Continuing professional development

Requirements

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You must maintain accurate records of CPD you have undertaken. These records must contain:

• the CPD method
• a description of the topic and how it related to your practice
• the dates on which the activity was undertaken
• the number of hours (including the number of participatory hours)
• the identification of the part of the Code most relevant to the activity
• evidence that you undertook the CPD activity.

Meeting the requirements

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It's important to remember that we don't prescribe any particular type of CPD; we leave it up to you to decide what activity is most useful for your development as a professional.

To meet the participatory learning requirement, you simply have to undertake activity that involves interaction with one or more other professionals. This can be in a physical environment or a virtual one - you don't have to be in the same room as the people you undertake the activity with.

Examples of participatory learning can include attending a conference, taking part in a workshop or attending a relevant training course. It can also include group meetings outside of everyday practice, for example to discuss a specific event or new way of working.

We've listed some examples of participatory and non-participatory CPD activities in our guidance sheet. Remember to keep evidence of your CPD to show to your confirmer.

Resources and templates

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Using our standards to plan your CPD

Although the Code is central to planning your revalidation, our standards of proficiency can be a key resource when planning your CPD.

You can use our standards in your revalidation in the following way:

1. Consider your scope of practice.
   What knowledge and skills do you need to practise safely?
2. Use the standards of proficiency to reflect on your practice and identify any further learning.
   Think about where you might need to improve your knowledge and skills. You can either do this yourself as self-reflection, or discuss it with your line manager or other colleagues. Think about any areas in our standards of proficiency where you’d benefit from further development to improve your practice.
3. Plan your CPD as part of revalidation.
   It’s best to plan your CPD in advance to address any additional learning needs. We’d recommend that you work towards meeting the revalidation requirements throughout the three-year revalidation period, so you are prepared when your application is due.

Templates

We recommend that you use our template to help you record your CPD. This will make it easier to demonstrate to your confirmer how you have met the requirement.

Continuing professional development log template (recommended)

You can use this template to help you record details of your CPD.

Examples of CPD activities guidance sheet

Information on the types of activities you could do to meet your CPD requirement.

Examples of completed forms and templates