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.
- Wellbeing and support.
- Protection – this must include child protection and adult support and protection.
- 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.
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.