Frequently Asked Questions - CPD

1. What is CPD?

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the means by which health and social care professionals maintain and improve their knowledge, skills and performance, and develop the professional qualities required throughout their professional life. CPD is an integral component in the continuing provision of safe and effective services for the benefit of service users.

2. How many CPD credits do I need to accrue?

It is expected that at minimum you can demonstrate achieving 30 CPD credits in every 12-month period. This demonstrates ongoing engagement in CPD.

3. Why is CPD important?

Active engagement in CPD is critical to ensuring that registrants continue to have the up to date knowledge and skills necessary to deliver a safe and effective service to service users.

4. How many CPD credits are required for those who work part-time?

The same requirements apply to all those on the register regardless of their work situation. Registrants should refer to the CPD Guidance and CPD Support issued by their Registration Board for further information.

5. How many CPD credits are required for those on maternity leave/career break/statutory leave?

The same requirements apply to all those on the register regardless of their work situation. Registrants should refer to the CPD Guidance and CPD Support issued by their Registration Board.

If called for audit a registrant may apply to their Registration Board for deferral of submission of their CPD record. A decision to grant deferral will be determined on a case by case basis by your Registration Board.

6. How are CPD credits awarded?

CPD credits are self-determined on the basis that one hour of new or enhanced learning is equal to one CPD credit. You can attribute any fraction of 1 hour to a learning activity. For example, a 15 minute discussion with a colleague that results in new or enhanced learning could be recorded as .25 credit.

7. Can I carry surplus CPD credits forward to the next cycle?

No. Registrants may complete more than the necessary credits in a given period if they wish. However, credits cannot be transferred or carried forward to the next time period. They are only relevant to the CPD audit period during which they were completed.

8. If I attended the same activity twice, could I record CPD credits for both?

CPD credits must reflect new or enhanced learning. You can record the same activity if each resulted in new or enhanced learning. What is important is that you indicate what new or enhanced learning was achieved from each activity. For example, attendance at a journal club may contribute to CPD credits accrual throughout the cycle as new content is likely to be generated at each journal club. While attendance on the same mandatory training may not facilitate any new or enhanced learning.

9. Can I only accrue a certain amount of CPD credits for each learning activity type?

There are no limits placed on any one activity type. The focus should not be accrual of credits, but rather what new or enhanced learning was achieved and how was this incorporated into practice for the benefit of service users.

10. Will CORU accredit CPD activities?

No. CORU does not have any role in the development, delivery or accreditation of CPD activities. Each registrant will be responsible for identifying suitable CPD activities that will meet their own learning, and for allocating CPD credits based on the new or enhanced learning associated with each activity.

11. What CPD activities will be considered suitable for registrants to complete?

Further information on CPD activities is available in the CPD Support issued by your Registration Board. This list of learning activities is varied and not exhaustive. Registrants should identify learning activities that are related to their own learning needs and are relevant to their practice. There are no specific mandatory CPD activities.

For example, for a registrant who is an academic, their record might contain learning around the areas of research or teaching skills. Similarly, if you are working in management, your CPD activity should reflect this.

12. Do I need to consult with a manager or supervisor to meet my Board’s CPD requirements?

No. This is not a requirement set by your Registration Board. Registrants are responsible for identifying their own learning needs. CORU’s CPD model is flexible ensuring that those in private practice as well as those that work in teams can demonstrate how they meet their Boards requirements.

Professional development planning or performance appraisal may be a feature of some workplaces and can inform the CPD process. It may be useful for registrants to combine both to increase efficiency and maximise the impact on their professional practice.

13. I don’t have access to a supervisor. Will I be able to meet the CPD requirements?

Yes. Supervision is just one type of CPD activity and many other learning activities are suitable to contribute to your CPD credits. Your learning needs should inform what learning activity will best meet your needs.

