CPD

"Continual Professional Development (CPD) is defined as the holistic commitment to structured skills enhancement and personal or professional competence”

CPD is the process by which a professional person maintains the quality and relevance of services throughout his or her working life. They need to complete a minimum of 35 hours worth of learning in order to maintain their professional status.

The key features of effective CPD are that it is :-

• Continuous - throughout the practitioner’s working life

• Professional/Organisation focused – necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties and related to maintaining the quality and relevance of professional services

• Broad Based – knowledge and skills and the development of personal qualities

• Structured – systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of the knowledge and skills base

CPD comes in many guises. It is not just limited to off site courses or seminars. There are many types of learning now recognised as being relevant to the acquisition of knowledge. These include:

• Distance and open learning, including computer-based systems

• Structured reading, including data sheets and periodical articles

• Writing technical papers

• Membership of relevant professional committees

• Part time teaching

• Skills developed as part of normal in-house activities

"In-house" CPD can take the form of specific training or, just as important, the gaining of new skills and experiences though the transfer to new roles and responsibilities within the organisation.

 Click on the logo to access the online learning modules for Insights 1 - 6 (including ventilation for decent homes).