CPD FAQs
Please select a question from the drop-down lists below and click GO, alternatively you can search all the FAQs by keyword. To do this, press the 'CTRL' button and the 'F' letter on your keyboard at the same time to open the Keyword search box.
Please let us know cpd@rcslt.org if there is anything you would like included or if you cannot find an answer to your query.
Logging in or technical problem
About CPD and KSF
Personal and Professional Circumstances
About the Diary
CPD Activities and Categories
Using the diary and reporting
Logging in or technical problem
When I registered I received a message that my user name is invalid
If you have recently changed your surname the diary will not yet recognise your new surname.
Register with your previous surname and then change this when you log into the diary.
I have registered but did not receive a password or confirmation email
When you have registered for the online CPD diary you should have received a confirmation email below from someone in the CPD team.
If you do not receive a confirmation then it may be that:
a) as all registrations have to be approved by a member of RCSLT staff, if you have registered over a weekend or in the evening we cannot approve your registration until we are back in the office. Please wait until the next working day.
b) You may have made an error when inputting your email address and so confirmation has not reached you, please email cpd@rcslt.org.
c) Your confirmation email has been perceived as spam/junk mail by your mail system and therefore not delivered to you, please email cpd@rcslt.org. You can add the following email addresses to your address book in the hope that your system will recognise them as valid in the future:
sharon.woolf@rcslt.org
dominique.lowenthal@rcslt.org
cpd@rcslt.org
Please note: The confirmation email does not contain a password. Your password will be your RCSLT PIN until you change it once you have logged into your diary.
My membership number or pin does not work
This may be because:
a) You need to register to use the diary
You need to register for it at this web page.
Once you have registered your registration has to be approved and when this has been done you will receive an email telling you that you can access the online diary.
b) Changed password/PIN
The PIN for the web pages and the password for the online diary have been synchronised. If you have changed your diary password this will also have changed your PIN. If that is not the case, or you do not remember what you changed it to then the best thing to do is to have a new password sent to your email address.
It is worth noting that you will need to use the same password to log into the CPD area and the RCSLT website.
c) Case sensitivity
The membership number and PIN/Password boxes are case sensitive. Check that you do not have CAPS lock on and that you are typing 'RC' in capitals. You need to type your membership number including the 'RC' in caps and any zeros and then in the 'PIN' field type your five digit PIN or CPD password.
d) Expired membership
Your membership may have expired and you need to contact RCSLT to renew it.
e) You may be running an older version of Internet Explorer browser
To find out what version you are running:
Step 1: Click 'help' at the top of the Internet Explorer Browser bar
Step 2: Click 'About Internet Explorer'
Step 3: Look for the version number "Version: XXXX"
If in the box it says "Version: 5.0" or a lower number than that you will need to upgrade your browser to a newer version. If you cannot do either of those things contact your technical support or the RCSLT.
f) Your browser may not be allowing the website to use 'cookies'
To check and or change these settings in Internet Explorer:
Step 1: Click 'Tools' at the top of the Internet Explorer Browser bar
Step 2: Click 'Internet options' to open pop-up options window
Step 3: Click 'Privacy' tab at the top of the pop-up window
Step 4: Click 'Advanced' button
Step 5: Click 'Override automatic cookie handling' checkbox
Step 6: Click 'always allow session cookies' checkbox
Step 7: Click 'OK'
Step 8: Click 'OK' again
To check and or change these settings in Mozilla Firefox:
Step 1: Click 'Tools' at the top of the Firefox Browser bar
Step 2: Click the 'Privacy' icon at the top
Step 3: Click the 'Cookies' Tab
Step 4: Tick the "Allow sites to set Cookies" box
Step 5: Click 'OK'. You may need to close the browser and re-open it.
You can contact the RCSLT on 020 7378 1200 or CPD@rcslt.org if you continue to have problems.
I have forgotten my PIN or password
Request a new password to be sent to your email address.
What does 'Your account status is not full CPD or your account has been archived' mean?
If you took part in the trial for the online diary but now cannot get access and have received this message then please register as a new user – the diary can identify whether previous records you have inputted exist and once your registration is approved you will be able to access these.