14. Can I claim credit for supervising students on practice placement?

Supervising students on placement represents many hours. However, if you do this often it is likely to be a responsibility of your professional role. CPD should not be considered as time spent on an activity only, but rather what new or enhanced learning was achieved and how this informed your practice. New or enhanced learning achieved from supervising students may, for example, come about by dealing with challenging students, preparing resources, high- performing students or development of teaching skills. Simply having students on placement is not sufficient to claim CPD credits.

15. Are courses and workshops the only type of acceptable CPD?

Attendance at a course or workshop is only one way of completing a CPD activity. A variety of learning activities will be suitable and a list of example activities is available for registrants in the CPD Support.

16. My workload is too heavy, and I don’t have the time. How will I find the time to do CPD?

CORU’s CPD model is flexible ensuring that those in private practice as well as those that work in teams can demonstrate how they meet their Boards requirements. The responsibility to undertake CPD lies with the individual registrant. Registrants should be able to embed CPD within their current work situations and incorporate learning activities into their practice.

17. Can unexpected learning be used to accrue credits?

Yes. Excellent learning opportunities may arise spontaneously without planning or intention. You should record the learning achieved from unplanned activities in the same way as planned activities.

18. What needs to be included in the record of CPD?

Implementation of learning activities that achieved a minimum of 30 CPD credits of new or enhanced learning
Evaluation and reflection of the learning achieved
Review of learning needs for the next 12-month period
Planned learning activities for the next 12-month period

19. I am dual registered but spend most of my time working in another jurisdiction?

Dual registrants must comply with the CPD requirements of their Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. CPD activity can be undertaken in any jurisdiction. Undertaking CPD is a requirement even if you are working overseas.

20. What if I am registered with CORU but have not been practising?

If you are on a register with CORU and do not practise you are still required to complete and keep records of your CPD. You are subject to your Professional Code of Conduct and Ethics whilst on the register. This sets the Boards requirements with regard to CPD.

21. Does reflective practice always have to be positive?

Reflective practice may be on a positive or negative learning activity. The key element is reflecting on how the event or activity will impact your practice in the future. Reflective practice records should not contain any confidential or identifying information regarding service users, colleagues and/or relevant others. Reflective practice is a record of personal learning and how this has informed or enhanced your future practice.

22. Is it a requirement to use the CORU CPD record template?

CORU's CPD Record Template is designed to assist and support registrants in complying with their CPD audit requirements. The CPD Record Template that has been supplied on the CORU website is required for those registrants called for audit; it is designed for audit purposes and may not be extensive enough for some registrants to keep their full CPD record. There is no requirement for registrants to use this template for recording all of their CPD for their own records. Registrants may choose to keep their records with their professional body or themselves without using the CORU Record Template.

23. How long should I keep my CPD documentation?

Your CPD documentation should be kept for as long as you are on the Register.

These documents will support you to provide the necessary information for participation in your Registration Board’s CPD audit. You should keep these documents independent of any audit requirement.

24. Where can I find information regarding CPD audits?

For further information on CPD audits please see the CORU website.

Continuing Professional Development Audit FAQs

1. Will I be called for audit automatically?

No. Only a percentage of the eligible register will be requested to submit their record as part of a random audit.

2. Can a particular group be called in the audit?

Yes. Registration Boards reserve the right to target a particular group of practitioners or an individual at any time.

3. Can I only be called for audit at the end of a CPD cycle?

No. Registration Boards reserve the right to target a particular group of practitioners or an individual at any time. For this reason, it is imperative that CPD is completed on an ongoing basis and an up to date record is maintained.

Dates of the audit period for your profession are available on profession specific CPD pages on CORU website.

4. Are there any exemptions from the routine audit?

Only those who have been on the register for the full audit period will be eligible to be called for routine audit.

Those who join the register mid period should engage with CPD without delay in order to be compliant with their Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics, but will be ineligible to be called for the random audit.

