Reflection
When recording CPD, you must reflect on your learning to evidence that you have met standard 4.6
Reflection
4.6 Reflect on my learning activities and evidence what impact continuing professional development has on the quality of my practice.
Why reflection is important
Every piece of CPD you record on your online account should include reflection - it is a mandatory requirement. For this reason, standard 4.6 will be automatically selected on every CPD activity you record.
Reflection involves reviewing your experiences to help make positive changes for your future practice. It turns your experiences into learning and helps you improve your practice in a way that is right for you.
Critical reflection moves beyond this and encourages you to examine your approach, judgements, decisions and interventions. It also involves looking at the steps taken to provide objective support, free from your own views and beliefs.
Being able to critically reflect on your practice will help you identify your learning needs and create a cycle of experience, reflection, learning and change.
What you need to do
Reflection involves thinking about what needs to be changed to improve future outcomes. Developing and building self-awareness is important so you can recognise areas for improvement and identify your learning needs to make positive changes.
It’s an opportunity to celebrate when things go well and helps you identify where you may need to improve or expand your skills or knowledge.
How to record reflection in your online account
You should think about your experiences, analyse what you did, what happened, why it happened, what worked well and what did not work well, and why.
You should also consider what you will do differently next time and whether there is any research that may deepen your understanding of the experience. This can be a process that you do alone or share with a peer, manager, or other appropriate person.
Reflection is essential for meaningful CPD; you should include it in every piece you record.