Top tips: Continuing Professional Development For playworkers and other professionals involved in children’s play
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is how individuals improve their performance in practice by undertaking learning in a broad range of activities. Everyone’s learning programme is personal to them – one size does not fit all. CPD can be achieved in a number of ways. Here are our top tips for recognising and enhancing your opportunities for CPD: Attendance at key meetings – There may be opportunities for us to gain peer support through local and national networks of people in similar roles as well as meetings that we can attend that build our knowledge of other sectors.
Mentoring – A more experienced mentor can share their knowledge with us, help to guide us and gently question our practice. However, mentors need to remember that it is equally useful for them to have their practice questioned by a newer member of staff!
Attendance at seminars and conferences – It is important to research and identify the most relevant events to meet our needs to make the best use of available funding. We can also make the most of the learning by networking and reflecting with others during the breaks!
Undertaking short courses – There are local and national organisations that offer short courses and workshops and these are sometimes free of charge or subsidised. Good places to check for these include: Play Wales’ website, local play development teams, county voluntary councils (CVC’s) and other regional and national organisations that support our area of work.
Private study and reading – We work in a sector that is supported by current research, national policy and evolving theoretical approaches. Making time to read is important in advocating for play and increasing our knowledge of the sector. Observation – We can all learn a lot about play from observing children playing and we should make time to do this whether it is of our own children or within playwork provision. Observation of other staff gives us a valuable insight into their practice and providing constructive feedback to each other gives us opportunities to question and improve practice.
Reflective practice – This is the process of thinking about our practice, questioning our motives and actions and using our conclusions to make improvements. Ideally it should be undertaken with others as well as individually. Check our website for details of upcoming events – conferences, seminars and courses – that could support CPD:
www.playwales.org.uk/eng/events
www.playwales.org.uk Registered charity, no. 1068926 A company limited by guarantee registered in Wales, no. 3507258