Continuing Professional Development Policy

ANZATA’s definition of Continuing Professional Development is:
A range of professional learning engagements through which arts therapists (AThR) maintain and develop their careers. This process is to ensure that they retain their capacity to practice safely, effectively and legally.

Continuing professional development hours may be earned by attending conferences, workshops, lectures, seminars and by attending or teaching educational classes that fall within relevant content areas. Hours can also be earned under Professional Activities and this would include publishing articles, books, and videos, participating in juried art shows and being on the ANZATA committee, mentoring, or related voluntary work. Other activities are described below.

Each arts therapist maintains a record of their continuing professional development activities and is encouraged to participate in at least three categories per year. This folio containing the evidence of CPD may be accessed for auditing and embraces a timeframe of two years. Over this period, practitioners are to have completed ten CPD hours per year. An ongoing file records the date, type of activity, presenter name(s), name of the provider, content area, and number of hours earned. The folio holds the documentation of the activities listed in the file. This documentation can be  in the form of academic transcripts, certificates of attendance, synopsis of books / articles that have been read, or other proof, and it must be available if selected for auditing.

An ANZATA sub-committee has been established to audit a percentage of folios (usually 5 to 10% of professional members) and this will be implemented in 2011.

The annual renewal of professional membership form will have a tick box and a statement requiring a signature that states “By ticking this box I indicate that I am engaging in professional development in the field of arts therapy. I am maintaining a folio that documents these activities and this may be audited by ANZATA on demand as per the policy.”

An annual practicing certificate will be issued on completion of this requirement along with payment of professional membership renewal.

Categories of appropriate Continuing Professional Development activities that either directly or indirectly relate to Arts Therapy:

1. Work-Based Learning. eg learning by doing, case studies, coaching, peer review, shadowing, supervising, in-service training, etc
2. Professional Activities. eg Involvement in a professional body, membership of a specialist interest group, lecturing, mentoring, being an examiner, a tutor, maintaining specialist skills
3. Formal/Educational. eg courses, seminars, planning or running courses, attending conferences, writing papers
4. Self-directed Learning. eg reading journals/articles, writing articles, updating knowledge through internet/TV.
5. Ethics. eg updating changes in relevant laws
6. Other. eg public service, voluntary work, courses.

All Professional Members must include their record of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with membership registration and renewal.

CPD Form for Professional Members

The ANZATA CPD Audit Process

What is expected in an audit

The committee’s aim is that all active arts therapists engage in a meaningful process of self-reflective review and ongoing self-directed learning programme. The audit will check for evidence of engagement in the process with particular reference to their nominated arts modalities and duty of care to client groups. The committee has avoided prescribing a specific amount of professional development in favour of supporting individuals to self-monitor and self-regulate. Participation in the programme requires you to self-reflect, review, set learning goals and then select, provide evidence of, and evaluate a range of professional development activities undertaken to develop, enhance and maintain your competence. Those who are audited will be asked to complete Steps 1, 2, 3 and 6 of those listed below. The other steps will be required in future as they extend this process into an ongoing cycle of review and planning.

The ANZATA CPD is a high-trust model that emphasises personal responsibility, flexibility and choice. The process will assist you to identify gaps or weaknesses in your knowledge, skills, and attitudes and to formulate your current and long term learning needs to facilitate your ongoing learning. Because of the risk of blind spots or “not knowing what you do not know” – discussion with your supervisor, mentors and professional colleagues may be useful to enhance your awareness of up-to-date or emerging competencies in a particular area of practice.

The Process

Step 1: Record of Activities

Each arts therapist maintains a record of their continuing professional development activities and is encouraged to participate in at least three categories per year. An ongoing file should record the date, type of activity, presenter name(s), name of the provider, content area, and number of hours earned. This documentation can be in the form of academic transcripts, certificates of attendance, synopsis of books / articles that have been read, and it must be available if selected for auditing.

Step 2: Self reflective review

The review should begin with a summary of the categories of your professional practice (you are not expected to operate in all categories, just write about the ones that you are involved in). The review should include consideration of the particular competencies, challenges and ethical issues associated with each category of practice. Please review and evaluate your performance and identify needs in relation to knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviour.

The purpose of the review is to develop a comprehensive overview of your practice by identifying areas of competence, strengths and aspects requiring further development. You should give any new areas of practice extra attention. Where it is relevant you can include workplace contextual features. You can structure and focus your review on aspects that are the most meaningful to you.

A record of your review should be retained for future reference and for audit purposes.

Step 3: Setting objectives for Continuing Professional Development

Based on the outcomes of your assessment, identify and record one or more objectives for development. You may wish to give some objectives a priority rating. It may also be appropriate to group them according to whether they are a short or long term goal. It is essential that your goals are meaningful to you. Record your goals for future reference and also for audit purposes.

