Set Standards
Define requirements for education, competence, conduct, insurance and continuing professional development.
Role of the Regulator
Role of the Regulator
The role of a regulator is to establish clear standards, assess whether those standards are met and act when concerns indicate that public confidence or safety may be at risk.
FEDANT provides an independent professional registration structure for those in the antenatal and postnatal sector, including Antenatal Educators, Breastfeeding Counsellors, Infant Feeding Practitioners, Doulas and Postnatal Practitioners.
Our central purpose: FEDANT’s regulatory work is intended to safeguard the public, maintain baseline standards of professional practice and support appropriate standards of education and training.
What Professional Regulation Means
Professional regulation provides a consistent framework for deciding who may be admitted to a register, what standards registered professionals must meet and how concerns about conduct or competence will be considered.
It creates accountability beyond membership of a professional organisation. Registration is not simply an indication that a fee has been paid: it reflects an assessment against the applicable entry requirements and an ongoing obligation to meet FEDANT’s professional standards.
Regulators
Support Bodies & Charities
Awarding Bodies
Professionals & Educators
FEDANT
Knowledge
Professional Registration
- Audit and quality assurance
- Oversee complaints
- Consider serious concerns
- Provide an initial contact for the public
- Represent the professions in discussions with government and healthcare regulators
- Public relations and communications
- Publish policy documents and professional standards
- Apply admission criteria
- Maintain the National Register
The FEDANT Regulatory Cycle
Assess Applications
Review qualifications and supporting evidence against the entry route for the category being requested.
Register
Record the approved category or categories on a searchable National Register entry.
Maintain Standards
Require annual renewal, appropriate insurance and ongoing professional learning.
Consider Concerns
Review complaints or information suggesting that a registrant may no longer meet the required standards.
Take Proportionate Action
Apply an appropriate outcome where a concern is upheld, which may include conditions, suspension or removal.
How Regulation Protects the Public
Provides a public way to check whether a professional is currently registered.
Shows the precise category or categories for which FEDANT has approved the registrant.
Requires registrants to work within their qualifications, competence and approved register categories.
Sets expectations for ethical behaviour, confidentiality, professional boundaries and honest advertising.
Requires suitable professional insurance and continuing professional development.
Provides a route for complaints and serious concerns to be considered fairly.
Protecting and Supporting Our Registrants
FEDANT registrants should feel confident that they are part of a professional register that values their work and is there to support them. Dealing with a complaint, misunderstanding or formal process can feel worrying and isolating. Registrants will receive clear information about a FEDANT regulatory matter and what is expected of them.
We protect and support our registrants by:
Maintaining an accurate public register that confirms their current registration and approved categories.
Providing clear standards, guidance and renewal requirements so registrants can practise with confidence.
Communicating clearly and respectfully when a question, complaint or concern is raised.
Using fair and consistent procedures and giving the registrant a reasonable opportunity to respond, explain the circumstances and provide supporting evidence.
Handling personal and sensitive information with care and sharing it only where necessary and lawful.
Recognising the difference between a matter that may affect professional registration and a disagreement or contractual dispute outside FEDANT’s regulatory role.
Making decisions based on relevant evidence and ensuring that any outcome is fair and proportionate.
Taking appropriate steps where a person or organisation falsely claims FEDANT registration or misuses FEDANT’s name or logo.
Where necessary and appropriate, standing alongside a registrant by attending court or another formal proceeding to provide relevant factual and regulatory information within FEDANT’s remit. Although FEDANT does not act as a legal representative, its attendance can help ensure that the registrant’s FEDANT status and professional position are accurately understood.
Here to Support Fair Practice
Supporting registrants and protecting the public go hand in hand. FEDANT will listen, communicate clearly and approach concerns with an open mind. Legitimate concerns must be considered, but every registrant is entitled to be treated respectfully, to understand the process and to have their evidence fairly considered.
Responsibilities of FEDANT Registrants
Registration carries continuing responsibilities. Registrants must follow the FEDANT Code of Ethics and Practice, maintain suitable insurance, keep their knowledge and skills current, provide accurate information about their qualifications and registration, and notify FEDANT of relevant complaints or other matters that may affect their registration.
Registrants must not imply that FEDANT has approved a qualification, service or area of practice that is not shown within their National Register entry.
Education and Entry Standards
Professional Entry Routes
FEDANT sets professional entry routes and reviews the evidence supplied by applicants. Admission is granted only for the category or categories supported by the qualifications and evidence accepted during assessment.
Course Accreditation
FEDANT operates the National Course Accreditation and Verification (NCAV) process and the National Relative Sector Award (NRSA) course accreditation process. Applications from education providers undergo a robust assessment against FEDANT’s applicable education, safety and quality standards before accreditation is granted.
A private education provider or course that does not hold current FEDANT accreditation has not been assessed and approved by FEDANT. This does not necessarily indicate poor quality, as some providers may not have applied. Accreditation may also be withheld or refused where a provider or course does not meet the required standards, including concerns about the accuracy or authenticity of course content, supporting evidence, educational quality or learner and public safety.
Checking an Accredited Course
Students should not assume that completing an unaccredited course will provide the knowledge, competence or recognised evidence required for safe professional practice. It does not guarantee eligibility for admission to the FEDANT National Register and may affect access to appropriate professional insurance. The applicant’s qualification and supporting evidence would need to be assessed against the applicable entry requirements, and admission cannot be assumed.
An education provider should be able to give prospective students its current FEDANT Education Provider/Course Number. Students should use this number to confirm that the exact provider and exact course appear on FEDANT’s current accredited provider list before enrolling or making payment.
Course accreditation and an individual’s admission to the FEDANT National Register are related but distinct assessments.
Considering Complaints and Concerns
Where a concern is raised, the regulator’s role is to establish the relevant facts, consider them against the applicable standards and follow a fair process. The purpose is not to resolve every disagreement or contractual dispute, but to determine whether a registrant’s conduct, competence or fitness to remain registered may be affected.
Any action should be proportionate to the information and findings. Depending on the circumstances, outcomes may range from no further action to conditions, suspension or removal from the National Register.