Otherwise please email cpd@rcslt.org.
I have tried to reset my password several times but this has not been done
If your email address is not entered correctly in the diary or if you have changed your email address and not updated the details in the diary the new password will not reach you.
Email: cpd@rcslt.org with details, including your full name and full RCSLT membership number, and ask for your email address to be checked against the diary details.
Can I update my CPD diary from anywhere?
Once you have registered you can log in from anywhere using your membership number and PIN or Password.
If you want to change your email address to a home email so that we email you at home instead of work, you can change it in the CPD area by clicking on the 'My details' tab and changing it there.
Is what I put into the Diary safe from being lost?
All the data entered into the diary is backed up every hour and is held on a dedicated server, which currently keeps over 50,000 secure CPD records. There is therefore minimal risk of records being lost.
Is the Diary secure from hackers?
Premier IT, who host the CPD Diary & our website take the protection of user's personal details very seriously. Although information is safe, it is not as secure as it would be if we holding credit card details. They have put in all reasonable safety measures in place, so the risk of personal information being intercepted is very minimal. Having the most up to date web browser and firewalls on your computer will increase your security even more.
If you do not want to give your address details just enter "prefer not to give details" in the address fields. We do need to know what region you work in, a valid email address and a daytime telephone number.
Is there a 'save' button somewhere so I don't lose my work?
There is a save button, at the bottom of the page. You have to save within 45 minutes or the system logs out for security reasons.
Can the Diary spell check my entries?
You can download and use a tool called ieSpell if you use Internet Explorer as your browser. Otherwise you will need to copy and paste your entries into Word to spell check.
If you need to submit your CPD for an HPC audit or for your employer, they will have their own format and so you will need to copy and paste any relevant info that you have stored in this online diary into the format they require, probably using Word. In this situation you would be able to run a spell check on the final version that you submit to HPC / your employer.
Is there any training available for improving my computer skills?
There are many free resources on the Internet that are designed to support people who need to the basics of computers and using the internet. Below are some of the best that we have found.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/course/
http://ltssolweb1.open.ac.uk/safari/signpostframe.htm
http://www.open.ac.uk/webguide/
We are interested in hearing from members who feel they are unable to use the Diary. If we identify that many Members do not have the IT skills we will find training and information solutions to enable them to use it.
How can you get back to the RCSLT homepage from the CPD area?
You can use the back button (arrow pointing left) on your internet toolbar to get back to the RCSLT web pages. You can go directly to http://cpd.rcslt.org/ to access the diary without having to log in to the RCSLT website. If you want to have the web pages and the diary open at the same time then open them in separate windows by going to the File command on your internet toolbar and choosing "select new window".
About CPD and KSF
What constitutes an 'hour' of CPD?
An "hour" is the time spent engaged with an activity where you were learning. If you have not learnt anything new from the activity you've undertaken and cannot reflect on the work then you cannot count it as CPD.
Do I need to do CPD?
RCSLT Members
You must complete CPD if you have Certified Practising Membership of RCSLT.
NQT
You should be registered and familiar with the online diary. However you are not expected to be using it regularly until you have completed your NQT competency framework.
In your first year of practice, they should be using the ‘Speech & Language Therapy Competency Framework to Guide Transition to Full RCSLT Membership' to support your learning and development.
In addition, you are not required to comply with the new CPD standards for the first year. However as an RCSLT member you should start using the online diary to record your CPD, but you will not be included in any HPC audit.
If you are registered with HPC you will be expected to comply with the CPD standards in order to maintain your HPC registration.
SLTA
You do not have to as it is not a requirement for SLTAs to comply with the standards in order to be a Member of RCSLT. However, KSF applies to SLTAs and the CPD diary (and Toolkit) will help you to keep records of your CPD activities that in a format that maps against the KSF standards. This should help during your KSF Developmental Review.
We hope that you will find the Diary and Toolkit support your continuing professional development in the same way as they do therapists.
How many hours CPD should I do?