5. How will I know if I have been called for audit?

All registrants who are being called for an audit will be contacted directly. If you have not been contacted, you have not been called.

6. Once I have been called for audit, how long do I have to submit my CPD record?

Registrants who have been called for audit will be given 30 days to submit their record for review.

7. Can I defer an audit?

Registrants are expected to engage in CPD as a requirement under their Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics. However, in recognition of personal circumstance, we understand that it may not always be possible to comply with the requirement to participate in CPD audit.

These circumstances may include maternity/adoptive leave/other statutory leave or long-term illness. Requests for deferral can be made to the Registration Board following request to participate in CPD audit and will be considered on a case by case basis. There is no guarantee that requests to defer audit will be successful. Those accepted for deferral will automatically be selected in the next round of audits.

8. How can I request a deferral of audit?

Deferrals may only be requested following a notification of random selection for CPD Audit.

You will have 30 days to submit your deferral form from the date that you have been selected for audit. You may request a deferral form from CORU and submit by email via cpdaudit@coru.ie.

9. My application for deferral of audit has been granted what next?

You will automatically be called for audit at the end of the next CPD period.

10. Who will assess my CPD record?

The purpose of audit is to satisfy that a registrant has a system and process in place to keep their professional knowledge and skills up to date. The audit will look at a registrant’s record of CPD. The review of CPD records will be conducted by the CORU executive with expertise in CPD.

11. Will my CPD record be returned to me?

No. Records will not be returned to registrants. Registrants will only be submitting a copy of their record on CORU templates. All CPD records will be destroyed with 30 days of a Boards decision of compliance.

12. What are the possible outcomes of an audit?

A review of your CPD record could result in one of two outcomes. Either you are deemed compliant or non-compliant.

A registrant may be deemed non-compliant if they fail to engage with their Registration Board having being selected for CPD Audit, fail to submit a CPD Record and have not been granted a deferral by their Registration Board or if there are concerns raised regarding their fitness to practice as a result of information disclosed on their CPD record.

Further information on CPD Audit Guidelines is available on the CPD Audit page.

13. Can I be selected again for audit if I have already been deemed compliant?

Yes. The random nature of sampling could select a registrant more than once to participate in audit. All registrants who have been on the register for the audit period are eligible to be called.

14. Do I need to submit supporting documentation with my CPD Record?

Registrants are not required to submit supporting documentation, for example certificates, case studies or minutes of meetings. CORU’s CPD Record Template is the only document that we require registrants selected for audit to submit.

Registrants should however maintain supporting documentation as evidence of engagement in CPD.

Further information on completing CORU's CPD Record Template is available as a visual aid here.

15. What are the Executive looking for when reviewing a record?

The CPD record should include your:

Implementation of learning activities that achieved 30 CPD credits of new or enhanced learning
Evaluation and reflection of the learning achieved
Review of learning needs for the next 12-month period
Planned learning activities for the next 12-month period

16. If I am not able to meet the deadline for submission of my CPD record due to exceptional circumstances that have arisen unexpectedly. What should I do?

If due to personal circumstances you are unable to submit your CPD record or meet the submission deadline you should contact CORU to request a deferral. Please email cpdaudit@coru.ie.

17. What feedback will I receive on my CPD records?

Registrants will be informed of compliance by their Registration Board. A registrant may be deemed compliant or non-compliant. There is no scope for CORU or a Registration Board to give qualitative feedback on a registrants CPD record.

18. I have more questions about CPD. Where can I find more information?

Registrants are advised to read the CPD Guidance and CPD Support issued by their Registration Board on the CORU website for more information about CPD.

Specific queries can be emailed to cpd@coru.ie.

19. I need help with completing my CPD Record Template. Where can I find more information?

CORU has produced a visual aid to support registrants selected for CPD audit, to assist them with completing the CPD Audit Record Template. All registrants selected for audit are advised to view the video ahead of completing their CPD record for audit. The video is available to view here.