Physical therapy is an internationally recognised health profession.  It may be practised only by qualified and, where required by state or national legislation, duly registered or licensed physical therapists.

The term support personnel is used in a generic sense to encompass a range of employment classifications such as assistant, aide, technician or helper. 

The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) acknowledges the different stances held by Member Organisations about the employment of support personnel.  This very diversity requires the WCPT to adopt a position which does not interfere with, interrupt or exclude a current practice approved by an individual Member Organisation.

While WCPT affirms the right of individual Member Organisations to develop national policies which deny the employment of support personnel in direct patient/client care, it also affirms the right of individual Member Organisations to make national policies which permit the employment of such support personnel, subject to the following provisions:

1. Support personnel will be trained adequately to perform effectively and safely any direct care task which the national association has deemed within the province of a physical therapist to delegate.
2. Support personnel will always be identified clearly so the patient/client is never in doubt that the person is not a physical therapist.
3. Support personnel will function only in a properly conducted physical therapy service under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist when implementing direct care programmes.
4. It is the physical therapist's responsibility to examine the patient’s/client's need for physical therapy services, conduct an examination/assessment, develop a diagnosis and prognosis including a plan of care/intervention and ensure that the plan is correctly implemented and evaluated.
5. The ethical principles guiding the conduct of physical therapists should contain specific reference to the proper use of support personnel in direct patient/client care.

National physical therapy associations that endorse the employment of support personnel should have effective consumer and marketing policies in place to ensure employers, governments and the community understand that such support personnel cannot replace a qualified physical therapist.

Download Position Statement: Support Personnel for Physical Therapy Practice