The Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) welcomes Ahpra’s new National Scheme Strategy 2031, which sets a five-year direction for the National Scheme, with a focus on public protection, cultural safety and a sustainable health workforce.
As the accrediting authority for psychology in Australia, APAC sees strong alignment between the strategy and its work across psychology education and training. This includes a shared focus on cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, accreditation approaches that support quality and access, and stronger pathways to registration.
These priorities are already central to APAC’s work where cultural safety has now been embedded within our new Accreditation Standards for Psychology Programs 2025. Work is underway to develop resources for higher education providers to meet this new requirement and APAC remains committed to working with our partners across the sector in advancing broader reform discussions.
Mr David Ensor, Chief Executive Officer of APAC, said the strategy reinforces the important role of accreditation in shaping a health system that is both safe and sustainable.
“This strategy makes clear that public protection and workforce development cannot be treated as separate issues. Accreditation has an important role in holding that balance by supporting education and training that is rigorous, culturally safe and responsive to community need.
I am particularly encouraged to see cultural safety given the prominence it deserves in the strategy. It cannot sit at the margins of the National Scheme – it must be understood as a shared responsibility across regulation, accreditation, education and training. At APAC, we value our partnership with the Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP) in helping to advance this work.”
APAC looks forward to continuing this work with Ahpra, the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA), the Health Professions Accreditation Collaborative (HPAC) Forum and other valued National Scheme partners as reform progresses.
Learn more about Ahpra’s National Scheme Strategy 2031.