The minimum number of hours is 30 hours if you work full time and if you work five sessions or less per week then you need to record a minimum of 15 hours of CPD per year. Please note, you cannot carry surplus hours from one year to the next.
Is there a limit to how many hours I can put down?
For RCSLT's purposes you need to do a minimum of 30 hours per year if you work full time.
HPC will want to see that you have undertaken a range of CPD activities but will not count hours. So there is not a maximum number of hours you can do for any category but you cannot do 30 hours of reading over the year and claim that as your CPD.
Can you tell me more about KSF?
There is a KSF document that you can access through the diary which was put together to show how HPC categories of CPD could be mapped against KSF dimensions and levels. Practitioners will have to determine their own KSF level - there is an example given at the top of the document.
Guidance from the NHS on using and understanding KSF
http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/mentalhealth/nhsksf.php
http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/ mentalhealth/ksfcomps.php
Example of using the KSF table:
1. Start with the list of CPD activities in the left hand column.
2. If we use 'audit' as an example, find it in the right hand column.
3. Look across to the middle column and you will see that audit relates to Core 4 Service Improvement. You also need to decide which level of Core 4 audit relates to. This will be determined by the level of responsibility you have had in the audit activity:
- Level 1: you will be involved in carrying out the audit activity
- Level 2: you will be involved in planning and carrying out the audit activity
- Level 3: you will have overall responsibility for organising and carrying out the audit activity, as well as analysing and summarising the findings.
4. Once you have determined which Dimension and level, look at the right hand column, and enter Core 4, level 3 at the appropriate point in your diary. As the KSF 'belongs' to the NHS we hoped that there would have been local training on the KSF so that diary users would be clear about their own KSF levels.
KSF terms - This link is very useful for fleshing out the KSF terms. Generally the codings have been accurate as they are and helps where there is more than one relevant coding for an activity.
I do not work for the NHS, is KSF relevant to me?
The KSF box is not mandatory but we know that colleagues working in the NHS have found it useful. If KSF does not apply to you then please type N/A in the box. The rest of the diary is designed to support members to meet both the RCSLT requirements on CPD in terms of the number of hours you have to complete and the HPC Standards on CPD.
The A-E categories of CPD activity that you are asked to complete are based on the HPC documentation that was recently mailed to all HPC registrants. We felt it was important to include the KSF box to support NHS colleagues but the level of reflection that RCSLT and HPC will expect is the same wherever you work.
The CPD Toolkit has just one chapter that refers to the NHS. We included sample forms in the Toolkit not to be prescriptive but to give members resources to draw on should they not have these systems in place where they work. The forms we have included in the Toolkit are examples of good practice that we found around the UK.
Independent Therapists
Some independent therapists found the category descriptors easy to use and felt that it is useful to understand and be consistent with NHS therapists to allow links and liaison to be maintained. Also if there is a possibility that you may apply for an NHS job in the future then it may be worth using the same system now.
SLTs working in Charitable organisations or other employers which do not fall into NHS categories
The KSF box is the only box that you do not need to complete if you are not in the NHS. If this is the case then just put N/A in the KSF box when you review your activity.
Should we be keeping written evidence for each CPD entry?
HPC will require details of the activities you have undertaken and how they have enhanced your practice. If there is no significant new learning as a consequence of attending a course or a meeting then you cannot credit the activity in the CPD scheme.
Most therapists will only have to self-declare to HPC that they have undertaken CPD, but for people who are selected for the HPC CPD audit in 2009 they will be able to use the information stored in the diary as evidence to HPC of the CPD that has been undertaken.
Potentially HPC, or a future or current employer may ask to see certificates. However, you only need to keep lecture notes/handouts if you think you will have cause to refer to them later. For example, while you are doing your reflective practice you may have action points that you want to instigate and being able to refer to the course material might be handy.
See the CPD Toolkit and HPC Standards for further information.
How does the learning portfolio relate to CPD?
Your learning portfolio could be cross-referenced to the online diary, and perhaps divided into a,b,c,d,e categories.
Are CPD activity certificates evidence to be filed in my portfolio?
You could submit this certificate to HPC as evidence of CPD undertaken but they will also require details of the activities and how your CPD has enhanced your practice.