Step 4: Determine a learning plan

Once your learning goals are formulated, you should develop a plan that will enable you to meet them. A range of learning activities will be recognised as contributing to a CPD for audit purposes. These activities may include (but are not limited to) such activities as researching a topic, consulting a colleague, engaging in a supervision plan, reading professional literature, enrolling in a continuing education option, attending workshops or conferences, engaging in creative and artistic activities, and/or undertaking further training or personal development.

Formulate a plan considering your desired outcome and the availability of resources, along with the variety of ways that your objective may be achieved. You may wish to add to the plan throughout the year as new learning objectives emerge (e.g. a client presenting with a particular problem), and/or as opportunities for further learning arise. Your plan may be continually evolving. It is acknowledged that changes in your circumstances may result in alterations to your plan. Document your plan in whatever manner you wish.

Step 5: Record activities undertaken towards the learning plan

Record any learning activities and, where appropriate, retain documentary evidence of completion. Indicate clearly whether an activity undertaken has addressed a goal identified in your learning plan.

Step 6: Ongoing reflection to assess outcomes of learning plan

Ongoing consideration of whether your practice has been consolidated or improved as a result of undertaking continuing competence activities. This reflection may occur independently, in discussion with peers, and/or in supervision. Reflection also gives you feedback on whether a particular activity ought to be undertaken again, and/or whether modification of that activity or your practice needs to occur.

Sample questions to focus self-reflection might include the following:
As a result of my chosen activity/activities:
•    Has my awareness or attitude changed? In what way?
•    Has my knowledge been updated or refreshed? What areas do I need to develop further?
•    What skills have I developed?
•    How will I use the knowledge and skills I have acquired to enhance/change my practice?

You may also consider whether your chosen activity has impacted on outcomes for consumers and colleagues:
•     Have I observed any positive impact on others?
•     Does objective feedback from consumers/others confirm positive outcomes?
•     How do I incorporate feedback either negative or positive into my continuing competence plan?

Competency self-assessment, setting objectives, and developing a plan is a cyclical process with insight into development needs gained both via situations encountered in practice, supervision, and consultation as well as through focused critical reflections.

Step 7: Declaration of competence

As part of your application for an APC, you are required to declare that in the past year you have met the requirements of the CPD.

The Self Declaration includes a statement by the practitioner that:
•    His or her professional knowledge, skills, judgment and diligence are such that s/he is competent to practise.
•    She or he is committed to undertaking continual competence development and has met the requirements of the Continuing Professional Development process during the previous year.

Optional: Third-Party Declaration: In the event of an audit, you can invite a declaration from a person who is in a position to endorse your continuing competence programme participation. This person will have discussed with you your self-reflective review, the learning goals generated, and your ongoing professional development.

This person may be your employer, supervisor, mentor, or peer who:
•    is in a position to observe your practice, and/or
•    has had sufficient professional contact with you to attest to your standard of practice and fitness to practise.

There may be circumstances where this declaration/endorsement is split between two people.

Step 8 (Optional): Supervision Log

Supervision is an integral component of continuing competence. A supervision log should be maintained. This should show details of the nature and frequency of supervision. Frequency and mode of supervision may vary according to location, resources and context, and may incorporate any aspect of professional role (e.g., clinical, managerial, or cultural). Different supervisors or mentors may fulfill different roles, in which case these roles should be clearly identified. Distance supervision, telephone supervision, or online supervision (where this occurs) should be clearly recorded as such and attempts made to minimise potential disadvantages.

Step 9: Retention of records of CPD

Records should be retained for future audit purposes. Arts therapists audited in future years may be requested to supply retrospective records as well as those pertaining to the current two-year period.

Audits

Starting from April 2011, 5-10% of members will be audited each year – either volunteers or randomly selected.

The audit process and what it involves:
1.    If an arts therapist is selected for an audit in 2011, ANZATA will require that practitioner to submit his or her CPD information (Steps 1,2,3, & 6) within 20 working days of receiving the request.
2.    An extension to submit the required information may be requested.
3.    The committee will determine the outcome of the audit and notify the arts therapist in writing within 30 working days. If the committee has any concerns regarding the documentation and evidence of CPD activity, they may request additional information. In the event that there are serious concerns following an audit, a Competence Review may be ordered.
4.    Failure to provide all the required information may result in suspension of the arts therapists’ APC until they submit documentation that satisfactorily supports the application.

Exemptions

An arts therapist may apply in writing to the committee within 10 working days of receiving an audit request to be exempted from CPD participation for the year if that person has recently been out of practice for more than six months.

Reasons might involve long-term incapacitating illness (or illness in a family member, spouse or partner), study leave, parental leave, and overseas travel. Any documentation granting an exemption should be retained for future audits. If an exemption is not granted an appeal process is available.

Appeal Process

An appeal may be lodged with the committee if:
1.    You have had your APC suspended or revoked;
2.    You believe you have reasonable/compelling grounds for an exemption; or
3.    You believe that you have not been given due process.

 

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