Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is important because it’s about staying current, engaging in life-long learning that enhances your professional development and cultural competence. CPD challenges preconceptions and supports you to achieve good outcomes for the people you work with.
CPD addresses your learning/training and education and development needs, as identified by yourself, your employer, and/or your supervisor. The goal for your CPD is to identify learning opportunities that allow you to reflect on the SWRB’s ten core competence standards.
Within your CPD log, which must now be completed annually, it is an expectation that:
- your CPD activities are linked to the ten core competencies and ensure that your practice remains current and relevant
- your CPD activities must reflect on practice that supports your competence to work with Māori
- you have completed a minimum of 20 hours CPD during the year
- you have critically reflected on your CPD learning, the relevance of your CPD to practice and the core competencies.
NOTE: You do not need to address all ten competencies every year, but you must demonstrate competence to work with Māori every year and we suggest that you aim to address the other nine competencies over a five-year timeframe. Most CPD activities will address multiple competencies.
The CPD log is currently aligned with the Practising Certificate year which runs from July to June.
The SWRB randomly audits five per cent of registered social worker’s CPD logs each year. It is essential you keep your Log up to date and ready to be audited, as part of this process. If you are selected as part of the five per cent, you will be notified by the SWRB and your log will need to be signed off by your supervisor.
Supervisor Declaration Form
Examples of CPD
Training, education and professional development opportunities that may address the SWRB ten core competence standards include:
- Post graduate study
- Conferences
- Workshops
- Courses
- Seminars
- Webinars
- Research
- Structured visits to explore social work issues in another field, region or country
- Acting-up or taking on another role for a short period
- Scoping & developing a new programme of work or initiative
- Undertaking a service evaluation/audit
- Supervising student placements
- Engaging in journal clubs
- Planning & presenting a lecture / course / seminar / webinar / workshop
- Writing articles or books
- Reviewing books or articles
- Reading articles
- Listening to video or audio resources for example Ted talks or podcasts.
- Recording your practice (seek permission from your clients and agency first) and getting feedback
- Simulating social work practice
- Working Groups for example developing position statements; policy development, best practice guidelines or research.
- Discussions about practise development or approaches to social work with social work colleagues.
The following are not CPD activities:
- Supervision received or delivered.
- Training or education that does not address the SWRB ten core competence standards.
Logging my CPD
You can upload your CPD Log to MySWRB by:
- Entering your CPD activities directly into the SWRB online template.
- In the ‘CPD’ tab, click ‘Add CPD record’
- Fill in all the information
- Tick ‘complete’ to log each activity for audit and ‘save’
OR
- Upload your own completed CPD log document (in Word document, or PDF form).
- In the ‘CPD’ tab, click ‘Add CPD record’
- Under ‘Upload completed CPD log’ click ‘select’ to upload your document. This can cover multiple CPD activities
- Enter date in which CPD began and select category (SWRB Log Upload or other)
- Tick ‘complete’ to mark ready for audit and ‘save’
- You will also need to upload a signed declaration by your supervisor (template attached).
- Click the ‘upload signed document’ button (at the bottom of the CPD page),
- Click ‘select’ to upload your document, then click ‘save & close’.
You may also choose log your CPD using the SWRB CPD Log template:
Continuing Professional Development Log example
If you are a member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers you can also use their online CPD Log and upload a copy of the log to MySWRB.
| Questions to guide critical reflection What have I learned from the experience? What do I remember as being important? What could have been improved? What feedback did I get? Will this benefit the people I work with? How can I use what I have learned in my practice? Has my attitude, perception or awareness changed? Has my knowledge been updated and/or refreshed? How have I enhanced my knowledge base? What new skills have I developed? What do I need to do next? Has my thinking changed? How has this professional development changed the way I practice? Have I applied new knowledge/skills and continued to use these in my work? |
Refer briefly to the SWRB 10 core competence standards to identify which competence standards are relevant to the CPD you have undertaken.
The CPD log audit
Each year, the SWRB will be writing to 5% of all registered social workers asking to see their CPD log. The log must include the previous year’s record (1st July- 30th June) of CPD with reflections.
The logs will be sent to an external panel of experienced registered social workers who will look through each log checking that CPD has been undertaken, is relevant to the competences, and includes critical reflection.
A satisfactory log will show that:
- your CPD activities are linked to the ten core competencies and ensure your practice remains current and relevant
- some of your CPD activities will reflect on practice that demonstrates competence to work with Māori
- you have completed a minimum of 20 hours of CPD
- you have critically reflected on your CPD learning, the relevance of your CPD to practice and the core competencies.
CPD log FAQs
Q: Why have I been selected for audit?
It is a random selection from the SWRB database of 5% of all practising registered social workers.
Q: When will I know if I have been selected to have my CPD audited?
If you are selected, the SWRB will email you requesting your CPD log.
Q: If I am audited, when is my CPD log due to be submitted?
The sooner you submit your CPD log, the sooner the audit team can start the process.
Q: How much do I need to pay for the CPD log audit?
There is no fee for the CPD log audit.
Q: Can I be exempted from the audit?
No, registered social workers cannot be exempt from the CPD log audit.
Q: What happens if I do not provide my CPD log?
If you are selected to be audited, it is a requirement to provide your CPD log. If we do not receive a social worker’s CPD log, they will refer the social worker to our professional standards team.
Q: Can I request my CPD log is assessed by tangata whenua?
Yes, this is an option available to you.
Q: Can I submit my CPD log in any other language?
We will accept your CPD log in any of the official languages of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Q: How long will it take to receive an outcome?
It can take up to one month to receive an outcome from our reviewers. Your CPD log outcome will be sent to you as soon as it is available.
Q: Is there a template for the CPD log?
Yes, we prefer log be entered into your MySWRB but we accept both the SWRB template on our website and the online CPD log template provided by ANZASW.
Q: How do I submit my CPD log?
You can upload your CPD log to your MySWRB. If you have any questions, you can contact us at applications@swrb.govt.nz or 0508 797 269.
Q: What type of CPD do we accept?
- Post graduate study
- Conferences
- Workshops
- Courses
- Seminars
- Webinars
- Research
- Structured visits to explore social work issues in another field, region or country
- Acting-up or taking on another role for a short period
- Scoping & developing a new programme of work or initiative
- Undertaking a service evaluation/audit
- Supervising student placements
- Engaging in journal clubs
- Planning & presenting a lecture / course / seminar / webinar / workshop
- Writing articles or books
- Reviewing books or articles
- Reading articles
- Listening to video or audio resources for example Ted talks or podcasts.
- Recording your practice (seek permission from your clients and agency first) and getting feedback
- Simulating social work practice
- Working Groups for example developing position statements; policy development, best practice guidelines or research.
- Discussions about practise development or approaches to social work with social work colleagues.
Q: What do I do as a supervisor if I am not comfortable signing off a CPD log?
If you do not feel that a social worker is competent please do not sign off their CPD log. Please contact the SWRB with your concerns at applications@swrb.govt.nz.
CPD logs and advice for supervisors
CPD logs and advice for supervisors
The SWRB recognises the important role of professional social work supervisors in upholding the competence standards of their supervisees. Each year we expect that supervisors will:
· assist their supervisees to set goals for CPD
· sign off and review the completed log at the end of the year
· work within a contract negotiated with the supervisee
The SWRB ten core competence standards are the foundation of social work practice in New Zealand. In order to assist in maintaining competence, the supervisor and social worker will need to consider how all the competence standards can be maintained.
The CPD audit is one of a portfolio of activities including professional supervision, qualification, and practice experience that support competence.
