Getting The Most of Of The Ccp - A tutorial for members who are not currently practising

Welcome to this webcast on getting more out of the Continuing Competence Program, or the CCP. At the end of this tutorial, you should have a much clearer understanding of the CCP requirements, and a good sense of how you can complete the program when you're not currently practising. Viewing the webcast is a way of setting aside structured time for self reflection and Self-Assessment. If you haven't already started this year's CCP, this webcast will help you catch up; if you'd like to improve or enhance what you've already done, or what you've done in previous years, this webcast should get you on your way. This particular webcast is directed at members who aren't currently practising social work or social service work, because they're on a leave (such as maternity, parental or sick leave) because they're unemployed or working in a different field, because they've retired or because they're in the Inactive category of membership. If you are currently practising, there's another webcast designed specifically for you. You may also be interested in viewing the general overview of the CCP called "Introducing the Continuing Competence Program". Both of these can be found under the Professional Practice tab on the College website. As we get started, please take a moment to ensure that you have the following documents with you: The Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice Handbook, 2nd Edition, 2008 and the Self-Assessment Tool and Professional Development Plan Documents (which is one booklet). You may also want to have the CCP Instruction Guide handy. This is a separate booklet, which is more likely to be useful when you're working on your own. Here's an overview of what we'll be covering in this tutorial. First I'm going to briefly outline the 5 steps involved in the CCP. I'll then talk in more detail about the different parts of the program: the Work Sheet, the Self-Assessment Tool and the Professional Development Plan. As you can see, there will be times when you might want to pause the webcast to work on the CCP documents themselves. Feel free to work on your CCP over several sessions. You can always come back to the section of the webcast that you need when you have more time. Tabs on the side of this slide show will help you easily get to the section that you need. It can be helpful to view this webcast with other members, so that you'll be able to learn from the experience of others. By being a member of the College, you're saying that you're professional, ethical, qualified and accountable. You're saying something important about yourself and about your profession. One of your obligations as a registered SW or SSW is to fulfill continuing competency requirements set out by the College. Most regulatory colleges have continuing competency requirements; these are sometimes called QA or Continuing Education requirements. Members of the public can be assured that as a member of the College, you're ethical and qualified, and continue to learn and develop as a professional even if you aren't currently practising. The CCP was launched in April 2009 after 2 phases of consultation with members, regulatory bodies and other stakeholders. It's mandatory for all members, even those who aren't currently practising because they're on a leave, such as maternity, parental or sick leave, are unemployed or retired, are in the Inactive category of membership, or who registered late in the year. The Registration Regulation made under the Social Work and Social Service Work Act gives the College the authority to suspend the certificate of registration of members who do not comply with the CCP. Based on the consultations, we developed the CCP as an adult education model that requires members to take responsibility for their own learning, to review the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, to complete a Self-Assessment, and to develop a professional development plan based on the needs that they identified in their Self-Assessment. All of this is completed annually. One important aspect of our Self-Assessment is that it's grounded in the 8 principles in the SOP. The program is flexible, and takes into account the fact that as a member who isn't currently practising, your needs will likely be different from those of someone who is. The CCP has been very well-received so far. Members have said that they appreciate the program's flexibility -- not only can they can set goals that are feasible and meaningful to them, but learning activities are defined very broadly and aren't limited to attending workshops, courses or conferences. This may be especially relevant to you if you're not currently practising. Although the College doesn't tell you, as a member, where or how to focus your learning, it does recommend that you spend a minimum of 25 hours per year on your CCP. There are 5 steps involved in completing the CCP. The first step is to complete the work sheet, which involves assessment of your current situation and learning needs, as well as your future learning needs and goals. Although this worksheet is optional, it can be very useful in completing the rest of the CCP. The next two steps are to complete your Self-Assessment Tool and your Professional Development Plan. We recommend that you complete these steps early in the calendar year, and they must be done every year. The CCP documents can be downloaded from the College website, saved to your own computer, completed electronically or printed and filled out by hand. Once you've completed your self-assessment and identified your goals and your learning plan in your PD Plan, you can start the fourth step, which is to carry out your learning activities. Throughout the year, review and document your progress in your PD Plan, making note of any changes or any unanticipated learning. You're required to keep evidence of having completed the goals you set out. The fifth and final step of the CCP is to make an annual declaration of participation in the CCP in the year prior; you'll be required to do this at the end of every year, as part of the Annual Renewal of Registration. Section 4 of the renewal form is the declaration of participation in the CCP. I'd like to emphasize now (in case you're wondering how you can meet the requirements of the program when you're not currently practising), that the CCP is flexible enough to meet your needs and reflect your current circumstances. Let's go into a bit more detail, so that this becomes clearer. Any Self-Assessment begins with the questions "Where am I now?" and perhaps "How do I see myself"? Although the first portion of the CCP -- the Optional Work Sheet on pages 4 and 5 