Capture useful CPD detail
Record enough information to understand the activity: date, category, description, evidence status and any follow-up action.
Avoid turning CPD into a long form that staff stop using. Ask for a short account of what changed or what the person will do differently when reflection is relevant.
- Activity date and learning purpose
- Activity or learning description
- Category and hours where the relevant rules use them
- Reflection or learning outcome
- Evidence reference and status
- Review status and reviewer
- Development action, owner and due date
Link evidence and review status
Evidence should be close to the CPD activity it supports.
A certificate can show attendance, but it may not show learning or its effect on practice. Notes, reflective accounts, feedback or work outputs may be more useful for some activities.
Managers should be able to tell whether the record is recorded, awaiting review or approved where review is required. Agree who can approve an entry and what they are checking.
Connect CPD to development actions
CPD often links to appraisals, supervision or professional registration requirements.
Keep the staff member responsible for meeting their professional body's rules. An employer tracker can support the process, but it should not imply that a regulator has accepted the evidence.
SkillProof keeps CPD records in the Development area alongside appraisals and development actions.
Example
Worked CPD record
The record should explain why the activity mattered, what was learned and what happens next, not only count hours.
Field
Learning purpose
Example
Improve the consistency of client review notes.
Review question
Is the purpose relevant to the person's role?
Field
Activity
Example
Two-hour external workshop on structured review records.
Review question
Is the activity described clearly enough?
Field
Reflection
Example
Use the new checklist in the next supervised review.
Review question
Does the reflection show learning or intended change?
Field
Evidence
Example
Certificate reference and workshop agenda supplied.
Review question
Does the evidence support the recorded activity?
Field
Review status
Example
Awaiting review by the practice manager.
Review question
Who can accept or return the entry?
Field
Development action
Example
Apply the checklist in one observed review by 15 August.
Review question
Is there an owner and due date?
Official guidance used for this guide
Checked
CPD requirements vary by profession. These examples show why the activity, relevance, reflection and supporting evidence may all matter; staff should follow their own regulator's current rules.
Questions this guide answers
What should a CPD record include?
Include the activity, date, learning purpose, relevant category or hours, reflection where required, supporting evidence, review status and any follow-up action. Use the fields required by the person's professional body rather than a generic universal template.
Is a certificate enough evidence of CPD?
Not always. A certificate may show attendance, but some CPD models also expect relevance, reflection, learning outcomes or evidence of changed practice. Follow the current rules of the relevant professional body.
How long should CPD records be kept?
Retention periods vary by profession and organisational purpose. Follow the relevant professional body's current requirements and your organisation's retention policy, and do not keep personal data for longer than you can justify.