Is health and social care CPD still just a tick-box?

Why continuing professional development must be embedded into governance, compliance, and workforce development

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Last week on our *ComplyPlus™ Presents podcast, we tackled one of the most talked-about (and misunderstood) topics in care sector governance: [Continuing professional development](https://www.mandatorytraining.co.uk/pages/online-cpd-courses-training-cpd-accredited-elearning-courses)* (CPD).

Since airing, we’ve had a surge of follow-up questions from managers, providers, and frontline professionals across health and social care, each asking how CPD can be more than a formality. They want it to be strategic, impactful, and fully embedded into governance and compliance systems.

In this article, Dr Richard Dune dives deeper into that discussion. He explores how CPD, when integrated with digital compliance software, accredited training, and robust regulatory frameworks, becomes a catalyst, not a checkbox.

What CPD really means in health and social care

Let’s begin with a reset. CPD isn’t a one-off course or a panicked scramble before revalidation. It’s a structured, intentional, and continuous process that ensures health and social care professionals stay competent, confident, and compliant.

The three pillars of CPD:

The following are the three pillars of CPD:

• Structured learning — Accredited courses, in-person workshops, virtual seminars
• Informal learning — Peer mentoring, job shadowing, day-to-day learning
• Reflective practice — Applying learning, assessing its impact, and adjusting accordingly.

At its best, CPD isn’t about collecting certificates. It’s about improving outcomes, transforming culture, and strengthening your governance structure from within.

Why CPD is non-negotiable

The care sector doesn’t stand still. New technologies, evolving legislation, and changing service user needs — all of it demands a workforce that can adapt fast.

That’s where CPD comes in.

• Risk reduction — Gaps in knowledge can lead to compliance breaches, poor care quality, and even harm.
• Legal compliance — It’s embedded in frameworks like the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and required by regulators such as the CQC.
• Staff retention and development — CPD supports morale, boosts confidence, and demonstrates investment in people.

In short: CPD isn’t optional. It’s essential.

The legal and regulatory framework for CPD

Many readers asked after the podcast: Is CPD actually mandatory? The answer is yes — and here’s why:

Regulatory and legislative requirements

There are various legislation and regulations that require continuing learning and development, including:

• Health and Social Care Act 2008 — Regulation 18 — Staff must be competent and supported with learning and development
• CQC Fundamental Standards — CPD must be continuous, relevant, and aligned to safe care
• Care Standards Act 2000 — Mandates appropriate training across regulated services
• NHS Commissioning Contracts — Often embed CPD within service-level agreements.

Professional bodies’ CPD rules

Health and social care professional bodies also require all their registrants to undetake CPD activities in line with their roles, including:

• NMC — 35 hours every 3 years (20 participatory).
• HCPC — Evidence of CPD required at audit, no set hours.
• GMC — Annual CPD linked to Good Medical Practice during appraisal.
• GDC — Structured cycles with core topics and outcome-based reporting.

Failure to demonstrate CPD during inspections or audits can directly affect CQC ratings and professional revalidation.

What counts as valid CPD (and what doesn’t)

Confusion over “what counts” is common. Here’s the rule of thumb:

“If a CPD activity is relevant to your role, has learning outcomes, is evidenced, and is reflected on, then it counts.”

• — Dr Richard Dune*

Valid CPD activities

Below are some of the valid CPD activities that are accepted by regulatory and professional bodies:

• Accredited e-learning via a *learning management system* (LMS)
• Workshops and conferences with measurable outcomes
• Mentoring and peer reviews
• Reading and reflecting on research
• Creating or delivering accredited training
• Scenario-based *statutory and mandatory training*.

What doesn’t count

The following activities do not count as valid CPD activities:

• Watching an unrelated video with no reflection
• Passive attendance at non-relevant events
• Buying instant certificates from questionable sources.

CPD as a governance tool: The CPD cycle

When CPD is integrated with compliance systems, it becomes a driver of quality, not an admin task.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Identify — Audit learning needs via supervisions, incident reports, service feedback
2. Plan — Schedule training that aligns with governance goals and frameworks
3. Act — Participate in relevant CPD
4. Record — Log it in a secure document repository with version control
5. Reflect — Analyse what changed
6. Evaluate — Use governance meetings to assess impact and plan next steps.

This cycle isn’t just good practice; it supports inspection readiness, compliance with regulatory frameworks, and workforce development at scale.

Why do you need digital systems to track CPD

Compliance today requires speed, accessibility, and transparency. Paper-based logs don’t cut it anymore.

Modern regulatory compliance software like ComplyPlus™ enables you to:

• Centralise CPD records in a cloud-based document repository
• Track training renewals with a *training management system* (TMS)
• Link CPD to policies, procedures, and risk registers
• Produce instant reports for *CQC, [NMC](https://www.mandatorytraining.co.uk/blogs/complyplus/role-of-the-nursing-and-midwifery-council)*, GMC, HCPC, and more

This isn’t just about saving time; it’s about avoiding inspection-day panic.

CPD for the whole workforce, not just registrants

A common misconception is that CPD is only for nurses, doctors, or therapists. Not true.

The majority of the adult social care workforce is unregulated but still must be competent under the law.

Core CPD topics for all health and care staff

The following are the core topics for all health and social care staff:

• *Safeguarding (Adults and Children)*
• *Moving and handling*
• *Infection prevention and control*
• *Equality, diversity, and human rights*
• *Conflict resolution*
• *Fire safety*
• *Health, Safety and Welfare*
• *Infection Prevention and Control*
• *Information Governance and Data Security*
• *Preventing Radicalisation*
• Resuscitation.

CQC inspectors expect up-to-date, role-specific training records for every employee, regulated or not.

Common CPD challenges (and how to solve them)

You’re not alone if these sound familiar:

• “There’s no time for learning.”
• “We’re not sure what counts as CPD.”
• “We panic before inspections.”
• “Our training feels low value.”
• “Our records are all over the place.”

Best practice tips:

The following are the best practices for strategic CPD:

• Schedule protected learning time in staff rotas
• Use blended learning (digital, face-to-face, hands-on)
• Align training with statutory and mandatory requirements
• Use a learning management system (LMS) to automate reminders
• Integrate CPD into supervision and appraisals.

The ComplyPlus™ CPD tracker: Designed to close the gap

At The Mandatory Training Group, we saw the same issues again and again:

• Failed inspections due to poor CPD evidence
• Revalidation stress from last-minute portfolio gaps
• Underused funding for workforce development.

So we built the ComplyPlus™ CPD Tracker, part of our integrated regulatory compliance management software suite.

Key features

• Automatic certificate logging from accredited e-learning
• Cloud-based document repository for real-time access
• Participatory vs self-directed learning categorisation
• Regulator-ready CPD reports
• Integrated with TMS and LMS tools.

Real benefits

• Inspection readiness
• Confidence in audits
• Streamlined compliance
• Better staff engagement and retention.

Take control of your CPD and compliance with ComplyPlus™

CPD isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s a legal requirement, a quality indicator, and a foundational element of modern health and social care governance.

At The Mandatory Training Group, we lead the development of *ComplyPlus™*, our all-in-one regulatory compliance management software designed to:

• Centralise CPD in a secure digital archive
• Track training with integrated LMS and TMS tools
• Link learning to governance policies and procedures
• Generate inspection-ready compliance reports instantly.

*Explore ComplyPlus™* and learn how digital systems can transform CPD from an obligation into a force for improvement.

Let’s make CPD easier, smarter, and more impactful, for every team, at every level.

Originally published by The Mandatory Training Group.