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~ Continuing Professional Development - CPD~

 
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Continuing Professional Development

 What is Continuing Professional Development?

This is defined as:
  • Continuing – a lifelong process of learning from the point of basic qualification.
  • Professional – related to your therapies and their supporting topics, which enable you to work in a professional manner.
  • Development – activities that facilitate the maintenance, updating and broadening of your professional abilities and moving towards achieving your full potential.
CPD is a mandatory part of Voluntary Self Regulation (VSR) and required for
  • listing on the ACHO Professional Practitioner Register
  • listing as an ACHO Tutor
  • maintaining ACHO Principal membership
ACHO Standards for Continuing Professional Development:
Requirements:
  • to maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of CPD activities containing evidence of CPD upon request.
  • to show a mixture of CPD activities that are relevant to current or future practice.
  • to ensure that CPD is relevant and benefits the role you have in ACHO (Tutors and Principals) or as an ACHO Registered Professional Practitioner.
 What this means:
  • a record of CPD needs to be kept, in whatever format is most convenient
  • ensure that CPD is a mixture of different kinds of activities and is used as a tool to maintain and as necessary improve skills.
  • if requested on the annual random audit, that the CPD profile is submitted to ACHO to show that the standards have been met.
  • The ACHO CPD Guide and Record Form (as a pdf):Click Here
Activities:

CPD activity can include: in-service training, mentoring, reading, writing or reviewing journal or online articles, reflecting on professional practice through periodic self-assessment using the Performance Criteria, attending meetings, visiting exhibitions, specialist study days, other courses relevant to your skills and professional development, conferences, practitioner support meetings, seminars, running workshops, taking part in organisation of a therapy group or association, being mentored or supervised, tutorials, research.
There is plenty of flexibility for planning CPD in a way that suits the individual’s work, learning needs, preferences and the time and resources available.  

Continuous Professional Development - The way it works:

From 2010 the requirement will be to choose activities to fulfill a minimum of 12 hours per year.
It is a good idea to choose from at least two types of activities in each year.
It is important to identify areas where CPD would benefit knowledge, skill and practice. If a required topic cannot be found, contact a former tutor, school or ACHO itself for suggestions.

CPD Portfolio:
The Portfolio is the ongoing CPD record.  It will keep a record of activities and can show where learning needs and support are required. It will provide a long-tern record of professional development.  As CPD is a mandatory part of VSR registration a portfolio may be audited. If it is called in under the random annual check, it will need to be up-to-date.  It is important to make it part of your professional practice.

Putting the annual profile together:
The Continuous Professional Development (CPD) profile can include:
  • A brief summary of professional practice or activity history for the past year. (Remember any cases included should be confidential)
  • A statement or list of how the standards of CPD have been met.
  • Evidence to support that statement or list. (certificates, personal journal, Minutes of meetings etc)
    •    The ACHO Audit process:
    Every time the ACHO Practitioner Register registration is renewed it will indicate confirmation that the standards for CPD have been met. A copy of the current insurance certificate will still be needed.

    Every time the ACHO Principal Membership is renewed it will indicate confirmation that the standards for CPD have been met for both the Principal and any tutors linked to the Principal’s school. A copy of the current insurance certificates will still be needed.

    The audit process will be random. The first audit will take place in early 2011 to give time for all concerned to keep adequate records.
     
    Copies of documents:
    Only copies of supporting documents should be sent on request as submitted documents will not be returned.

    Practitioners already on the ACHO Professional Practitioner Register will personally receive more detailed information later in 2009

     

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