Evidence of CPD is only required for the following roles: 

• Sighted Guide – 5 hours of CPD annually 

• Specialist Mentor – Mental Health (SM-MH) – 30 hours of CPD annually for BPS Members only and 10 hours of CPD annually 

• Specialist Mentor – Autism Spectrum Conditions (SM-ASC) – 10 hours of CPD annually

• Specialist one-to-one Study Skills and Strategy Support – Autism Spectrum Conditions (SS-ASC) – 10 hours of CPD annually

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DfE expect ALL DSA funded providers/support workers in the roles above to undertake the prescribed hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) each year. CPD should be related to your role, for example to visual impairment, autism, self-harm, suicide awareness and prevention, safeguarding and so forth as appropriate. While CPD is often automatically thought of as formal training, professional development can include a wide range of activities. While attending conferences and courses remains a key aspect it is important to realise that most of the learning comes from experience day-to-day. The following list of CPD activities is not exhaustive, but it will provide some idea of the types of activity that support workers can undertake which will contribute to CPD:

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• Work based learning such as reflective practice, work shadowing, coaching from others or undertaking a project.

• Self-directed learning such as reading journals/articles, updating knowledge through the internet, such as Sighted Guiding instructional videos, or television and keeping a file of progress.

• Professional activity such as involvement in a professional body, or other specialist groups or membership of a specialist interest group.

• Formal/educational activity such as courses, workshops, attending conferences, writing articles or papers, or going to seminars

• Voluntary work in the visual impairment or autism sector.

• Input into research on autism.

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To be relevant CPD should for example cover:

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• The social model, including respecting individuality, understanding intersectionality etc.

• Parameters of the specific role.

• The specific role in context including boundaries, documentation, lone worker policies, confidentiality, risk, contact with third parties, etc.,

• Health and Safety training