of CCP booklet - isn't mandatory, it is a good foundation for your Self-Assessment Tool, which you must complete each year. If you really want to get the most you can out of your CCP, we suggest that you don't skip this step. Self-Assessment is an opportunity to take stock of where you've come from, where you find yourself now and where you want to be in the future. This type of review can help you to identify goals that might otherwise elude you. As you can see, this Self-Assessment process extends beyond the workplace and enables you to look at where you are now , where you'd like to be, and how various aspects of your life impact on your goals. Your current situation, including the experiences and factors that have led to your being away from practice, could be important aspects of your self-assessment. You may also want to consider where you want to be professionally, whether you're planning to return to practice at some point and/or what areas of the field are of interest to you. In this process, self perception and introspection provide a basis for formulating your CCP goals, and you're able to take responsibility for your own learning. Some people find this process difficult. If you're one of these people, there are a variety of tools that you might find helpful. Activities such as journaling, meditation or any activity that increases general awareness are good places to start. Self reflection, Self-Assessment, goal-setting, and working on your CCP goals are an ongoing process. The work sheet gets you started, by asking you to reflect on your current status. What are you currently doing? What has led you to take time away from practice? What are your plans (if any) for returning to the field? You're then asked to look ahead to imagine what type of learning experiences you might require and desire. What do you wish you were doing? What areas or aspects of the field interest you? What do you need to learn? What are you interested in doing? This self reflection is just for you. You therefore have the opportunity to think broadly about your future plans with respect to your practice. If you're planning to return to the field, what will you need to do to ensure that you're competent? If you don't plan to return to practice (at least at this time), how can you remain current and connected to the field? This worksheet gives you an opportunity to reflect on where your skills and knowledge are now, and how you would like to develop them for the future. You may have noticed that the Work Sheet in your booklet doesn't look like this diagram. In completing the work sheet, try not to be limited by the questions and format. If a diagram like this one helps you in the reflective process, by all means use it. The formatting of the questions is not what's important. The intent of this process is reflection. In a moment, you may want to pause this webcast in order to complete your own work sheet. Remember, the worksheet is optional but it can be very helpful in laying the foundation for the rest of the CCP documents. Jot down your ideas in point form. Don't worry about what you write being perfect. Your focus should be on identifying your current situation, as well as any future areas of responsibility and/or interest. Consider what skills and knowledge you need or would like to have in order to keep current, or perhaps to return to work. Try to be as specific as possible about the area and the skills required. If you'd like to work on your worksheet, please pause this webcast now. Welcome back! The time you took to reflect on your current situation will be very helpful in the next step of the CCP -- the Self-Assessment Tool. Before discussing the Self-Assessment Tool, I'd like to share a bit more information about the self-assessment process, which is supported in the adult learning literature. Social workers and social service workers can and should use their life experiences to gain knowledge and enhance skills related to practice. The literature indicates that adults learn best when they identify what they need to learn and have control over their own learning. Considering where you are in your life, personally and professionally, is important when deciding what goals you would like to set, and what learning activities would be most effective and feasible in order to meet those goals. Because these factors can change throughout our lives, remember that what worked early in your career may not be as useful now. It's also helpful to think about how you learn best, and to keep this in mind when considering how you're going to meet the goals that you identify in your Self-Assessment. This information about who you are, where you are now, and how you learn is very helpful when completing your Self-Assessment Tool. The SAT can be found in the CCP booklet after the Worksheet, beginning on page 6. The SAT must be completed annually. It's best to complete the SAT as early as possible in the calendar year, so that it can help you identify your goals and guide your learning throughout the year. The first step in completing the SAT is to review each Principle in the Code of Ethics and SOP Handbook, including all the interpretations and footnotes. The CCP booklet only prints the general statement of each principle. You should review the principles, interpretations and footnotes in their entirety in the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice Handbook. Most members find that it's easier to complete the SAT section by section, meaning that you read one principle, along with its interpretations and footnotes in the Handbook -- Principle I: Relationship with Clients, for example -- and then go back to the relevant Principle in the SAT to complete the check box for those not currently practising. This section can be found in the SAT at the end of each principle. It reads: "If you are not currently practising: I am doing the following in order to maintain my competence and to prepare for my return to practice:"     Any goals that you identify as you review the SOP and complete the SAT will be transferred to the Professional Development Plan -- the next step of the CCP. You don't need to have a goal for every principle, and how many goals you set is up to you. As a member who isn't currently practising you may have fewer goals, or perhaps goals that are less extensive or involved than a member who is. This is a matter of professional judgment. This diagram is another way of describing what's involved in completing the Self-Assessment Tool. As you reflect on each principle, you will identify those principles where you wish to strengthen your knowledge base and/or formulate a goal. This process requires ongoing reflection and assessment. This diagram also describes the