Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

What is Continuing Professional Development (CPD)?

The CPD certification service defines Continuing Professional Development (CPD) as: “the term to describe the learning activities professionals engage in to develop and enhance their abilities. It enables learning to become conscious and proactive, rather than passive and reactive.”

We would add that this is essential for the accomplishment of all your professional responsibilities.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for coaches and mentors

The focus of CPD is firmly on outcomes – the benefits that you, as a professional, can bring to the real world. The emphasis here is the word ‘you’. Everyone is different and learns in different ways.

Therefore, it is up to you to identify not just what to develop but also how you will go about this.

Why is CPD Important to The IAPC&M?

CPD forms an integral part of our accreditation process (application and re-accreditation) to ensure that our accredited practitioners demonstrate they have the highest professional standards and capability.

What Are The Benefits of CPD?

The benefits of Continuing Professional Development include the following:

  • Ensuring you have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to practice effectively, safely and legally.
  • Demonstrates your commitment to raising professional standards.
  • Increases client confidence.
  • Enhances career development and the direction of your professional development.
  • Increases your credibility.
  • Potentially enables you to deal with change positively.

How Do I Identify My CPD Requirements?

The first step is to consider your own learning and development requirements. You can begin by recognising and accepting gaps in your skills, knowledge or experience. Then you can consider what improvements you can make to improve your professional and/or business practices.

A CPD model to follow is:

Assess

Assess where you are now and what you need to develop. Use information from feedback reviews, coaching sessions, SWOT analysis and other trusted sources

Plan

Plan what you are going to do, how and by when. Also, consider how you will evaluate the activities.

Do

Do what you have planned to do.

Review

Review/evaluate what you have done and consider how you will use this in practice.

Conclude

Draw your own conclusions and evaluate what you have achieved and what you want/need to do next.

Assess

Repeat the cycle.

What are The IAPC&M Requirements for CPD?

The IAPC&M Code of Professional Conduct states that ‘a provider must demonstrate a commitment to continued professional development (CPD).’

The requirement is a minimum of 30 hours per rolling year.

  • It is your responsibility to keep an accurate and up-to-date record of your CPD activities.
  • You are recommended to record a range of CPD activities in line with your professional development requirements
  • Your CPD record must show how you have applied your learning into your professional practice in terms of;
    • Inputs – the time taken
    • Outputs – what you did
    • Outcomes – how you will apply this in your practice
  • You must submit your CPD record upon request. This can be at any stage but will normally be during accreditation or re-accreditation.

What Counts as CPD?

This will always depend on your preferred learning style and what you want to learn/develop.

In all cases, consider what will have the greatest impact on your current and future professional practice. Choose wisely; not too much and not too little. Be realistic about what you can achieve.

Continued Professional Development can be endless, so it is important to bear in mind two things:

  • Firstly, it’s about you and how you will use your learning for the benefit of you and your clients.
  • Secondly, a range of activities will enhance your range of learning options.

How Should I Record My Continuing Professional Development?

We provide a template which can be downloaded from the accredited area; however, you may keep whatever records work best for you, providing they are detailed and explanatory.

Your CPD report/record must be signed and dated upon submission. This is to ensure that the information you provide is accurate, authentic, valid, and reliable and is submitted by you honestly.

Sanctions and Non-Compliance

If false or misleading information is found to have been submitted by you, the matter will be referred to the Professional Standards department. If, after an investigation, the case is proven, your accreditation status (or application) may be suspended or terminated (or denied if applying).

Equally, if you do not comply with the IAPC&M’s requirements for CPD, your case will be referred to the Professional Standards department for review. This failure to comply may result in the same outcomes as outlined above.

What If I Can’t Complete Any CPD?

We recognise and acknowledge that life sometimes throws a curveball. This can include illness, redundancy, personal issues, maternity/paternity, bereavement, sabbaticals, ‘time-out’ and relocation. If you have a planned or unintentional break from your practice and/or CPD activity, contact the accreditation department.

Download a PDF guide of the CPD below.

To help you better prepare for your life assessment call, please download and enjoy these 11 coaching capabiity calls prepared for your benefit, with our compliments.

Karen Liebenguth, AMC

“I enjoyed the whole process of master coach accreditation. It was an important way of reviewing and deepening my coaching skills. I felt very well supported by the IAPC&M along the way, and the CPD resources made available during this process were fantastic and very helpful”.

Anna Ceesay, APC

“Getting accredited with IAPC&M is something every coach should do. The accreditation process is rigorous and demands high standards, which makes me proud to have recently achieved my Accredited Practitioner Coach (APC) status. Dawn and David are very supportive and easy to communicate with. I now feel part of a global family of coaches who are striving for the best service for our clients. Thank you to IAPC&M for welcoming me into your community”.

Tri-Coaching Partnerships

“Having achieved accreditation for our Excellence in Coaching Programme, we found the process to be very efficient. Also, the support has been great from David and Dawn. As co-MDs we first became accredited individually as Fellow Coaches & Mentors, then applied for our programme to be accredited. The launch of our Excellence in Coaching Programme proved to be very successful thanks to our accreditation, which instils our clients with confidence to be the best coaches they can be“.

