Updating Your Practitioner Profile After a Professional Change

A practitioner profile should describe the service and professional status that are current now. Changes in membership, location, appointment format or contact details can leave a profile out of step with reality. A short review after a significant change helps the public make better-informed enquiries.

Identify every place the information appears

Your information may appear in an Association directory, your own website, appointment pages and email signature. Make a list of the places you control and those managed by another organisation. Updating one does not necessarily update the others.

Check the exact name, contact method and professional description used. If different versions are intentional, make sure they are still accurate and understandable. Avoid leaving an old address or unavailable service visible simply because the page is rarely visited.

Review status and service descriptions

Use the membership category that has been formally confirmed. An application for a new category is not the same as holding it. Check any badge or wording against the Association's current instructions.

Review services separately from qualifications. A course completed in the past does not mean you currently offer work in that area. Describe the service you actually provide and ensure any statement about specialist work is supported by the relevant competence and arrangements.

Check practical information

Confirm appointment location, online availability, fees and access information. If your fee varies by service, make the distinction clear. Ask whether the directory allows a note about availability rather than leaving readers to assume appointments are open.

Test your own public contact link using the site's normal navigation, without sending an unnecessary test enquiry to another person. Check that the link reaches the intended contact method and that the page explains what happens next.

Request managed updates clearly

Where an organisation controls the profile, send the page link, the exact information that is out of date and the proposed correction. Provide verification where the process requires it. A clear request is easier to handle than a general instruction to 'update my profile'.

After confirmation, review the public page and keep a record of the change. Set a periodic reminder to check the profile even when no major professional change has occurred.

Frequently asked questions

Can I update my category while an application is pending?

Continue to describe your confirmed status until the Association has communicated the decision and any display instructions.

What if an old page still appears in search?

First ensure the information on the site is correct and raise the old page with whoever manages it. Search results may take time to reflect site changes.

Review your listing in the ICPHAA directory and request corrections through Contact.