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Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Overview All Accredited Energy Assessors are required to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or Life Long Learning (LLL). This involves learning activities to keep skills up to date or to widen knowledge in related subjects. The amount of CPD required across all Elmhurst Accreditation schemes is 10 hours per year. There are a number of ways to achieve the required CPD hours, through training courses, online study packs and private structured learning. Do you have a question regarding CPD? Visit our FAQs page for the most common questions and answers regarding CPD.

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CPD COURSE DATES AND APPLICATION FORM

Elmhurst has developed easy to understand guidance to help members through the CPD process and runs reasonably priced bespoke CPD courses for Energy Assessors.

Elmhurst CPD Courses

As the largest Accreditation scheme with an unrivalled experience in energy assessment, Elmhurst conducts a series of competitively priced training seminars, each contributing 5 hours of CPD, to help Energy Assessors meet their CPD requirements. The topics are directly related to the Energy Assessor role and aim to:

• Enhance the application of the national calculation methodology e.g. RdSAP, SAP, SBEM
• Provide a deeper knowledge of energy related technology
• Widen understanding of the energy rating industry

Download CPD Application form

What is CPD?

Elmhurst Accredited Energy Assessors must undertake at least ten documentable hours of study each year which is directly relevant to their role, as part of a wider Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or Life Long Learning (LLL) programme. This is stipulated in Section 7 of the Elmhurst Accreditation scheme’s Code of Conduct and is a Government requirement for Energy Assessors to maintain their Accredited status.

The CPD must relate to the profession of energy assessment, drawing from a wide range of technical and business related topics. Energy Assessors are required to maintain an annual CPD log in which they set out their personal development plan. They must record study related activity to meet the requirements of the plan and the overriding minimum ten hour commitment.

The method of study is not prescribed by the Code but activity must be recordable. Assessors can choose to:

• Attend training courses
• Attend conferences or seminars available from external providers
• Attend events provided internally by their employers
• Engage in private structured learning, such as that provided by some online training providers
• Certain personal development tasks, such as preparing and presenting training to others, can also count as CPD.

Energy Assessors have an individual responsibility to maintain their CPD plan and to source appropriate study activity. The Elmhurst Accreditation scheme will monitor CPD fulfillment and may question the validity of plans and study hours claimed. Training providers can apply to Elmhurst for their events to be endorsed by the Accreditation scheme, but this is not a mandatory requirement.

Recording CPD

• Elmhurst has developed a CPD Log (click here for CPD log form) to help Energy Assessors record their CPD plans and activities
• Use of this format is not mandatory if some other form of CPD record keeping is maintained that meets or exceeds the detail held in the Elmhurst log
• The log needs to be updated on an ongoing basis as plans are reviewed and study activities take place
• A formal review of the log should take place at least once per year
• The log may be held on paper or electronically

The first task in keeping the log is to take stock of your current level of knowledge and from this develop a set of learning objectives for the year. These are topics that need to be studied to enhance your existing level of knowledge and should be considered in context of your career. When deciding on objectives it can be helpful to score your existing level of knowledge on a scale, e.g:

1. No significant knowledge of subject

2. Aware of broad principles of subject

3. Aware to the standard of a typical practitioner

4. Already expert in the subject

Those subjects with low scores are likely to be the ones that are prioritised into objectives, particularly if they relate to the core technicalities of the Energy Assessor role, e.g. Building Regulations, domestic construction, heating systems, measurement practice, record keeping, health and safety during inspections. However, CPD can cover wider professional or personal skills, such as, time management, presentation skills or staff coaching or indeed focus on future business development areas.

It is best to choose perhaps four or six objectives each year and then try to source learning options to gain the necessary knowledge to match that plan. Plans with large numbers of objectives can become unwieldy and require more learning activity than is realistic in “out of office hours”.

The selected objectives should be entered in the log and study activities should be recorded against each objective noting the name, location and date of the learning event and the number of hours of study undertaken. Some objectives may be met by just one learning event whereas others may require more than one activity. Conversely, one event may provide recordable hours against several objectives, e.g. a multi subject training course.

Finally, a post event review should be undertaken and outcomes recorded in the log. Elmhurst may ask to see evidence of the learning activity. This might be a CPD Certificate provided by a training provider or some other documentary proof such as invoices or joining instructions for events. If Energy Assessors are undertaking private structured learning*, they should keep evidence in the form of notes produced, presentation slides and lists of websites visited.

CPD Log Forms

Click here for a CPD log form

Click here for an example of a completed Elmhurst CPD Log sheet (please note; example provided relates to DEA info)
*Please note that simply buying a book and reading it privately does not constitute structured learning. Some form of objectively validated outcome is required.

CPD Course Dates