What Is Continuing Professional Development And Is It A Qualification?

CPD is skills-based learning and does not confer a qualification. We briefly explain Continuing Professional Development, and how courses can transfer points to your CPD requirement.

"If you work in health or care it's important you understand what CPD is and how courses count towards it."

What Is CPD? CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development.

CPD is skills training that supports your career development to improve your ability in a specific area of work.

CPD supports the development of vocational skills through training. CPD is skills-based learning and does not confer a qualification.

What Is The CPD Certification Service

The CPD Certification Service is a recognised, independent accreditation service that accredits courses so that they can offer a CPD Verified Certificate.

What Are CPD Points?

CPD Points are equivalent to the number of hours spent learning on a verified course.

A CPD verified course allows you to carry those points to the total required by the governing or regulatory industry body in your sector.

CPD is a requirement for care workers and healthcare staff alike, including nurses.

As RMN  Chloe explains in this article nurses are obligated to CPD in order to maintain their NMC registration.

Is CPD Or 'The CPD Certificate' A Qualification?

No, CPD is not a qualification. The CPD Certificate is not a qualification either.

Qualifications (e.g. GCSEs) are awarded by organisations that are regulated by a Government's department such as, in the UK, Ofqaul.

Qualifications can be academic or vocational.

A course might offer skills-based training but that doesn't mean it confers a qualification.

A course might also be approved or verified by a body (such as The CPD Certification Service) but, again, that doesn't mean the course confers a qualification.

Should I Only Look For Courses By A Regulating Body?

No, not unless you are looking at a specific qualification.

That's because only qualifications (e.g. GCSEs) need to be regulated.

If a course does not confer a qualification, then it does not have a regulating body (it doesn't need one).

Remember that CPD and The CPD Certificate is not a qualification so does not have a regulatory body.

The CPD Certification Service is not a qualification or exam regulatory body but an independent accreditation organisation.

Further Reading