Why do I need to know about Continuing Professional Development?

CPD is all about your professional career development. It is also about commitment to delivering a high quality service.

Many professions have introduced mechanisms and requirements that ensure that practitioners’ skills are maintained and enhanced throughout their practising life. There is a growing recognition that similar structures are required for practising Social Workers.

The establishment of Skills for Care and the General Social Care Council† are leading to major changes for all practising Social Workers. These are likely to follow the pattern set in other professions and lead to a requirement that all practising Social Workers will be registered and undertake CPD as a basis for developing their professional skills beyond the point of basic qualification.

Skills for Care is the National Training Organisation (NTO) for Social Care in England which was established in April 2005. It has responsibility for developing a national workforce planning strategy for Social Workers. Skills for Care has published a CPD strategy for all sectors of social work which links closely with the registration requirements of the General Social Care Council. To find out more about the work of Skills for Care, visit their website at www.skillsforcare.org.uk

†The General Social Care Council (GSCC) is the body which has responsibility for regulating standards in social care services. It succeeds the old Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW).

To find out more about the GSCC, access their website on www.gscc.org.uk

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