AGCAS Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Scheme
CPD is systematic, ongoing, self-directed learning. It is an approach or process that should be a normal part of how you manage and plan your whole working life. It is
- continuous because learning never ceases, regardless of age or seniority;
- professional because it is focused on personal competence in a
professional role;
- concerned with development because its goal is to improve personal
performance and enhance career progression.
CPD should not be seen as a task additional to your normal activities; it is most effective
when the practice of addressing learning needs and opportunities becomes an integral part of
the way you manage your working life.
How will it benefit me and my service?
CPD can provide a wide range of specific personal benefits, including:
- Improvements to current job performance - sharpening awareness of the
need for the additional know-how or new skills required to meet new
challenges and encourage you to plan and achieve the necessary
learning. Put simply, CPD helps you do your job better.
- Enhancing your career prospects - being seen to be thorough and
effective in the way you plan and prepare to meet the objectives in your
current job is obviously helpful in terms of career progression within your
current institution. It can help you broaden the range of job opportunities
you may consider in the future, whether within your current institution or
client group or beyond. CPD can enhance your employability.
- An increased capacity to learn - almost all activities can be exploited as
sources of learning. CPD provides a systematic way of helping you
squeeze every possible learning benefit from the widest range of
experience.
- Greater personal confidence in meeting change - keeping up to date with
changes and enlarging the range of your personal skills enables you to
face the future with much more confidence than the person who has
allowed their expertise to stagnate.
- Recognition of your development - in practical terms, the certification will
be useful in meeting quality standards, in providing evidence for
matrix
Standard Accreditation and Reviews, and used toward qualifications.
- Managerial and organisational benefits - if you manage other people, you
have two interests in CPD: it's potential benefits for you directly and the
beneficial effects on your staff if you give them active support in their own
CPD activities. Raising the level of expertise and performance of staff
enables you to delegate more, freeing you to concentrate on strategic
issues.
How does the AGCAS Scheme work?
The scheme requires that the individual registrant plans, implements, reviews and reports an
annual programme of developmental activity based on a balanced mix of activities. The precise
amount of input is not specified, however, in order to keep up to date the minimum level of
CPD activity is recommended at thirty-five hours per year, or the equivalent in learning
hours/outcomes.
AGCAS members can download full details of what is expected of registrants (and line managers)
and a list of acceptable activities from the bottom of this page.
To facilitate the process of recording CPD, AGCAS has developed a recording form, although a
more personal system of recording development would be equally acceptable provided it includes
a rationale for the activity, an analysis of the learning that resulted and how it was
applied. Through reflection and the process of completing a record, further development needs
should be identified.
How do I apply?
AGCAS members can apply using the CPD Scheme Registration Form, which is available from the
bottom of this page.
-
AGCAS CPD Scheme Downloads
- Details of registrant (and line manager) requirements (Locked)
- Details of acceptable activities (Locked)
- Registration Form (Locked)
If items are locked please check that you are registered and signed in to ensure that you can see all parts of the site to which you have been given access.
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