Probity & Honesty · Every UK Regulator

Duty of Candour & Openness Training for UK Regulated Professionals

A 1.5-hour CPD course on both duties of candour, statutory and professional, the real legal test for a notifiable safety incident, and how to apologise honestly without conceding legal fault. Relevant across every UK health and social care regulator, not written for one profession.

Self-paced · 1.5 CPD hours Certificate on completion Reviewed by qualified professionals Every UK regulator

Current Status

Not Enrolled

Price

£55

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Duty of Candour & Openness Training for UK Regulated Professionals | CrownEthics
Who this is for

Is this you?

We wrote this for three kinds of regulated professional. Most people reading this are at least one of them.

01

You've always assumed apologising means admitting fault.

This is the single biggest, most understandable barrier that stops good professionals from being open when something goes wrong. This course clears it up directly, with the real, confirmed fact behind it.

02

You've never been sure what counts as a "notifiable safety incident."

A real, structured, three-part legal test, not a vague sense of when something is serious enough to disclose, applied to genuine worked scenarios so it's usable, not just theoretical.

03

You want CPD that applies to your registration, whichever regulator that is.

This is a genuinely common course, built once, relevant across GMC, NMC, GDC, HCPC, GPhC, and Social Work England, not written for one profession and relabelled.

Two duties. One course that actually explains both properly.

Most people have heard of "duty of candour" without knowing there are genuinely two distinct duties, one for your organisation, one for you personally. This course covers both, and where they meet.

Statutory

Regulation 20

Applies to your organisation. Enforced by the CQC. Triggered by a defined, three-part legal test.

This course
Professional

Your own regulator

Applies to you personally. Broader than the statutory threshold. Starts before anything even goes wrong.

This course
In practice

The conversation itself

A structured, practical method for actually having the disclosure conversation well.

This course
Probity & Honesty

The wider library

Financial integrity, gifts and conflicts of interest, and rebuilding trust, more common courses in this area.

About this course

What it covers, and why

Course description

A 1.5-hour course on both duties of candour that apply across UK health and social care regulation, the statutory duty enforced by the CQC, and the professional duty overseen by your own regulator. Covers the real, three-part legal test for a notifiable safety incident, how to apologise honestly without conceding legal fault, why timing and ongoing openness genuinely matter, and a structured, practical method for the conversation itself.

Why it's relevant

Candour genuinely sits above any single regulator, whichever body you're registered with, the underlying expectation is the same: be open and honest when something has gone wrong. This course is built as a genuine common course, not adapted from one regulator's content.

How it improves your practice

You'll finish able to apply the real three-part test for a notifiable safety incident confidently, apologise honestly without the fear that it concedes legal fault, understand why timing and follow-up genuinely matter, and use a structured, practical method for the disclosure conversation itself.

What it covers

The course runs across three modules:

  • The two duties, statutory and professional, and what genuinely triggers each one
  • Doing it well, apologising properly, timing, ongoing openness, and near misses
  • Practice, a structured method for the conversation, worked through a complete case

Who it's for

Any regulated health or social care professional, across every UK regulator. Part of the wider CrownEthics library of CPD courses, and specifically the Probity & Honesty area.

Related courses

This course stands on its own. It pairs naturally with courses that share the same real-world territory:

Every course above is standalone and priced individually.

What you receive

Everything included

Format

10 lessons across 3 modules, self-paced, around 1.5 hours

Assessment

Two short knowledge checks, plus a final 10-question assessment (80% to pass, unlimited retakes)

Certificate

Downloadable certificate of completion, permanent access

Review

Reviewed by qualified professionals for accuracy

Access

No expiry, revisit any time

£55one-time · lifetime access
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Frequently asked

Questions about this course

Does this course count as CPD?

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Yes. It provides 1.5 hours of documented CPD learning with a certificate on completion, valid supporting evidence for your CPD record, whichever regulator you're registered with.

Is this course relevant to my specific regulator?

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Yes. This is a genuine common course, the duty of candour applies in substance the same way across GMC, NMC, GDC, HCPC, GPhC, and Social Work England, even though each regulator incorporates it slightly differently into their own code. The course explains both the shared principle and where the wording genuinely differs.

Does apologising really not count as admitting fault?

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Correct, and this is directly confirmed by NHS Resolution, the organisation that manages clinical negligence claims against the NHS. A genuine apology and a legal finding of liability are separate matters. This course explains the distinction properly, since it's the most common, understandable barrier to doing candour well.

Does the course cover the statutory duty in detail, or just the professional duty?

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Both, in full. Module 1 covers the statutory duty under Regulation 20, including the real, three-part legal test for a notifiable safety incident, and the professional duty that applies to you personally as a registered individual.

How long does the course take, and is it self-paced?

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Around 1.5 hours in total, fully self-paced. Your progress saves automatically. Access does not expire.

Is there an assessment, and what happens if I don't pass?

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Yes, a 10-question final assessment covering all three modules, requiring 80% to pass and unlock your certificate. Retakes are unlimited, and two shorter knowledge checks along the way don't count towards your certificate.

Who reviewed this course for accuracy?

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The course content was reviewed by qualified professionals to make sure the legal thresholds, statutory references, and guidance cited reflect how the duty of candour is actually applied in practice.

Can my organisation enrol multiple staff at once?

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Yes. We offer team access and bulk pricing for practices, trusts, and organisations, with an individual certificate issued for everyone who completes the course. Contact us for organisation-level enrolment.

Still have a question? Email us and we'll get back to you.