CPL helps you keep your knowledge and skills up to date, ensuring you provide safe, effective and person-centred care. It’s not just a requirement, it’s an opportunity to reflect on your practice and grow professionally.
Every year you need to cover these CPL topics
- Rights based and ethical practice.
- Communication and relationships - this must include trauma informed learning (see below).
- Wellbeing and support.
- Protection – this must include child protection and adult support and protection (see below).
- Knowledge for your role.
- Reflective practice.
- Leadership and quality assurance.
Social workers and Care Inspectorate authorised officers have two more topics to cover.
- Self-awareness and reflexivity.
- Professional leadership.
Child protection
- Understand your responsibilities in keeping children safe.
- Learn how to identify concerns, respond appropriately and follow safeguarding procedures.
Adult support and protection
- Gain knowledge of legislation and best practice for protecting adults at risk of harm.
- Ensure you can recognise signs of abuse or neglect and take the right steps to protect individuals.
Trauma-informed practice
- Develop an understanding of the impact of trauma on individuals and communities.
- Learn approaches that promote safety, trust and empowerment in your work.
What counts as CPL?
CPL is flexible. We don’t specify the number of hours or the nature of the learning to undertake. Your CPL can include:
- training courses or qualifications
- online modules and webinars
- reading professional guidance or research
- peer learning and supervision
- reflective discussions with colleagues.
Support from employers
Employers play a vital role in supporting CPL by:
- providing time and resources for learning
- encouraging reflective practice and supervision to embed learning into practice
- helping staff access relevant training and development opportunities.
Find resources
On the CPL website you’ll find:
- the full list of required topics
- examples of what counts as CPL
- free learning modules and planning tools
- guidance tailored to your role.