What are my CPD requirements?

Ahpra introduced new CPD standards in December 2019. For full information, click here. To meet the new CPD standards OTs must complete at least 20 hours of CPD each year that:

• seeks to improve patient/client outcomes and experiences
  • draws on the best available evidence, including well-established and accepted knowledge that is supported by research where possible, to inform good practice and decision-making
  • contributes directly to improving your competence (performance and behaviour) and keeping you up to date in your chosen scope and setting of practice
• builds on your existing knowledge, and
• includes a minimum of five hours of CPD in an interactive setting with other practitioners.

It is worth reviewing the webinar that Ahpra released that answers the frequently asked questions relating to the CPD changes.

Is it mandatory that I have clinical supervision?

OTA strongly recommends regular supervision for best practice and to meet the Ahpra competency requirements. The frequency may vary across individual needs and determined between the supervisor and supervisee (refer to the OTA Professional Supervision Framework).

How can I access OT supervision/support if it is not available in my workplace?

If you do not have access to OT specific supervision, then you could look at outsourcing supervision.

You can use the OTA Find an OT search function to identify OT’s who may be willing to support you (look under Professional Supervision as the area of practice).

Other options to ensure you remain up to date and practicing effectively are to:

• Complete relevant professional development. You can find the CPD OTA offers here
• Be proactive in discussing your support needs with your manager
• Link with your peers, in similar areas of practice, via meetings in your area.
• Join relevant interest groups
• Link with your OT peers through networking events, social media etc.

What activities can I count towards CPD?

Refer to this fact sheet on what activities can count towards CPD on the AHPRA website.

Note that you are required to maintain a portfolio that documents your learning goals and records all your planned CPD activities and your reflection on how these CPD activities are expected to improve or have improved your practice. The content, quality of information, and relevance to your practice is most important to consider when reasoning if an activity can be included as CPD.

What is considered as ‘interactive CPD’?

According to the Ahpra CPD standards that were introduced in December 2019, interactive CPD is classified as:

• "Interactive means learning that involves two-way flow of information and occurs with other practitioners, such as face-to-face or interactive online education". *

The CPD standard requires you to complete at least five hours of interactive CPD activities, as there is some evidence that this facilitates effective learning. It also helps to maintain connections with other practitioners and contemporary practice. Interactive CPD activities are any activities that involve other practitioners, such as face-to-face education in person or through technologies such as web conferencing.

Can supervision and/or mentoring be counted towards CPD?

For supervision and mentoring to be included as CPD, you must be able to clearly reflect on how the session built on your knowledge and/or competence, kept you up to date, or improved patient outcomes. There are many different components to supervision and mentoring. Some elements may meet the CPD requirement and others may not. For example, if the supervision session is discussing case studies and building on your level of knowledge and is relevant to your goals, it should be able to be counted as supervision. However, if the session is focused on departmental processes, it is unlikely to be appropriate to be counted.

Also, remember that for clinical supervision/mentoring to be counted in the interactive category you must record details of the activity, keep a record of your notes, make sure its relevant towards your learning goals, and that you document the reflection in your CPD portfolio. This is all explained on the Ahpra web page.

I’m a new graduate and registered part way through the CPD cycle, do I need to obtain 20 hours of CPD?

The Ahpra website has all the information you need to know regarding the CPD requirements to meet the new standards (December 2019). It states that "If you register part-way through a registration period you must complete five hours of CPD for every three months of registration remaining in the registration period".