SAT. Remember that although you're required to read through each of the 8 principles and complete the check box for those not currently practising at the end of each one, you're not required to set a goal for every principle. Try to consider how the principle might impact practice. For example, some members may believe that Principle VII: Advertising only applies to members in private practice. In fact, there may be many ways that this principle applies in different settings. It may be relevant to you as you consider how to represent yourself on your business cards or resume as you prepare for your return to practice, for example. Developing your knowledge base in a particular area could relate to Principle II: Competence and Integrity, and could be relevant when you're looking for employment in the near or more distant future. Your goal and related learning may be more theoretical or it may relate to services or organizations in your community. It's also reasonable for members who don't have any immediate plans to return to practice to identify goals that relate to broad areas of interest related to social work or social service work practice. One example of this might be a member who is interested in learning more about grief, perhaps because of their own personal experience. This kind of goal could also fit well under Principle II. In a moment, you may want to begin completing your own Self-Assessment Tool. One approach may be to complete one or two principles during this webcast, and then come back to complete the rest on your own time. Take a moment now to turn to page 6 in your Self-Assessment Tool and PD Plan Booklet. You should see Principle I: Relationship with Clients. If you prefer to work on another Principle first, feel free to choose another one of the 8 principles. Remember, in order to complete the SAT, you'll be required to review all 8 principles. After you have read the principle and its interpretations and footnotes, consider the questions on the screen. The answers to these questions should help you to complete the check box section. I would like to draw your attention (especially if you're interested in indirect or non-clinical practice) to the meaning of client under the explanatory note tab at the beginning of the Handbook. "Client" refers to any person or body that is the recipient of social work or social service work services. In defining the client or client system, you could ask "to whom does the SW/SSW have an obligation in respect to the services they are providing? Client could refer to an individual, a family, a group, community, organization or government. In research, a client could therefore be a participant. If a SW/SSW is in education, their client could be their students. Now that you have completed some or all of your self-assessment, it's time to transfer your goals to your Professional Development Plan. Like the SAT, the PD Plan must be completed every year. Look at the goal or goals that you identified in your SAT. Remember that you don't need to have a goal for every principle, and how many goals you set is up to you, using your professional judgment. Transfer your goal or goals over to the PD Plan, which is a chart that can be found on page 26 of the CCP booklet. You'll see that you need to identify each goal, as well as the principle and interpretations it applies to in the first column of the PD Plan. You may find it helpful to review the examples of PD Plans on pages 22-25 before beginning yours. Once you've transferred your goals to the first column of the PD Plan, break the goal down into learning objectives. Goals are broad statements; objectives are more specific. In identifying your objectives, you might want to ask yourself "what do I want to know or be able to do?" Your objectives should be "SMART": specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. The point here is to move away from objectives that are so general that they don't have much meaning, to objectives that are specific and clear and have a time frame. This way, you'll be very clear on what you want to accomplish and when you want to accomplish it by. For example, if your overall goal is to improve your self-care, your objective may be to learn more about mindfulness-based stress reduction in order to improve your own self-care and to integrate it into future practice. The next column in the PD Plan asks you to identify learning activities. Learning activities in the CCP are defined broadly. If you go to page 17 of the CCP Instruction Guide, you'll see that learning activities could include a wide range of activities, from continuing education, to research, to applied learning to teaching. Consider the different ways that you could meet your goal or goals, and be sure to identify activities that are feasible and accessible while you're away from practice. Your learning goals might be best met by reading books, articles or newsletters independently, or by doing online learning such as reading articles, listening to podcasts or completing learning modules. You may have an opportunity to volunteer or network with others in the field and this might expose you to a setting which is new to you. Keeping current about policies and issues relevant to the field might be achieved by reading newsletters, newspapers, blogs and other sources of news, either online or hard copy. Think beyond conferences, courses, lectures, seminars or workshops if you're not able to access these at the moment or if they are not the best way to achieve the goals you've set. It's interesting to note that research with practising physicians identified informal sources of learning like consultation with peers as having the greatest impact on practice. The "Evidence of Accomplishment" column is where you should indicate what will be in place once you've met your goal. You could also ask yourself what will be different when you meet your goal. In the mindfulness based stress reduction example we used earlier, evidence of accomplishment could be something like "knowledge of mindfulness-based research and approaches increased". In the Target Date column, you should indicate when you hope to achieve the goal. Once you have completed your PD Plan to this point, you've done the ground work of the CCP. You're in a great position to work toward your goals throughout the year, to track your accomplishments in the PD Plan and to keep a separate file of "evidence" of having met your goals. We're aware that you may not always complete all your goals. It's useful to break larger goals down into more manageable objectives, however you can carry over goals from one year to the next. As you meet your goals, be sure to keep evidence of having accomplished them. This could be something