Professional Registration for Health Promotion Practitioners living in the Republic of Ireland

The Association for Health Promotion Ireland has been approved by the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) to facilitate the registration of practitioners in accordance with the processes and standards of the Global Registration System which IUHPE developed and launched in May 2016.

What is the IUHPE Health Promotion Registration System?

The goal of the IUHPE Health Promotion Registration System is to promote quality assurance, competence and mobility in Health Promotion practice, education and training globally. The System is designed to be flexible and sensitive to different contexts while maintaining robust and validated criteria.

The IUHPE System is based on the core concepts and principles of Health Promotion outlined in the Ottawa Charter (1986) and successive WHO charters and declarations on Health Promotion.

The System offers a voluntary process of registration of Health Promotion practitioners and accreditation of Health Promotion courses that are assessed as meeting specified competency-based criteria. The IUHPE define a Health Promotion Practitioner as ''a person who works to promote health and reduce health inequities using the actions described by the Ottawa Charter''. The criteria for eligibility for practitioners and courses within the System are based on agreed Standards and Core Competencies

What are the benefits of being an ‘IUHPE Registered Health Promotion Practitioner?’

Some benefits include:

• Raising the status of Health Promotion practitioners as members of a globally recognised professional group.
• Assisting in career planning and identifying professional development and training needs.
• Facilitating movement across roles, organisations, regions and countries through the use of shared understandings and qualifications.
• Ensuring that there are clear guidelines for the knowledge, skills and values needed to practice effectively and ethically and agreed criteria for formal recognition of these through registration.

How do I apply to become a registered Health Promotion Practitioner?

Since October 2017, Health Promotion Practitioners who are living in the Republic of Ireland may apply using the on-line application process below.

Please take time to read the Frequently Asked Questions section which provides further information on the process. You can also click here to access the 'Demystifying the Application Process' presentation from our AGM which will be very useful for anyone completing the application form

Registration - Applicant Instructions

This application form is for use by Health Promotion practitioners living in Ireland. There are three categories of application:

Category 1. Graduates of a Health Promotion course (undergraduate or post graduate) which is accredited within the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System. NOTE: this category applies only to those who have graduated since the date each course was accredited^(A).

or

Category 2. Graduates of a Health Promotion course (undergraduate or post graduate) that is not accredited within the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System or graduates of a course (undergraduate or post graduate) in other relevant disciplines^(B) with a minimum of two years of experience as a Health Promotion practitioner within the past five years.

or

Category 3. Practitioners who are not graduates of a Health Promotion course or a course in a relevant discipline, but who have acquired a minimum of three years experience as a Health Promotion Practitioner within the past five years (option available until 2021 only).

(A) The IUHPE has accredited the following three colleges in Ireland. If you have graduated from any of these courses since their respective accreditation dates (in brackets), apply under Category 1

• Waterford Institute of Technology: BA in Health Promotion (February 2015) / BSc in Public Health and Health Promotion (2020)
• NUI Galway: Postgraduate Diploma/MA in Health Promotion (February 2015)
• Institute of Technology Sligo:
  • BSc (Ord) Health Science & Physiology (3 years programme) with the B.Sc (Hons) Public Health & Health Promotion (1 year add on degree) (September 2015)
  • BSc (Hons) Health Science and Physical Activity (students commencing study since September 2020)
  • B.Sc (Hons) Public Health & Health Promotion (students commencing study since September 2020)
  • B.Sc (Ord) Health Science & Physiology (students commencing study since September 2020

(B). The agreed relevant courses are: public health, health education, social sciences including psychology, epidemiology, sociology, education, communication, environmental health, community, urban or rural development, political science. Other academic qualifications may also be deemed appropriate but must be approved by the Board of Directors at Global level.

Timescales

• At present, applications for Category 1 can be submitted all year round. Applications for Category 2/3 can be made from September-December.
• A panel of Assessors (who work voluntarily) has been established. All Assessors have received training in the processes as set out by IUHPE. Each application is reviewed by two Assessors independently. All applications will be assigned a number and processed in the order in which they are received. When your application has been assigned to Assessors we will notify you and from the date of that notice we will endeavour to have your application processed within 3 months. Please note, however, that this is an approximate time frame and may vary depending on the number of applications that are being processed at any one time.
• Please also note that applications which require further information or clarification may take additional time

How to submit your application:

• Applications must be submitted online and those submitted by any other means will not be accepted.
• Applicants who are graduates of courses accredited by the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System (as defined in 1. above) are required to upload proof of their graduation, that is, a copy of your parchment.
• For all other applicants (as defined in Categories 2. or 3. above), the majority of the application consists of a Word Document application form. This form should be downloaded, completed and saved as a .pdf document.
• The completed application form, together with any supporting documents required (.pdf format only) should then be uploaded and submitted as part of the application process. Once an application is submitted it cannot be modified.
• You will then be asked to pay an administrative application fee through the secure payment system. This fee is non-refundable. 
• As AHPI members benefit from reduced fees for registration, if you want to apply for membership, please do so first, as discounts are valid only for those who are active members at the time of application (Apply here).
• Once these steps are completed, you will receive an automatic response confirming that your application has been received and that it will be submitted to the Assessors. If you have not had a response within 24 hours, please contact registration@nao.ahpi.ie.
• If your application is assessed as meeting the required criteria, you will be asked to pay the registration fee to complete your registration. Once this step is completed, your Certificate of Registration will be sent to you.
• If your application is deemed eligible for registration on provision of additional information/clarification, you will be asked to submit further information within four weeks. Details of information required to meet the criteria will be provided
• If your application is not successful you will receive an email notification indicating the reasons why. You can re-apply at any time.

Before you submit your application, please

• Make sure you fill in all sections of the application form, as incomplete applications cannot be processed
• Save as a PDF document
• Save a copy of your application and keep it for your records
• Ensure that you have collected and retained all relevant information (certificates, awards, etc.) as you may be asked for these at any time during the application process and/or period of registration.
• Note that your referees/employer and the academic institute from which you graduated may be contacted for confirmation of the details you supply.
• Note that you can be asked to supply additional information and/or verification of all information given in this application.
• Be aware that by submitting this application you are authorising the AHPI and the IUHPE to publish your name in the online Registers of IUHPE Registered Health Promotion Practitioners if your application is successful.