Health and Care Professions Council determination — substantive hearing

Occupational therapist suspended for six months over records and billing

Jennifer Champion's panel found serious misconduct and dishonesty, but rejected some allegations and recognised developing insight and willingness to improve.

MedicWatch editorial · Published 4 September 2026 · Updated 22 September 2026

Suspension (suspended from practice) — 6 months

Data last checked: 22 September 2026Report a correction

What does “suspended from practice” mean?

The regulator imposed a fixed-term suspension in this decision. Its start date, appeal provisions and any later review affect whether it is currently in force. Check the official register for the practitioner's current status.

Concerning Jennifer Champion, occupational therapist (Health and Care Professions Council OT68470).

Decision date: 4 September 2026 · Hearing started 1 September 2026 and ended 4 September 2026

In plain English

Occupational therapist Jennifer Champion was suspended for six months after the panel found serious failings in records and risk management, and dishonest charging for administrative work. Some risk-assessment and professional-boundary allegations were not proved. The panel found current impairment but recognised developing insight and willingness to improve, considering striking off disproportionate. A separate interim suspension covers the period before the substantive order and any appeal.

Charges

Allegations concerning risk assessments, clinical records, treatment goals, communication, professional boundaries and inaccurate or dishonest charging across several service users.

Findings

The panel found serious misconduct concerning record keeping, risk management, failure to follow an instruction, and dishonest charging for administrative work not completed. Particulars 2(d)(ii)-(iii), 3(a)(i)-(ii) and 6(a) were not proved: these concerned risk assessment/advice when remaining with a service user, alleged boundary breaches, and an initial assessment. Ordering an adult-size bed, particular 6(c), was proved but was not serious professional misconduct. The panel found current impairment on personal and public grounds, while recognising developing insight, commitment and willingness to remediate. It imposed six months' suspension and a separate 18-month interim suspension covering the period before the substantive order and any appeal.

Mitigating factors

is clearly committed to her profession and the complex clients she works with; has started to develop insight and recognises the need for further work on this; and is prepared to work to remediate her practice over time and thereby address the concerns identified by the Panel;

Aggravating factors

the concerns included dishonesty resulting in the Registrant securing a financial advantage; the service users concerned were particularly vulnerable due to their age, capacity and disability; the concerning conduct covered an extended period of time (three years) and multiple service users; the conduct breached the trust that should exist between therapists and their clients by failing to maintain accurate and complete records; there was a substantial potential for harm to be caused though the only actual harm appeared to be caused by the interruption of care caused by the Registrant’s contract being terminated abruptly and her being unable to hand over her clients or say goodbye to them; and professional boundaries were breached in respect of Service User C.

Source

All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Health and Care Professions Council determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.

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