Professional Development

By Jacqueline Nicholls-White

The importance of keeping your skills finely honed and extending them on a regular basis is very important part of a therapist’s role.  Usually this should encompass a minimum of 30 hours a year and should be a healthy eclectic mix:  seminars, tutorials, conferences, new books, journals, associations, discussions with colleagues …  You need to keep your evidence somewhere safe like a portfolio and you must be able to show how the CPD has developed your skills.  How you are now using these skills pragmatically is therefore crucial.

The CMA has recently sent a letter asking for comments on the concept of CPD’s and those of you who have joined this association will presumably have had this information. Your comments should be sent to cma.cpd@ntlworld.com

The CMA document emphasises the function of this as a quantifiable and measurable way of ensuring that each “individual continues to improve their skills and keep abreast of developments, not only in their own modality but also within the broader field of complementary health education”.  Look at the Kevala website under the Tutorial Section as some of our weekends are now open to any therapist and participants do not have to be actual Kevala students. In addition you can broaden your experience with a weekend topic that is entirely new. 

Students who attend tutorials at Kevala have these recorded in their personal notes and have a CPD certificate of attendance.  Their final diploma also mentions that they have attended a practical element.  Likewise the CMA will have a file for members to record CPD evidence.  Practising members will have to complete an agreed number of hours. For the CMA this should be achieved from THREE of the following categories:
 

• Day workshops and courses that enhances your existing knowledge – copy of certificate required
• By a distance learning course – copy of certificate required
• Having an article published in a health magazine or journal
• Writing a vocational course, workshops or lecture
• Furthering your knowledge by books, journals
• Attending lectures…(record date, lecture, content and speaker)
• Undertaking your own research programme
• Completing a First Aid Certificate every 3 years.

CPD is now a condition of membership for the CMA and failure to informal the association with in the stipulated time will result in your status being changed to a non practising member.

As you are aware this is an important and exciting aspect of a therapist’s development.