Directed CPD 2021-2022 and updated guidance for all registrants published

The GCC’s requirement for registrants to reflect on their first aid skills and competencies in the 2019/20 CPD return resulted in a notable focus on first aid in registrants’ CPD considerations and activities. This is likely to have improved the relevance of registrants’ first aid competences.

The effectiveness of this approach highlights the general utility and value of ‘directed CPD’. The GCC has therefore decided to introduce a directed element to the CPD programme each year. This will contribute to developing the profession and lead to safer and more effective practice.

Focus on communication skills

For the 2021/22 CPD year, all registrants will be required to include a particular focus on communication skills relating to Principle F in the GCC Code, which requires chiropractors to communicate properly and effectively with patients, colleagues and other healthcare professionals. This topic has been chosen following public perceptions research conducted in 2020 which highlighted that effective communication between chiropractors and patients can lead to both improved patient satisfaction and better outcomes. Furthermore, issues around communication tend to feature prominently in concerns and complaints raised about chiropractors.

GCC expectations for 2021/22

As part of registrants' CPD returns for 2021/22, the GCC will require each registrant to self reflect on their communication skills. Specifically, the GCC will require registrants to describe how well they believe their communication skills enable them to provide a safe and effective service for their patients, and how they have addressed and/or plan to address any areas which they have identified in need of development/improvement.

The GCC has added two questions to its online CPD portal to enable registrants to provide this information:

1. Thinking about your communication skills & competencies, (a) how well do you feel these enable you to provide a safe and effective service to your patients, and (b) where do you think the gaps/areas for improvement might be in your communication skills and competencies?

2. Thinking about areas for improvement in your communication skills and competencies, (a) how have you/will you address these to enable you to improve your practice in this CPD year, and (b) how do you intend to ensure your communication skills and competences continue to develop in future years?

Guidance available to assist registrants to record their communication skills CPD activities

If any of the CPD activities you undertake during the 2021/22 CPD year relate to developing your communication skills, you may wish to record these in the online portal among your CPD activities in the normal way. You may also choose to reflect on this particular activity in the reflection section.

Guidance on how to complete your 2021/22 CPD return using the online portal, including your communication skills reflection/development activities, can be found here.

Additional directed CPD requirements for recent graduates

Additional directed CPD requirements apply to recent graduates (two years or less) who registered with the GCC for the first time from July 2021. The GCC expects these registrants to be participants in the Post Registration Training (PRT) programme.

These additional requirements have a clinical governance focus and will assist recent graduates with the transition into practice, enabling them to consolidate and apply their knowledge of key aspects of clinical governance and continue their learning in a consistent and professional way during their first postgraduate year.

An additional bulletin for recent graduates can be accessed here.

Specific, supplementary guidance on how to complete the clinical governance component of the CPD return is provided, here.