like a list of articles or books read, websites visited, or online learning modules completed. It could also be a certificate of completion from a workshop, or a list of meetings attended as a volunteer. It may be helpful at this point to go over an example of a PD Plan. In the example which follows , the member may return to clinical or non-clinical practice at some point. Their learning goals relate not only to increasing their knowledge of intervention strategies, but also to developing general knowledge in the area. The member in this example isn't currently working, but hopes to find work in the area of geriatrics when they return to practice. The goal in the first column is general: to learn more about approaches to working with the elderly. The goal relates to Principle II, Competence and Integrity. The learning objective, as you can see, is much more specific. It identifies how the member is going to accomplish their objective, and in what timeframe. Learning activities, in the third column, include some networking and consultation with others, but also some online research and independent reading. The member will know they have accomplished their goal (the Evidence of Accomplishment column) when they have identified best practices for work with the elderly, and when they are more familiar with key issues and intervention strategies. Although the member hopes to achieve this goal by August 2012, they don't actually accomplish it until later in the year, October 2012. In this case, the member could keep a list of articles read and websites visited, as well as a list of consultations or networking meetings attended as evidence of having completed their learning activities. Remember that this evidence can be kept in an electronic or hard copy folder. Let's take a look at another example that relates to non-clinical and indirect practice. In this example, the member is retired but would like to remain connected to the field. Again, the goal in the first column is general: to ensure that they are informed about issues and trends affecting SW/SSW practice. This goal relates to Principle II, Competence and Integrity. The learning objective is more specific: "to remain current with respect to issues and trends affecting SW/SSW practice by reviewing updates and newsletters from relevant organizations throughout the year". It identifies how the member is going to accomplish the objective, and in what timeframe. Learning activities, in the third column, include review of newsletters, bulletins and websites, and also consultation with former colleagues who are still practising. The member indicates that evidence of accomplishment will be familiarity with relevant issues and policies, and perhaps the identification of a future area of interest. This member anticipates that the learning activities will take place throughout the year, and will be completed by December 2012. The member must keep evidence of their learning activities in a separate folder. This evidence could include a list of newsletters, articles or updates reviewed and websites visited, as well as the dates of any consultation or discussion with others. Now that you've looked at some examples of PD Plans, you may want to transfer one or more of your goals to your own PD Plan. Look back at your Self-Assessment Tool, and select one of the goals you identified. Transfer it to the PD plan and begin to complete the columns. You won't be able to complete the "Goal Attained" column until you begin to work on your goal. As the year progresses, and you complete your learning activities, you should document your progress here and keep evidence of your accomplishment in hard copy or in an electronic folder. Evidence could mean several different things: a certificate of completion from a workshop, a list of articles you've read or websites you've visited, or a list of relevant discussions or consultations -- anything to indicate that you engaged in the learning activity and accomplished your goal. You can pause this webcast now in order to work on your PD Plan. There are lots of different ways to ensure that you complete your CCP in a timely manner, track your learning efficiently and get the most out of the program. Some members set time aside on a monthly basis to update their CCP and to reflect on their progress toward their goals. This helps to ensure that you don't lose track of important learning. Other members complete the Self-Assessment Tool and the PD Plan in pairs or groups. Although this may be difficult if you're not currently practising, it could be one way to stay in touch with the field. Remember: you don't submit your CCP materials, but you must keep your documents for seven years; you must also keep evidence of your learning activities. Before we finish today's tutorial, here are some tips to take away, to ensure you get the most out of your CCP: Try using the Work Sheet - The CCP Work Sheet is optional, but it can be a valuable springboard for the remainder of the program. Do it with a colleague or a group - Even though you're responsible for your own CCP, feedback from others -- peers or former colleagues, for example -- can be an effective way to overcome any blind spots with respect to your practice and to learn from the experience of others. Make a date with yourself - Reserve a specific time to update and add to your CCP. Give yourself credit - Remember to track your CCP regularly. This includes completing your PD Plan and adding to your folder of evidence of having completed your goals. And finally, Use technology - Download a copy of the CCP documents from the website and open an electronic folder for evidence of your learning activities. This makes documenting and tracking your learning experiences easy and efficient. I hope that as a result of today's tutorial, you now have a solid understanding of the five steps involved in completing the CCP, as well as a good sense of some of your obligations as a regulated professional. Perhaps you've already made a good start on your CCP documents for this year. Most importantly, I hope you're feeling much clearer about how the CCP provides a structured format for self-reflection, self-assessment and meaningful and ongoing professional learning. The CCP pages on the College website contain lots of helpful information about the CCP. If you like, you can click on the link on this page to get more information about the CCP. You've now come to the end of this tutorial. Staff in the College's Professional Practice Department will be pleased to discuss the CCP with you if you have any further questions. You can contact us by using the contact information on the screen. Thank you for participating in the tutorial today, and good luck with your CCP.