All social care workers need to make sure they take part in training or learning as part of their continuing professional development (CPD).
Your responsibilities as a registered worker
When you register with us, you agree to work to and follow the standards of the Code of Professional Practice for Social Care Workers.
The Code sets out what’s expected of everyone working in social care to help keep people safe.
Working to the standards of the Code means you take responsibility for maintaining and developing your knowledge and skills – which includes carrying out regular CPD.
What is CPD?
CPD means learning and developing your skills alongside your day-to-day work. It includes things such as:
- completing a relevant qualification or accredited course
- attending training, workshops, seminars or conferences
- completing an e-learning module relevant to your practice
- attending a professional forum or networking group
- shadowing a colleague in a related team, service or profession
- carrying out research or structured reading that’s related to your practice
- giving a presentation or leading a discussion on a new topic you’ve researched
- completing a secondment in a relevant area of new or related work
- volunteering to work in a new service
- taking on new or different responsibilities.
Your CPD should:
- include any mandatory training or continuing professional education and learning
- help you to provide high quality care
- help with your personal or career development
- be relevant to your job
- help you keep up to date with changes in legislation, policy, research and practice.
Aim to include a range of different learning activities in your CPD.
Keeping a record of your CPD
What you need to do
You should keep a record of your CPD and discuss it regularly with your manager.
You don't need to send it to us unless you're chosen as part of a sample to check.
If you’re chosen, we'll give you plenty of time to send us what we need.
You can use your SCWonline account to keep a record of your CPD, but we won’t ask to see it unless you’re selected as a sample for us to check.
Your employer’s responsibility
You’re responsible for maintaining your CPD, and your employer has to make sure you’re supported to do that.
This is the same for everyone – whether you work full-time or part-time, or if you work for an agency.
Your employer has to:
- give you opportunities to access, discuss, reflect on and share best practice in the workplace
- make sure you have induction, training and learning opportunities that support you
- make time for you to be supervised and appraised
- give you helpful feedback about your performance and development.
If you’re self-employed
You need to complete and keep a record of your CPD.
Contact us
If you have any questions, get in touch with us.