New Registration Competencies & Standards and Degree Accreditation Standards Published

To ensure our competencies and standards reflect developments in the environment and areas in which registrants practice, we undertake periodic reviews. We are therefore pleased to announce that following a review and public consultation, this has resulted in the development and publication of updated core competencies for ANutr and RNutr, updated accreditation standards for degree programmes and a brand new set of standards for those undertaking independent and/or freelance practice.

Today (1st April 2023) we have published our new core competencies and accreditation standards; however, they won’t come into effect immediately. This is because each of these require varying implementation timeframes in order for applicants, registrants, AfN-accredited degree providers and assessors to prepare what they need to meet the new and updated competencies and standards. The implementation dates are therefore as follows:

 1^st July 2023: Standards for Independent and Freelance Practice Come Into Effect

The Independent Practice Standards will be the first to come into effect. The new Independent Practice Standards highlight and expand on specific areas of the AfN Standards of Ethics, Conduct and Performance, which all registrants agree to uphold upon registration. Registrants practicing in a freelance or independent capacity (whether voluntary or paid), will be expected to be demonstrating all of the new Standards. Whilst these are not competencies, and are therefore not assessed, Registrants practicing in this area will agree to uphold these standards when they come into effect, upon registration and at annual renewal.

1^st April 2024: New Core Competency Requirements for Registered Nutritionists Come Into Effect

The updated RNutr competencies will come into effect next April (2024), giving time for those who are currently preparing their applications to have submitted their portfolios and for those slightly earlier in their careers to start working towards demonstrating the new competencies.

The main changes include, updated language, re-naming of core competency areas, re-ordering of competencies to place Professional Conduct and Practice as CC1, removal of duplications to avoid repetition and lead to a more streamlined document. The new competencies also clearly detail common core competency area required of all RNutr, regardless of specialism, plus sub-competencies for each specialist area of practice. These combined with  the use of Miller’s Pyramid, will help registrants to identify the type and level of evidence they submit to demonstrate their achievement of the competencies. .

Current RNutr, and ANutr who are expecting to have transferred by April 2024, can use this implementation year to look at the updated competencies and incorporate any areas for CPD that they identify into their annual CPD plans and activities.

1^st April 2025: New Core Competency Requirements for Registered Associate Nutritionists & Degree Accreditation Standards Come Into Effect

The ANutr Core Competencies will be implemented alongside the updated Degree Accreditation Standards in April 2025. The longer timeframe between publication and implementation is required for these, so as to provide programme leaders time to develop new training elements, or make and get approved any necessary curriculum changes.

As with the RNutr competencies, the main changes are around the use of more accessible language, renaming and ordering of competencies, the addition of Miller’s Pyramid levels and the removal of duplicate sub-competencies.

Please click the links below to read the:

• Standards for Independent and Freelance Practice
  (in effect from 1st July 2023)
• Core Competency Requirements for Registered Nutritionists (RNutr)- 2024
  (in effect from 1st April 2024)
• Core Competency Requirements for Registered Associate Nutritionists (ANutr) – 2025
  (in effect from 1st April 2025)
• New RNutr Mapping Form Template
  (in effect from 1st April 2024)
• Initial Guidance on the Updated Registration Competencies and Standards
• An Introduction for Registrants to the AfN Independent and Freelance Practice Standards (Recording)

• Degree Accreditation Standards – 2025
  (in effect from 1st April 2025)
• Initial Guidance on the Updated Degree Accreditation Standards