How will RCSLT audit CPD?
RCSLT may perform a random 'unofficial audit' to ensure that members will be ready in time for the official random audit by the HPC in April 2008.
RCSLT will support anyone who is behind at this point in getting up to speed. Council still has to debate and determine whether it wants a qualitative audit to be done as this would be very resource intensive for RCSLT. More information will be sent to members during the 2007 membership renewal period.
Personal and Professional Circumstances
I have recently married, how do I change my name?
You can change your surname, or any other personal details, in the online diary on the My Details page.
Step 1: click on 'My Details' in the CPD area
Step 2: change your name
Step 3: change your email address (if it is changing too)
Step 4: click the 'update' button at the bottom of the page.
You MUST contact RCSLT membership department directly to change your surname officially with RCSLT. They will ask to see your marriage certificate. Email: membership@rcslt.org.
What happens to my diary if my membership expires?
If your RCSLT membership expires we would archive your diary and it would remain stored until you renewed your membership or indefinitely.
There is no way currently to 'save off' all the information somewhere else, other than copying and pasting or printing it out.
I am taking a career break, what do I need to do?
In terms of hours, you should record an appropriate number of hours based on how many months in the year you are practising. For example if you have 6 months off then you only have to record 15 hours of CPD. However there is no limit to how many hours you can record if you choose to.
It is therefore important that you inform RCSLT membership of any career break so that you can demonstrate to the Health Professions Council when you were in practice and how much corresponding CPD you undertook in that time. You can stay on the HPC Register for up to two years whilst out of practice as 'non-practising' SLT. See the HPC web pages for details of returning to practice:
If you remain a member of RCSLT during your career break – we advise that you do – you will be able to access to CPD opportunities through RCSLT published material, events and e-learning opportunities.
You should also record your career break in the special circumstances section of the diary under the Events and Activities tab.
To record a special circumstance:
Step 1: Go to CPD area
Step 2: Click on the Events/Details tab
Step 3: Click the 'Special Circumstances' link
Step 4: Click the 'add note' button
Step 5: Fill in the boxes
Step 6: Click 'Update Note'
I am on maternity leave, do I still need to do CPD?
If you change your RCSLT membership to non-practising whilst you are on maternity leave you will not be required to complete CPD. If you retain practising membership please refer to chapter 11 of the CPD Toolkit for more information.
If someone is on extended leave and has registered for the online diary they can record the period of extended leave in the Special Circumstances section of the diary. They should also let the RCSLT membership department know that they are not practising.
To record a special circumstance:
Step 1: Go to CPD area
Step 2: Click on the Events/Details tab
Step 3: Click the 'Special Circumstances' link
Step 4: Click the 'add note' button
Step 5: Fill in the boxes
Step 6: Click 'Update Note'
I have an illness or injury and will be off work for a few months
You can record the period that you will be away in the Special Circumstances section of the diary.
To get there:
Step 1: Go to CPD area
Step 2: Click on the Events/Details tab
Step 3: Click the 'Special Circumstances' link
Step 4: Click the 'add note' button
Step 5: Fill in the boxes
Step 6: Click 'Update Note'
If I am not working as an SLT, what can I do to remain registered with the HPC?
If you are not working as an SLT in any clinical, teaching, research or management capacity, you cannot be registered with HPC. You should contact the HPC UK registrations department and tell them that you are not currently practising so that they can offer you their guidance on how this might impact on your HPC registration renewal in the future.
If you are still working in the NHS as an AHP Manager, you can remain on the HPC Register, as you will still be applying your knowledge and skills to your job as a manager. Your CPD should relate to your scope of practice, i.e. as an AHP Manager.
The new HPC CPD requirements are linked to registration. So when HPC membership is renewed in 2009 SLTs will be expected to self-declare that they are meeting the HPC standards for CPD.
2.5% of SLTs will be selected by HPC to have their CPD documentation audited. If people haven’t met the CPD requirements then they may not have their HPC registration renewed.
HPC also has standards that returners to practise would have to meet and these are set out on their web pages.
