PCA Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Scheme
What is Continuous Professional Development (CPD)?
CPD is a personal commitment to keeping your professional knowledge up to date and improving your capabilities. It focuses on what you learn and how you develop in your role.
You’re probably already doing some of it, but by formally recording your learning you’ll show that you’re actively committed to your development.
What is the process?
Fundamentally, it’s a question of setting yourself objectives for development and then charting your progress towards achieving them.
For the PCA Scheme we ask that you register for the scheme and plan to accumulate 25 points during a year – please see the CPD point table for details of how you can earn points. You will record any CPD activity on your registration form, get it verified and supply any relevant evidence to support the development you’ve undertaken.
From January 2017, at least 12 of these points must now be verified by a third party (i.e., we will need to see a certificate of attendance, confirmation of a training course or signed documentation from an external source).
The PCA will charge a fee of £30 + VAT per annum to administer the scheme on your behalf, which will be invoiced separately and enclosed with PCA membership subscription invoices.
As of January 2019, we have decided to issue members of the CPD scheme a digital certificate to prove membership. A CPD profile will also be recorded digitally rather than in paper format. In a concerted effort to improve sustainability we will administer this scheme digitally to reduce the amount of plastic, paper and postage the scheme has generated in the past.
Why should I keep a CPD record?
CPD is an investment that you make in yourself and/or your company. It’s a way of planning your development that links learning directly to practice.
As a professional, you have a responsibility to keep your skills and knowledge up to date. CPD helps you turn that accountability into a positive opportunity to identify and achieve your own objectives. As the scheme progresses, we recommend that you review your learning over the previous 12 months and set your development objectives for the coming year.
For those on the CPD scheme to comply with requirements to allow them to use the CSTDB
designation rather than CSRT, you must remain on the scheme and submit your yearly CPD points summary.
How to join the PCA CPD Scheme
Complete the CPD Application form and return it to us at the address below, we will then send you the relevant paperwork and organize your membership to the scheme. If you have any questions then please contact Amber Topham in the PCA office: Tel 0844 375 4301 or e-mail amber@property-care.org
If you have any questions then please contact Gail Littlefair in the PCA office: Tel 0844 375 4301 or e-mail Gail@property-care.org
Links to related documents:
Application Form: PCA Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Scheme