CPD for Social Workers: Meeting HCPC Requirements

What is CPD?

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing learning and development you undertake to maintain and enhance your skills, knowledge, and competence as a social worker. It's both a professional responsibility and a regulatory requirement.

HCPC Requirements

Social workers in England must be registered with the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council). Registration renewal is every two years, and you must demonstrate you've kept your skills and knowledge up to date.

The CPD Standards

• Maintain a continuous, up-to-date record of CPD activities
• Demonstrate that CPD contributes to quality of practice and service delivery
• Seek to ensure CPD benefits service users
• Present a written profile of CPD if selected for audit

Types of CPD Activities

Work-Based Learning

• Reflective practice and supervision
• Case discussions and peer learning
• Shadowing colleagues
• Mentoring or being mentored
• Multi-agency work and learning

Professional Activities

• Being involved in professional networks
• Writing articles or presenting
• Teaching or training others
• Participating in research

Formal Education

• Training courses and workshops
• Postgraduate qualifications
• Specialist certifications
• Online courses and webinars

Self-Directed Learning

• Reading books and journals
• Research and evidence review
• Attending conferences
• Podcasts and online resources

Recording Your CPD

What to Record

• Date and description of the activity
• What you learned from it
• How it relates to your practice
• How you've applied it or will apply it
• Impact on your practice or service users

Quality Over Quantity

HCPC is interested in the quality and relevance of your CPD, not how many hours you've logged. A few well-reflected activities are better than a long list with no analysis.

Planning Your CPD

Identifying Learning Needs

• Reflect on gaps in your knowledge or skills
• Consider feedback from supervision
• Think about your role and career goals
• Consider changes in practice or legislation

Creating a CPD Plan

• Set learning goals for the year
• Identify activities to meet those goals
• Build learning into your work routine
• Review and adjust as needed

CPD Audit

HCPC randomly selects a proportion of registrants to audit at each renewal. If selected:

• You'll need to submit a CPD profile
• This includes a summary of CPD activities
• Plus a statement of how CPD has benefited your practice

If You're Not Compliant

If your CPD doesn't meet standards, you may be given time to improve. Serious or repeated failures could affect your registration.

Making CPD Meaningful

Avoid Box-Ticking

• Choose learning that genuinely interests you
• Focus on activities relevant to your practice
• Reflect on how you'll apply what you learn
• Share learning with colleagues

Connect to Practice

• Apply new knowledge to cases
• Discuss learning in supervision
• Look for opportunities to use new skills

Free and Low-Cost CPD

You don't need expensive courses:

• Local authority and employer training
• SCIE resources and research briefings
• Community Care and other publications
• Peer learning and case discussions
• Serious case review learning
• Podcasts and webinars

Employer Responsibilities

Your employer should support your CPD by providing:

• Access to training opportunities
• Protected time for learning
• Quality supervision
• Support for career development

Conclusion

CPD isn't just a regulatory requirement—it's essential for keeping your practice current and effective. Plan your learning, record it thoughtfully, and focus on activities that genuinely enhance your work with service users. Good CPD benefits you, your practice, and the people you support.