I have been on a seconded post for a period of time, can I record this period?
Yes. If the secondment is not in a clinical setting you can record this in the special circumstances section:
To record a special circumstance:
Step 1: Go to CPD area
Step 2: Click on the Events/Details tab
Step 3: Click the 'Special Circumstances' link
Step 4: Click the 'add note' button
Step 5: Fill in the boxes
Step 6: Click 'Update Note'
I work abroad for part or all of the year, what do I need to do?
You can continue to log your CPD in the normal way, you will find it helpful when you return to the UK and look for a job here.
If you work for a charity overseas, you can choose whether to take part in the CPD scheme and maintain your certified membership. Alternatively you can opt out of certified membership for the time that you are working abroad. It depends on your circumstances and will not affect your status when you return to work in the UK.
I am studying for a PhD, how do I record my CPD?
As a PhD student it is likely that you are continuously studying, doing formal training, presentations and reflecting on your work as part of your PhD.
To record this, you should record in the special circumstances section (accessible under Events and Activities) that you are studying for a PhD. You can decide how regularly you record your reflections on your studies - you could do a progress report' every 2 - 3 months or more regularly it is up to you.
Please check the CPD profiles in Chapter 8 of the CPD Toolkit and the first one is an example of someone who is undertaking an MPhil.
The way to think of it, is to consider these activities in terms of what you have gained for your own professional development, rather than automatically putting 3 hours for 3 hours work. By reflecting on your key learning points you can reflect back on the week/month as whole rather than every day.
About the Diary
Will the online diary become mandatory for practising members?
Ultimately, yes. Provision will be made for 2006/7 for those who cannot use or do not have access to the on line system. RCSLT will provide paper-based versions of renewal forms and CPD records. RCSLT hopes and expects that Members identify ways they can access and use the online diary in the next year.
Can I still complete a paper version of the CPD diary?
You can complete a paper version if you do not have PC access or if you have health considerations. However the HPC's expectation is that everyone will use the online diary by 2008 unless health considerations prevent them from doing so.
If you would like to enquire about using a paper version please contact cpd@rcslt.org. We would still register you to use the diary but we would put a 'Special Circumstances' note in the diary.
Why can't I use a Word document to record my CPD activities?
You can use Word to write the entries for the diary – you just need to copy and paste the content across.
If you don’t use the Diary, RCSLT will not be able to help you develop your CPD, as we wont be able to audit the CPD you have done. This means you would miss out on the following:
- email alerts on courses
- on-line support
- use of the Forum, for discussion on CPD matters
- use of the Diary functions which allow you to produce automatically reports of CPD hours accumulated, type of CPD completed and their relationship with KSF and HPC requirements
- use of the Diary functions that allow you to produce automatically reports which map your CPD activities against the RCSLT and other standards.
How many people have access to the information in my CPD Diary?
Firstly, no-one will access your diary without your permission. The people who could look at your diary if you wished them to are:
The Head of Professional Development, Sharon Woolf and the Professional Services Development manager, Dominique Lowenthal as they are the main administrators.
Premier IT would only need to have access if there were technical problems that they had to fix even then they would seek your permission first.
The membership department will only be able to reset passwords and register people and cannot look at your diary. If you are applying for an MRA, and you did not send details of your CPD as part of your MRA application, then RCSLT would email you to ask your permission to view your CPD diary.
It is not, nor will it ever be, open to all at RCSLT in London.
You should ensure that your diary does not contain confidential information about your clients, even though it is your personal learning portfolio.
The Professional Development and Standards Board agreed a CPD diary access protocol at its July 2006 meeting.
How will all this fit with HPC?
The new Diary system has been designed to support you in meeting the HPC’s requirements. You can submit your electronic records as part of your CPD profile.
The records use HPC's own categories. If you are selected for audit by the HPC in 2009, you will have two years of records stored on the system and so you will have plenty of reflections on your learning that you can 'cut and paste' into your Personal Statement. RCSLT will issue further guidance nearer the time on what you need to do if you are selected for an HPC audit. The Toolkit contains up to date guidance and examples.
How does it fit with my appraisal?
