BPS registers and CPD

Every 5 years we’ll contact you about the CPD revalidation process for the register.

At this point we’ll ask a sample of you to send us a record of the CPD carried out within the last 5 years, including reflections on how this has benefited you and your practice.

We will also ask for a statement which describes how you have continued to develop as a supervisor and apply the Learning Outcomes associated with the Register over this period. 

RAPPS Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

1. Have knowledge of the context (including professional, ethical and legal) within which supervision is provided and an understanding of the inherent responsibility.
2. Have knowledge of developmental models of learning which may have an impact on supervision.
3. Have knowledge of a number of supervision frameworks that could be used for understanding and managing the supervisory process.
4. Have knowledge of the structure of supervised professional experience including assessment procedures at different levels of qualification up to Chartered Status level, and the changing expectations regarding the supervisor’s role.
5. Have knowledge of the various methods to gain information and give feedback (e.g. self-report, audio and video tapes, colleague and client reports).
6. Have knowledge of ethical issues in supervision and an understanding of how this may affect the supervisory process, including power differentials.
7. Have knowledge of techniques and processes to evaluate supervision, including eliciting feedback. 

Understanding

1. Have an understanding of the importance of modelling the professional role, e.g. managing boundaries, (including protecting time), confidentiality, accountability.
2. Have an understanding of the transferability of professional skills into supervision and the similarities and differences.
3. Have an understanding of the transferability of professional skills into supervision and the similarities and differences.
4. Have an understanding of the process of assessment and failure, and skills and experience in evaluating supervisees.
5. Have an understanding of the issues around difference and diversity in supervision.
6. Have an awareness of the on-going development of supervisory skills and the need for further reflection/supervision training.

Skills

1. Have skills and experience in developing and maintaining a supervisory alliance.
2. Have skills and experience in contracting and negotiating with supervisees.
3. Have skills and experience in the art of constructive criticism, on-going positive feedback and critical feedback where necessary.
4. Have skills and experience of using a range of supervisory approaches and methods.

The CPD requirements for the Register of Coaching psychologists are currently under review.

The CPD requirements for the Register of Coaching psychologists are currently under review.

The revised CPD requirements will refer to maintaining currency in the competences set out in the Level 8 Standards for Coaching Psychology.

We ask you to declare that you practice as a psychologist specialising in psychotherapy in accordance with the 6 principles of this register every 5 years.

As with our other Registers you’ll be asked to provide a full CPD record for the period in question and a supporting statement showing how you have maintained your practice in the field of psychotherapy alongside the principles of the Register.

Principles of the Register

Principle 1: Psychologists as psychotherapists

In creating a register of psychologists specialising in psychotherapy there is recognition that those involved have continuing commitments and responsibilities as both psychologists and psychotherapists, and to the development of constructive relationships between those roles, disciplines and value systems

Aims and competencies:

1. To be familiar with, and able to draw on, knowledge and approaches in psychology, which have particular relevance for psychotherapeutic understanding and practice.
2. To be able to think psychologically about approaches and issues in psychotherapy, which have significant implications for psychology and use this knowledge and understanding to elaborate aspects of psychological therapy and/or practice.

Principle 2: Inquiry and communication

As psychologists specialising in psychotherapy, attitudes and approaches which reflect ongoing inquiry (of many kinds and at many levels) are expected to be central.

Aims and competencies:

1. To be familiar with, and able to make use of, a range of approaches (both quantitative and qualitative) to psychological inquiry relevant to psychotherapy, and to adopt a continuing attitude of inquiry in relation to psychotherapeutic practice.
2. To be familiar with, and to undertake, the range of modes of communication required in psychotherapeutic practice and inquiry, and the dissemination of knowledge and understanding (formally and informally) arising from psychological and psychotherapeutic practice and research.

Principle 3: Psychotherapeutic practice and understanding

Psychotherapy, in its many forms, involves intimate, interpersonal modes of inquiry which engage the ‘heart’ as well as the ‘head’, feelings as well as ideas, involvement and responsibilities in relation to the lives of others as well as reflection and re-framing of what may be going on.

Aims and competencies:

1. To be conceptually knowledgeable about a number of approaches (e.g. theories and models) and with ways of working (e.g. individual, family, group) in psychotherapy, and be familiar with relevant clinical and scientific information.
2. To be able to undertake, in informed and imaginative ways all aspects (e.g. theoretical, practical, scientific, administrative) of at least one approach to the practice of psychotherapy.

