could be misunderstood; and
protecting their personal safety when working alone.
The work will also consider what employers, clinic owners, clubs and other organisations should put in place to support registrants to maintain professional boundaries and work safely.
Building the evidence base
BASRaT has begun by reviewing current regulatory standards, Fitness to Practise learning and wider evidence from healthcare regulators, Accredited Registers, professional bodies and other relevant organisations.
This provides a strong foundation, but published guidance cannot fully capture how these issues are experienced by Sport Rehabilitators in day-to-day practice.
Oliver Coburn, BASRaT Registrar, said:
“Professional boundaries are essential for protecting patients and maintaining trust in the profession. However, they should also provide practical protection for registrants.
“Sport Rehabilitators can encounter inappropriate or boundary-testing behaviour themselves, particularly when working alone. They may also worry that a legitimate hands-on clinical interaction could be misunderstood.
“We want this guidance to do more than describe what registrants must not do. It should help them establish clear professional relationships, recognise when a situation is becoming inappropriate and feel confident taking action to protect both the patient and themselves.”
Registrants invited to participate
The consultation asks registrants about:
how they establish and maintain professional boundaries;
their experiences of lone working and practitioner safety;
inappropriate or boundary-testing behaviour encountered in practice;
measures they use to protect themselves and their patients;
barriers to challenging inappropriate behaviour;
support provided by employers, clinics and other organisations; and
areas in which clearer BASRaT guidance would be helpful.
The anonymous survey should take approximately 10–12 minutes to complete.
Take part in the Professional Boundaries consultation
The consultation includes some questions about potentially sensitive experiences. Registrants may skip any question they would prefer not to answer and should not provide information that could identify another person.
The consultation is intended to inform the development of guidance. It should not be used to report a safeguarding concern, complaint or Fitness to Practise matter, which should be raised through the appropriate established route.
What happens next?
Following the survey, BASRaT will invite a small number of registrants to take part in short, individual conversations exploring the issues raised in greater detail.
The evidence review, survey findings and individual conversations will then be brought together to inform the first draft of the Professional Boundaries Guidance.
Registrants will have a further opportunity to comment on the draft before the guidance is finalised and published.
BASRaT encourages registrants from all areas and settings of practice to participate. Their experiences will help ensure the eventual guidance is evidence-based, practical and grounded in the realities of working as a Sport Rehabilitator.