Whether you have an appraisal as an NHS employee or as an independent therapist, the records you keep in the diary will be useful as evidence of your achievements and your aspirations.
Can someone from RCSLT check my diary to see if it is OK?
We will not look at anyone's diary unless we have express permission to do so. If you are unsure whether you have completed your diary correctly and you have read all the appropriate guidance on the subject. Send us an email at cpd@rcslt.org and we can take a look to see if you have filled in all the boxes that you should have. We will not be able to check what you have written. If this is your concern, then your manager might be better placed to support you with writing up your CPD from a clinical perspective.
CPD Activities and Categories
Do you have to record CPD activity under every single category?
You do not have to record something for every category but you do have to be mindful that HPC will expect to see that you have undertaken a range of CPD activities if you are selected for their CPD audit.
RCSLT would like to see a range of CPD activity being recorded.
Workbased learning, self directed learning and professional activity should be possible for all practising SLTs to complete.
RCSLT and HPC acknowledge that due to the NHS funding crisis it may not be possible for people to undertake formal learning if their employers will not or cannot give them the time or the money.
It is not mandatory to complete the 'other' category but if any 'other' activities are reported to HPC you will need to demonstrate how they relate to enhancement of service delivery and demonstrate benefit to service users.
You will find a list of example CPD activities and the categories they come under here.
You can refer back to the HPC standards for more guidance.
See The HPC website for HPC CPD profiles and Chapter 8 of the CPD Toolkit.
What kind of CPD activities are 'Other'?
"Other" are any activities where you can specify what you gained from the experience and how it can be applied to enhance service delivery and be of benefit to service users. This could include administrative, organisational or management skills.
The best thing to do is to refer back to the HPC standards for more guidance.
You will find a list of example CPD activities and the categories they come under here.
See The HPC website for HPC CPD profiles and Chapter 8 of the CPD Toolkit.
What are 'mandatory' activities ?
If you are inputting a mandatory category it would be something like CPR training or manual handling. Something which you must do as part of your employment.
You could also input mandatory CPD if HPC were to change the standards of proficiency for SLT this would be something that we would expect all members to reflect on.
Where can I find clarification of categories?
You will find a list of example CPD activities and the categories they come under here.
Why can't we have the KSF levels and dimensions in a drop down menu?
There are too many configurations for it to work as a drop down menu. Options in drop-down lists need to be very concise – this is probably too restrictive to be helpful in describing elements of the Knowledge and Skills Framework.
You might undertake, and so not want to record, CPD activities that do not neatly match a KSF category.
We feel it is more appropriate for diary users to refer to the reference document on KSF, as it will help you to better understand the requirements of the Framework.
Will all SIGs and events from Bulletin now be put in the diary?
At the moment we have not made a decision about whether we will input SIG details as we have not been asked by the SIGs to do this.
However the implications for us are that to enter the details for all the SIGs would be a great deal of work as each activity would have to be entered manually by RCSLT staff so it is likely that if the SIGs wanted this service RCSLT would have to make a charge for this.
You can enter SIG events yourself using the 'Add personal activity link' in the 'Events/Activities' tab.
How do I record CPD activity if I am training, supervising or observing other SLTs?
Student supervision may sometimes be a new learning experience and sometimes it may be more suited to reflective practice, such as on-going supervision - in which case you should just record what new things you were learning from the supervision rather then automatically putting down 3 hours for 3 hours of supervision, because in reality it was not that informative each time.
If your core role consists of a lot of traditional CPD activities such as developing policies, developing and delivering training and presentations then you need to go back to HPC's CPD standards and consider whether you can reflect on your work and demonstrate that it has enhanced service delivery and been of benefit to service users, be they clients or students.
We did a lot of work last year on the National Standards for Practice Based learning which we have designed to support students, HEIs and placement educators. We plan develop this section of the website further to have examples of good practice from across the UK so that this will be a resource that all members can access.
The priority is that how you record CPD should be based on what you got out of the learning experience and therefore an arbitrary rule cannot be made for a type of activity.
The CPD HPC Knowledge Skills Framework document, that you can access when you review the activities you undertake, shows that training could fit into a number of different categories.
