How to get the most out of CPD Week - Emergency Services Times

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is running its second national CPD Week from 2–6 March, inviting healthcare professionals across the UK, including paramedics, to get involved.

We know that CPD, or continuing professional development, isn’t always something we are raring to do. But while few would argue against the value of developing oneself, keeping our knowledge and skills up to date, building on our experience, and investing in ourselves is not only vital for personal growth and job satisfaction, it is also essential for delivering high-quality, safe, and effective patient care.

However, not unlike exercise, knowing something is good for us doesn’t automatically put it at the top of our to-do list. That’s why HCPC is encouraging everyone to join in all week to reflect, learn, and develop.

What counts as CPD?

CPD involves identifying and undertaking opportunities to refresh existing knowledge, improve skills, or learn something new to keep up to date with developments within your profession.

For paramedics, this could mean attending a clinical workshop, learning new procedures, or participating in team-based training. CPD can also include online webinars, shadowing colleagues for a day, catching up on relevant reading, reflecting on practice, sharing best practice, or even listening to a podcast. Any activity that supports a holistic approach to improving your skills, knowledge, and experience counts, and keeping an evidenced record ensures it can be recognised.

CPD audits: what they are and when they happen

Making regular CPD a clear requirement for all health and care professionals is one way the HCPC keeps patients safe. A CPD audit is simply a request to provide a record of the CPD you have completed over the previous two years to demonstrate compliance with the standard.

At registration renewal, professionals confirm they meet HCPC’s standards, including CPD. In addition, a random sample of registrants (those who have been on the register for two years or more) are asked to submit their CPD profile. Recent graduates or those returning to the register are not audited immediately. If selected, professionals have three months to submit, with a reminder sent one month before the deadline.

Once recording CPD becomes part of your routine, audits are straightforward.

Top tips for recording your CPD

Completing a CPD portfolio if you are audited shouldn’t be arduous. By keeping a record of all your CPD activities, and following the tips below, you will have just what you need.

Create a personal development plan (PDP) covering one or more years that will be supported by your CPD activities
Take some time each month to identify potential CPD, such as a conference, workshop, webinar or other activity
Ensure your CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities that are relevant to current and future practice
Ensure that your CPD has or will contribute to your practice and service delivery, and is of benefit to your patients/service users
Create a personal CPD log of planned and completed CPD and update this regularly. For each activity, include the date, description any evidence you collated, details of how your CPD has supported your PDP and how they map onto 3 and 4 above.

Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Education, Registration & Regulatory Standards at The HCPC, Andy Smith, explains:

“In a world where our professional landscape is evolving faster than ever, maintaining our development isn’t optional, it’s essential.

“The public rightly expects us to operate at the highest standards, and that means continuously learning, adapting, and challenging ourselves to grow.

“Finding the time can be difficult in a busy and high-pressure healthcare environment, but it’s an investment we cannot afford to neglect. CPD takes many forms, and each one strengthens our capability and confidence.

“CPD Week serves as an important reminder, to ourselves and to our employers, of just how vital lifelong professional development is throughout our careers. By undertaking CPD, we continually add to our knowledge and professional skills, and that helps ensure we always provide the best care to patients.”

This article was written by Claire McLoughlin and Lisa Greenhill, HCPC.

Find out more about CPD week here.

At Emergency Services Times, we are delighted to have a long standing partnership with CPDme, who accredit all of our webinars and podcast episodes. Their team also accredit the seminars at The Emergency Services Show and The Emergency Tech Show. Come along in September to meet them, and to attend CPD-accredited sessions to help with your continuing professional development.

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