What counts as evidence of your CPD activities?

Lorraine looks at the types of evidence you need to keep and shares her top tips for recording your CPD.

We’ve been hearing from a number of osteopaths that you would really like some more information about what counts as evidence and so what you should be keeping in your CPD records.

The majority of these osteopaths have been in touch in response to their selection as part of the verification and assurance process that we have been carrying out. You can find out more about the verification and assurance process and how osteopaths have been responding to the CPD scheme in my earlier blog.

To help all osteopaths with the CPD scheme, I thought I would put together some tips on what counts as evidence and what you should keep in your CPD records.

Top tips on keeping CPD records

Firstly here are a few top tips:

• You must keep a record of your CPD activities, but how you do this is up to you.
• Remember to reflect on your CPD and record your reflections to show what you have learned.
• Your CPD records should include a brief summary of the key points, the impact they have had, and any further learning or actions you have identified. This will help you show that you have engaged with the scheme.
• Many CPD activities will cover more than one theme of the OPS. Remember, you don’t need to cover all the standards in any particular theme, you just need to cover each theme.

Which details to record

You need to record the practical details about the activity, your reflections on it and which OPS themes you have covered. I will explain more about each of these in turn:

The practical details

You need to keep a note of all the practical details to do with the activities you have done, including:

• date and location
• type of activity
• how much of it was learning with others and/or by yourself

Your reflections

The CPD scheme places an emphasis on reflection. So remember to keep a record of your reflections on your CPD activities as well as recording what you did and when, and this should form part of the evidence you need to keep.

You could work through the following questions and then these notes could be added to your CPD records. You might find these reflections are helpful in identifying any future learning needs and for your Peer Discussion Review.

• Summary of the activity including what you did and what you learned
• What were your reasons for undertaking the activity?
• What was the impact or significance of the activity?
• How has/will the activity contribute to your practice?
• Has the activity highlighted any other learning needs, and are you planning any further activities as a result of undertaking this one?
• Did you have any other thoughts or reflections on the activity?

Which OPS themes you have covered

With every CPD activity you do, remember to take the opportunity to think about which themes of the Osteopathic Practice Standards (OPS) you have covered when you’re reflecting on the activity. You should keep a record of which themes you have covered.

Many CPD activities will cover more than one of the four themes of the OPS. You don’t need to cover all the standards in any particular theme just each of the four themes.

Types of evidence you need to keep

As well as keeping a record of your reflections on your CPD activities, (see the list of questions above and remembering it should include the OPS themes you have covered), the evidence you keep as a record of CPD will depend on the particular CPD activity you have done, but it might include:

• Completed templates.
• Any documents, notes or completed feedback.
• Signed record of a case-based discussion with your colleagues or other healthcare professionals.
• Materials you have produced; for example, you may have developed a complaints policy for your practice, or published an article in a magazine or on your website.

Using CPD records from other roles

If, for example, you are registered with another health regulator and undertake CPD for them, you can include that CPD activity in your records if you are able to show how it is relevant to your osteopathic practice.

Methods to consider for recording your CPD

The method you use to keep your records is up to you. Many osteopaths are choosing to use the online CPD Diary available on the o zone, but there are other options out there, You’ll find information about what you need to record and ideas for how to record your CPD activities on our CPD website, where you will also find links to our Keeping CPD Records Workbook.

Templates to help you

You might find the following editable templates useful in helping you record your CPD (you will also find these templates at the back of the Keeping CPD Records Workbook):

• CPD activity record template: this could be used in situations where you want to record a specific activity. For example, attending a course or lecture, an informal discussion with a colleague, or an encounter with a patient which you found challenging.
• CPD record summary template: remember that you only need to include a brief summary of the key points, the impact these have had and any learning or actions you have identified. Just think about what will be sufficient for you to talk this through with a colleague when you come to do a Peer Discussion Review.

I hope you found this blog useful and it helped to clarify a few things in relation to recording your CPD. If there is anything in particular you’d like to suggest for me to write about in the future, or you have any feedback on this particular blog, you can let me know via info@osteopathy.org.uk.