Top tips for completing your CPD

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the reflection and learning activity that social workers do throughout their career to maintain and improve their practice.

Recording CPD is a mandatory requirement for social workers applying to renew their registration every year. Social workers must record a minimum of 2 different pieces of CPD, one of which includes a peer reflection.

More importantly, recording CPD is an opportunity to reflect on how you have and will continue to improve your practice. To help you get the best out of your CPD and to ensure you meet our registration renewal requirements, here are some top tips.

Using your account

• Log in to your online account and get into the habit of using it regularly throughout the year. This will help to ensure you have sufficient time for focus and reflection, avoiding the last minute rush at the end of the registration renewal period.
• Record your CPD in the ‘your CPD’ section of your account.
• Remember to save your work regularly as you will be logged out after 60 minutes. We recommend typing your CPD in a different document so you can copy and paste before you upload it.

Recording your CPD

• Start early when it comes to recording CPD. We encourage social workers not to leave recording their CPD until the end of November.
• As a social worker you are continually doing CPD, you just may not realise it. Listening to a podcast, reading a book or attending a webinar that relates to your practice are all types of CPD. It isn’t just training.
• Try to think of an example of CPD that is relevant to your practice or an area of social work that interests you. This should make your CPD easier to write about.
• One piece of CPD needs to have a peer reflection. Peer reflection means that you have discussed the content of your CPD activity with a peer, your manager or another professional. Why not arrange a chat or coffee with a colleague to discuss something that relates to your practice?

When recording your CPD, we encourage you to think about the following three questions:

• How has your CPD helped to improve your practice?
• How has your CPD helped to deliver good social work?
• How your CPD has or will have a positive impact on people?

CPD is a powerful learning tool, it improves skills and understanding, enhances abilities and ensures that your practice remains up to date. If you haven’t already, log in to your online account and record CPD today.