SSSC CPD requirements for social service workers, in plain English

Short answerThere is no hours target. Instead you must show learning each year across every core learning element for your role: seven for the social care and children and young people workforces, eight for social workers. One activity can cover several elements. Trauma learning and child and adult protection learning are mandatory for everyone, every year.

Short answerAny learning that covers the core elements and changes your practice: courses, workshops, webinars, qualifications, reflective practice with a supervisor, shadowing, team learning, reading, podcasts and policies. For the mandatory elements, either a training course or a reflective learning log is acceptable. Record what you learned and how it affects your practice.

Short answerA random sample of registrants is selected for CPL endorsement when they complete their annual declaration. If selected, you provide further information showing how your learning meets the core elements and the mandatory trauma and protection learning, submitted through MySSSC. Your supervisor or line manager discusses it with you and then endorses that the learning took place.

Short answerCPL is confirmed each year in your annual declaration, made when you pay your annual fee — so your deadline is your own re-registration date. If CPL has not been done, the SSSC contacts your supervisor or counter-signatory to agree expectations; the most severe outcome is removal from the Register.