CPD for those on the Established Practitioner Programme

You still need to comply with the requirements even if you practise overseas, or part-time. However, if you practise part-time, the amount of CPD you do should be proportionate and appropriate to the amount of work you are doing or intend to do.

What the EPP involves 

Your requirements under the EPP scheme are as follows:

1. REVIEW: You should prepare a written CPD Plan setting out your learning objectives and the activities you propose to undertake during the year.
2. RECORD: You should keep a written record of the CPD activities you have undertaken over the past three years including your reflection on the CPD you have undertaken during that time, any variation in your plans and an assessment of your future learning objectives.
3. REFLECT: You should reflect on your planned and completed CPD activities to assess whether you have met your objectives.
4. REPORT: You must declare to us annually that you have completed your CPD. This should be completed as part of the authorisation to practise process, when you renew your practising certificate.

Stage 1: REVIEW – Plan your learning and development needs 

You should make a plan early in the year which sets out the learning objectives you intend to complete during the year. There is no set deadline for making a plan, but it would be good practice to complete your CPD plan in the first quarter of the year in order to give yourself as much time as possible to find and undertake appropriate CPD activities to fulfil your learning objectives.

A learning objective is a statement of what you hope to achieve through your CPD activities and an explanation of why you want to achieve it. Learning objectives should have an aim and one or more outcomes; they should describe what you want to be able to do, or what you want to know and understand, that you could not do, or did not know and understand before.

What your learning objectives are will depend on your type and area of practice as well as any particular specialisms or interests you may have. They should be tailored to you and your needs. In developing your learning objectives, you may want to consider the following knowledge and skill areas:

• legal knowledge and skills;
• advocacy;
• practice management;
• working with clients and others; and
• ethics, professionalism and judgement.

You should also set out the type of CPD activities you intend to complete in order to meet your learning objectives. However, at this stage you do not need to note specific information such as course dates.

You should revisit your plan through the year to ensure that your learning objectives continue to be relevant. If you need to amend them, you should note the reasons why.

You may find it useful to use our CPD record template for the EPP, but you do not have to use it. For example, your organisation may use an internal system to plan, record and reflect on CPD activity. If you are asked to take part in a spot check, it may be sufficient for you to submit your internal document to us.

Stage 2: RECORD – Record and evidence your CPD activities 

There is no minimum number of hours of CPD that you need to complete. The type and amount of activity you do should be based on your individual learning and development needs as described by your learning objectives in your CPD plan. You should, where possible, record your activities as you go along and include information about the activity such as what you did, when you did it, the CPD provider (where applicable) and the knowledge area or learning objective the activity relates to. It is also good practice to reflect on how the activity met (or did not meet) your learning objectives as you record it. This will help you with Stage 3 of the CPD process.

We encourage you to carry out a wide variety of CPD activities. A non-exhaustive list of CPD activities, and a list of activities which do not count towards CPD, can be found in our full CPD guidance. 

You are encouraged to keep a note or evidence of the CPD activities that you have completed over the past three years of practice. Evidence could include an attendance record or certificate of completion for a course, for example, or notes compiled during research or reading. 

Stage 3: REFLECT – Reflect on your CPD activities 

Reflection is a vital aspect of the CPD process. It allows you to consider what you have learned during the year, the impact that learning has had on your practice, and what more you might need to learn. We do not specify a process for the reflection stage, but good practice reflection involves considering how you have implemented the learning from the activities you have done, reviewing your development in the light of this and then considering what further CPD you need. It could include noting:

• which learning objectives you completed, and how the activities you completed met your learning objectives;
• which learning objectives you did not complete and the reasons why not;
• which learning objectives you changed; and
• what you need to complete in future years.

In the most recent spot check this was the stage that required the most feedback or corrective action.

Stage 4: REPORT – Declare completion 

You should make a formal declaration to us that you have completed your CPD requirements. (rQ134.5). This declaration is made as part of the Authorisation to Practise process when you renew your Practising Certificate.

For more information, read our full CPD guidance.

Or look at examples of some compliant CPD records for Established Practitioners.

Spot checks

You may be asked to submit your CPD record to us as part of a spot check. If you are chosen to participate in the spot check, you will receive an email from us requesting that you submit your CPD record only. We will not ask for evidence of your CPD activities in the first instance. However, you should still keep any evidence as we may request it later.

Extensions and waivers

There is no longer a formal extension, waiver or exemption process from our CPD requirements. If your circumstances mean that less CPD needs to be completed due to, for example, maternity leave, ill health or another reason, then this only needs to be noted on your CPD plan.

Further information

If you have any questions: please contact us using our Contact Form.