The two most relevant are Lecturing/Teaching and Planning and Running a Course.
However if delivering training is not part of your formal job remit you may choose to record it as 'Gaining and Learning from Experience', 'Involvement in Wider Work of Employer' or 'Role Expansion'. All these types of activity and their link to KSF dimensions and levels are listed in the document specified above.
For example observing and supporting community therapists would fall under 'Professional Activity', alongside other activities such as lecturing, mentoring or tutoring. Basically an overseeing of someone else's competency.
I take a lot of support phone calls but do not want to log every single one
You can just focus on calls where you feel that you have learned something new that will 'enhance service delivery' or will be of benefit to service users' in future.
Keeping a pad by the phone to jot down a few basic details from calls is a good idea because you may find that there are some calls that at the time you did not think were important but looking back show a pattern you could learn from.
The other thing is that you are not expected to log every phone call as CPD. You can reflect back weekly or monthly on all the calls, add any good bits to your action plan and log your time spent reflecting as CPD.
Is my reflective diary self-directed learning?
You could write a summary about learning to use the reflective diary and what you have gained in terms of computer skills and enter that summary in your online CPD diary as a self directed learning activity. The online diary was intended to be the place where you record or store all your CPD details. See the CPD Toolkit for further information on reflective practice.
How do I record daily activities such as reading the daily press for SLT articles?
There is not a way to automatically set up an activity on a daily basis as the diary is designed to record and store discrete CPD activities.
We suggest that you think about this activity in terms what you have gained from the reading for your own professional development rather than the amount of time you have spent reading overall. So you could reflect back on what you have read at the end of the week (i.e. what was useful and why). Then there may also be some points of interest that you can carry forward into your action plan.
You could record all the reading you have done during the last 3 months as a single event in the diary and record the different ways this has helped you develop under different activities within that event. This may help you to write your reflections on what you have learned as a result of your reading.
You might then be able to work out, for example that you have spent xx number of hours reflecting on the reading -- and yy number of hours putting together an action plan for how you might do work with your next group of students differently.
It is similar for courses/conferences. Not every part of the conference or course has to be reflected on and you might want to break the course down into the lectures and workshops components and reflect on these aspects discretely - the diary allows you to do this.
It is worth bearing mind that the HPC expect you to be able to demonstrate that you have undertaken a mixture of different types of learning activities and to demonstrate how these have been of benefit to service users and/or has enhanced service delivery.
How do I record something which spans several days / occasions?
There is not a way to automatically set up an activity over several days; the diary is designed to record and store individual activities, rather than groups of activities. For example a conference event might comprise different activities that could be divided up into smaller categories like work-based learning, self-directed learning, etc. Having them in smaller categories means that you are able to show the HPC that you had undertaken a good mixture of types of activity.
Consider these activities in terms of what you have gained for your own professional development and how the CPD has 'enhanced service delivery or been of benefit to service users', rather than the amount of time you have spent attending these activities. Therefore you could put fewer activities in and reflect on what you have learned from the whole experience.
Otherwise, you will need to put them in separate days and reflect on each one. You may want to examine and record what new pieces of information you have learned each time rather than 'grouping' all meetings in the same box. The same would apply to auditing.
HPC expect you to be able to demonstrate that you have undertaken a mixture of different types of learning activities and to demonstrate how these have been of benefit to service users and/or has enhanced service delivery.
Using the diary and reporting
How can I quickly view the number CPD hours I have?
In the CPD area, near the top of the screen there is a row of blue buttons. One of them is called 'Hours report' if you click that it will take you to a page showing a summary of all your hours.
If you want to print the page click on the certificate and then press the following keys on your keyboard. CTRL and the letter P simultaneously.
Please do not press 'Show Certificate' button as this can only be done at the end of the audit year.
Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
What is the CPD Certificate?
Certificates allow you to print off a summary of the CPD hours you have completed. Once you have printed off a certificate all your CPD entries will be locked and you will not be able to edit them or change the details of your reflection.
When should I print a certificate?