Hulya Kurt, APC

“After passing a very intense capability call, followed by an in depth feedback, I was allowed to have the Senior Assessment Interview, demonstrating mentor qualities rather than coaching which differs. David, gave me very detailed information about how the session will be conducted, what I could expect and what would be the next steps. I loved especially the beginning of each session breaking the ice first and warming up, like you would do prior any race. You forget about that you are in a kind of exam. Very useful and helps to upskill yourself, the extraordinary feedback with samples of questions, comments and what could had been better. Thanks for such a great assessment”.

Nicole Balmer, APC

“I am so excited to be accredited with the IAPC&M. They have been wonderful throughout their training videos and the support provided in feeling prepared for the assessment and what to expect. It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of such a top-class organisation and I’m excited about my future coaching and progression alongside them”.

Sean McCallum, AMC

“The whole accreditation process has been inspiring. Our CrISIS Schema Workshop is the culmination of years of development in the field of psychological first aid – we weren’t about to have it accredited by just any old organisation, and the IAPC&M didn’t let us down. We were seeking an accreditation process that challenged us to improve, and that’s just what we got. We already knew that we’d got a nugget of gold, and the IAPC&M helped us to polish it and have it shine even brighter! A key thing for us was the values based approach that the IAPC&M have in all they do, and that aligned well for us as a non-profit company with a deep social connection. In short, a challenging and enlightening accreditation process, which we have benefitted from enormously”.

Caroline Jeffrey, APC

“My accreditation is an important asset to provide my clients and provides professionalism to my profile. The wonderful added bonus has been the huge value to myself in terms of personal development, growth and learning. The IAPC&M have, expertly and consistently supported me throughout the process of gaining my accreditation, and I’m so glad to have momentum of this continued support with my ongoing personal development”.

Eric Courturier, AFC

“So glad I did it! After looking at different organisations for accreditation, I am so glad I went with IAPC&M. We are working in a crowded market, where sadly, many people can do more damage than good. Having gone through the rigorous processes and being awarded a Fellow membership prove how serious Coaches & Mentors can be elevated from the masses and strive in their industry. If you are serious about our industry, and you want to punch above the rest, I genuinely recommend IAPC&M for you to make your mark. Dawn & David are beneficial, and make sure you are not left on your own during the process. As we strive for quality delivery from honest coaches & mentors, IAPC&M is definitely the awarding body to consider for your next move. The more profound question I now ask myself is…Why did I wait so long” ?

Emma Carroll, APC

“After completing my Diploma in Life Coaching it was important to me that I become accredited by a professional body, I wanted to be recognised as a professional coach and to ensure I was coaching my clients to a high standard of excellence. I am delighted I decided to apply for that accreditation with IAPC&M. Leading up to the assessment they were incredibly responsive to any queries, and I gained a lot from the coaching capability videos they have produced for IAPC&M Practitioners. The feedback I received post my assessment was constructive and extremely valuable to me when identifying areas for CPD. I am excited to start my journey with IAPC&M, I already feel supported by the team, and I am confident it will with provide great value and ROI”.

Aintherese Madden, APC

“For me it is really important to achieve Accreditation status so that clients can really feel they trust me and the work I do. The IAPC&M feedback helped me see my blind spots. I realised that it doesn’t matter how good we think we are or could be, what matters is the client’s story, their journey and personal capability”.

Tony Vernon, AMC

“I have been Coaching & Mentoring clients since I certified as a Professional Coach in 1999. Throughout this time, I have developed a huge amount of skills, thousands of clinical hours, and I’ve trained with the best people I can find in the World. However, being evaluated does not bring out the best in me. So, I was happy to be able to provide a recording of a live coaching session as well as receive a live call to evaluate my knowledge, experience and skills. I found David and Dawn to be very kind people. I chose to become accredited as we all need to protect the public and the coaching industry we are a part of”.

Helen Gray, APC

“IAPC&M accreditation was not only a personal achievement, but also demonstrates my credibility as a coach, and reassures clients. The journey was very professional, l and Dawn and David were on hand to answer questions and supported me throughout. IAPC&M clearly care about the industry and you as a coach. Straight after I gained my qualification I received a congratulatory welcoming email and started participating in informative webinars. I feel apart of a community of like minded, professional individuals, and I love it”!

Ed J C Smith, AMC

“My experience with the IAPC&M has been world-class. The processes which they take you through, will strengthen not only your own skills as a coach, but will massively strengthen the quality of your program. If you are serious about getting great results with your clients, I strongly recommend this process, so you are in the best position possible to get the most for your clients. In a world today where online reputation is everything this is a must for you”.

Anna Maria Abi Chahine, ASC, Lebanon

“Having achieved my Coaching Diploma, I felt Accreditation would be important on my professional journey and increase the quality of trust clients have in me as their coach. Dawn shared exactly the profound meaning Accreditation would have on me, and David never ceased to keep answering questions and help with self-doubts, all very encouraging. It is only with self-awareness and proof that we can grade our level of expertise as a professional. I strongly encourage coaches to proceed with Accreditation, it is the only way toward continuous progress and achievements. BIG thanks to Dawn for helping me feel relaxed while coaching her in the final assessment, and BIG thanks to David who accompanied me through the whole procedure”.