Principle 4: Personal and professional development

It is a requirement that psychologists specialising in psychotherapy will be engaged in ongoing supervision and personal development, which may contribute to the development of honest and satisfactory ways of establishing and maintaining constructive therapeutic alliances with clients and relationships with colleagues.

Aims and competencies:

1. To be actively and systematically engaged in personal development work of a variety of kinds, so that greater understanding of personal issues is developed and impediments to effective practice are recognised and reduced
2. To be actively engaged in being supervised (in a non-managerial sense), so that personal, clinical and professional issues in psychotherapy are open to continuing questioning review and reconsideration.

Principle 5: Knowledge of the wider world

In addition to knowledge about psychological and psychotherapeutic approaches and issues, it is expected that psychologists specialising in psychotherapy will be aware of the wider contexts within which psychotherapy is practised.

Aims and competencies:

1. To be familiar with major social, cultural and political issues and controversies concerning psychotherapy, including multicultural, ethical and equal opportunity issues.
2. To be familiar with disciplines and aspects of life outside the context of psychotherapy and to be able to make use of this knowledge in appropriate ways in psychotherapeutic reflection, practice and inquiry.

Principle 6: Re-registration and further professional development

All psychologists specialising in psychotherapy are expected to continue with education and training relevant to both psychological and psychotherapeutic understanding and practice.

Aims and competencies

1. To be involved in ongoing personal and professional development work in ways which maintain, develop and refresh psychological and psychotherapeutic knowledge, understanding and practice in relation to requirements of the re-registration process.
2. Where relevant, to be engaged in the creative development of professional understanding, knowledge and practice, including systematic and carefully planned continuing professional development training, in ways which are relevant to ‘advanced practitioner’ status. 

This register is part of the Society’s 5-year CPD cycle.

Those selected for audit from the SRCN are expected to provide a CPD record for the 5-year period which is assessed by members of the Division of Neuropsychology as well as the Society’s Membership Advisory Group (MAG).

The DON representatives look at the specific nature of your CPD to confirm that it is as expected for a Clinical Neuropsychologist in practice.  

By paying your registration fee when renewing your registration each year you confirm that you continue to meet the requirements to be registered on the Wider Psychological Workforce Register and that you have fulfilled the required standards of supervision and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

For more information see Wider Psychological Workforce area

CPD is a key element to achieving and maintaining registered status with the Science Council.

Registrants must engage in ongoing CPD in order to remain on the register regardless of their level of award.

The differing competencies expected across the awards can be found in this matrix.

The Science Council runs annual CPD awards to celebrate the efforts and achievements of Registrants for good practice in continuous improvement.

Why not aim to represent Psychology and have your efforts and achievements celebrated?

More information on the awards can be found on the Science Council website.

Standards for CPD Revalidation

There are five standards which must be maintained in order for a registrant's CPD to be revalidated

Standard S1: A registrant must maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities

This standard is met if there is evidence that the registrant has maintained a record of their CPD activities and by completing the online CPD record which includes a brief summary of all the CPD activities they have undertaken.

Standard S2: A registrant must demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice

The standard is met if the registrant’s CPD includes activities in at least three (exceptionally two) of the following categories and that there is evidence that the registrant’s CPD activities are relevant to their current or future practice.

• S2.1 Work based learning (e.g. supervising staff / students, reflective practice)

• S2.2 Professional activity (e.g. involvement in a professional body, mentoring)

• S2.3 Formal / Educational (e.g. writing articles / papers, further education)

• S2.4 Self-directed learning (e.g. reading journals, reviewing books / articles)

• S2.5 Other (e.g. voluntary work, public service)

Standard S3: A registrant must seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice

The standard is met if the registrant’s personal statement shows that their CPD activities have improved the quality of their work and this is backed up by evidence or they believe that their CPD might improve the quality of their work, but this had not been the case.

The registrant’s statement must show that they have considered why this has happened, and what they will do next to make sure their CPD will improve the quality of their work in the future.

Standard S4: A registrant must seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the users of the service (employee, customer, student etc)

The standard is met if the registrant has shown (through evidence provided or an explanation given) how their CPD activities have benefited users of their service, either directly or indirectly.

Standard S5: A registrant must present a written profile containing evidence of their CPD upon request

The standard is met if the registrant has sent in a complete profile by the deadline. 

The register has been developed for psychologists who are registered as experts in this field and possess all the requisite knowledge and understanding to practice competently and ethically. 

The vast majority of registrants will be working within NHS Gender Identity Clinics.