This is something you should do when you need a summary of your CPD hours at the of the CPD year (1st of April) . It will not allow you to print off the certificate if you have not filled in a review and details of hours for all activities. Once you have printed it off once you will not be able to do so again without contacting cpd@rcslt.org and letting us know that you need it reset.
If the certificates act as evidence, is the rest of the online diary relevant to HPC?
The diary is relevant to HPC as the categories A - E are based on CPD activities accepted by HPC. Most therapists will self-declare to HPC that they have undertaken CPD but for people who are selected for the HPC CPD audit they will be able to use the information stored in the diary as evidence to HPC of the CPD that has been undertaken. See the CPD Toolkit and HPC Standards for further information.
Is there a way of printing off a list of my activities?
On the 'Events and activities' page you can choose the option 'List My Activities' and you will see the full details of all your input.
There are two ways to print your activities.
1. On the 'List My Activities' page there is a row of tick boxes and you can choose which columns you want to see.
You can print this the same way as you would print off any page from the internet using the File and Print commands. Which you can do in two ways: 1) hold down the CTRL button on your keyboard and simultaneously press the 'P' button or 2) Click 'File' in the top of your browser bar and then select 'Print' from the drop-down menu to open the Print box.
It is advisable to change the page layout in your print box to 'landscape' as the diary pages run horizontally. To do this: click 'Preferences' in the print box and select 'horizontal' from the 'Orientation' drop-down list. (Please note: Your computer settings may be different to this, however these instructions should give you an indication of what to look for.)
2. The other way to print out your activities (though longer to do) is to copy and paste all the activity details from the diary into a Word document so you can make any editing or formatting changes.
Are we still able to add and edit entries older than 3 months?
At the moment, Yes. However from April 2007 there will be a 3 month window within which you must record at a minimum the basic details of any CPD activities. This year, 2006, is an opportunity for people to practice and get used to the new system so there are no time constraints.
When the 3 month window comes into effect it will mean that there is just a 3 month opportunity to enter the basic details of the CPD activity - i.e. the date, the title etc. However once the basic details have been entered members will be able to go back and edit their reflective work throughout the year until the point that a certificate is printed out at which point all CPD activities are 'locked'. It is important to note that if you are just entering basic details of an activity the diary doesn’t like blank boxes in the comments, learned and KSF sections so the way around this is to input TBC into each of these boxes and then go back to do the reflection/action planning later.
Why 3 months?
The reason RCSLT felt the 3 month window for entering CPD activities was necessary was because HPC have set the standard that registrants have to "maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities".
So, we do expect all members to access their diaries regularly rather than waiting until mid-march to start recording and reflecting on every CPD activity and we hope that members will see this as a supportive system as ultimately we are trying to help members meet the requirements of the HPC and their employers.
How do I go back to a previous month in the diary?
To go back to a particular date, for example July 2006, you will need to do the following
1 Go to my diary
2 Go to the bottom of that page
3 On the left-hand side you will see 2 boxes one is 07 the other is 2006
4 Change the 07 box to 05
5 Click the button next to the 2006 that is labelled View
You should then be able to see July 2006 and you will be able to add an activity to the date you want.
I want to delete something from my diary
To delete an activity:
Step 1: Click 'Events / Activities' tab
Step 2: Click 'List my activities'
Step 3: Scroll down to the activity that you want to delete
Step 4: Notice that the far right column is the 'Delete' column
Step 5: Click the check box next the activity you want to delete
Step 6: Scroll right to the bottom of the page
Step 7: Click 'Remove /delete' activities button"
Why do some CPD activities appear in green and some in blue on the diary?
Blue are office approved activities
Green are office events that contain multiple activities within them
Black are activities that the member is signed up to do.
My activity review has been lost
If you are entering details of an activity or reflecting on it and the diary is inactive for more than 45 minutes the diary will close automatically and you will lose any information that you have not saved. There is a message to warn people of this at the top of the 'Review' page.
The system does not like incomplete records in the review activity section. The best thing to do when you want to review an activity is to put just one character or TBC in every box. That way the system will recognise that something has been completed. Then you can go back and edit details when you are ready.