Our philosophy regarding training is that primarily it should enhance our skills, point us toward the adventure of new skills, and give us a new perspective on skills we may already have. If it should happen to work out that it earns CPD toward or professional requirements, then that is a good thing too. As always, being informed in advance is preferred to finding out later by audit.
As a psychologist, your CPD requirements are determined by the HCPC and we recommend that you download the complete PDF of those requirements here at HCPC CPD Guide. In particular, we recommend that you pay close attention to Appendix 1, which should reassure you that many activities, from many sources are recognised as CPD by HCPC.
We have heard many times that only courses, seminars, and other activities that are “certified” can be used as CPD. This certification has become a booming industry, but is not required by governing bodies. The certification does add to the cost of providing CPD experiences so bear this in mind and ask yourself a few simple questions:
- Will this enhance my skills as a practising professional?
- Will this reinforce skills and training I have already undertaken?
- Does this activity demonstrate to others that I am competent in my profession?
Consider these few of many examples provided by HCPC:
- Going to seminars
- Attending courses
- Distance or online training
- Discussions with colleagues (this could include specialised supervision)
- Going on courses accredited by a professional body (ie. BPS)
- Updating your knowledge through the internet or TV
- Coaching from others
This is a very short list, but you should see that your CPD requirements can be very easily met in a number of ways. We encourage you to begin keeping a log of articles that you read, papers that you present or write, discussions that you attend, and webinars you attend. You may think they are minor, even inconsequential, but they are not and they ARE recognised by HCPC as valid sources of CPD.
We offer free and paid online workshops for which we provide a certificate (recognised by HCPC). We also present workshops on behalf of the BPS for which certificates are provided by the BPS. Consultations you undertake with us may also be considered as CPD provided they answer those questions posed by the HCPC.
As always, we encourage you to spend some time on the HCPC website to learn what they expect and, in particular, download the PDF via the link at the beginning, which should give you all the information you need to make meeting CPD obligations simple and straightforward.
