APA Continuing Professional Development Scheme

The APA introduced a compulsory system of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for all members in January 1999.

Under the scheme, members are required to participate in 20 hours of learning every year. Each hour of learning equates to one CPD hour. This is in line with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia.

Although the CPD scheme is audited on a per hour basis, the focus is intended to be on individual learning needs and individual learning outcomes.

At present, the CPD requirement is for members to earn 20 CPD hours over a year.

Members are expected to record their own professional development activities in a CPD log.

Click Here to see your profile and to access the CPD log.

Which activities earn CPD hours ?

The APA has aligned its CPD requirements with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia. Please see "Guidelines to continuous professional development" from the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (click here) for further details.

While attendance at courses and conferences remains an important aspect of professional development, learning that occurs in day-to-day situations is also recognised by the CPD scheme.

The APA continuing professional development scheme recognises that adults learn in different ways and allows hours to be accrued for a variety of activities including :

• Discussions with colleagues
• Reflecting on practice
• Reading professional publications
• Public relations activities
• Committee involvement
• Lecturing
• Systematic literature reviews and research
• Attendance at courses and conferences.

Members are strongly encouraged to use a learning portfolio to document professional development goals, record professional development activities and evaluate the progress of their learning. Formal portfolios enable members to readily demonstrate compliance with the APA's CPD scheme when they are audited.

Click here to download the CPD Portfolio.

Click here to read an article in November 2011's InMotion about recording your CPD hours.