1. CPD Overview
1.1 CPD (Continuing Professional Development) is essential to all dispute resolution practitioners. CPD can help to maintain skills and knowledge and strengthen a members’ professional credibility.
1.2 CPD is the term used to describe the responsibility to lifelong learning, a skill that is invaluable to all industries and society.
2. Benefits of CPD
2.1 Continuing Professional Development is essential in helping individuals and industry to keep skills and knowledge up to a high standard. Providing CPD enables industry sectors to support the key values which drive their business forward.
2.2 Continuing Professional Development supports members to regularly focus on how they can become a more competent and effective professional. Training and learning increases confidence and overall capability, and compliments career aspirations.
2.3 Providing CPD accredited learning benefits industry through recognition and increased brand perception. Internal use of CPD encourages and promotes a healthy learning culture for industry, leading to a more fulfilled workforce and retention of valuable staff.
2.4 A commitment to CPD ensures that both academic and practical qualifications do not become out-dated. This allows members to continually ‘up skill’ or ‘re-skill’ themselves, regardless of industry, age or educational background.
3. CPD requirements for members
3.1 All members must undertake a minimum of 15 hours CPD biennial (on renewal of membership Prime Dispute may request evidence).
3.2 All members must maintain a relevant and current understanding of Prime Dispute's "Business Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy" or similar. Any learning activity undertaken in order to meet these requirement may count as CPD.
3.3 Members must record their own personal CPD and when requested provide appropriate evidence.
3.4 Keeping accurate CPD record sheets helps reflect on personal progress over a period of time. It is important that individuals keep CPD record sheets up-to-date as they will often need to submit evidence of CPD activities to their other professional bodies or employers as well.
3.4 When members interact with Prime Dispute on social media platforms, Prime Dispute may provide CPD points and will clearly stipulate this.
3.5 In certain circumstances it may be difficult to meet the minimum CPD requirements, due to maternity, paternity, unemployment, long term sickness or other compassionate reasons. Prime Dispute would request in these situations that the members undertake whatever CPD they can and contact Prime Dispute as soon as reasonable to discuss a way forward.
4.Formal CPD
4.1 Formal CPD is any form of learning that has clear learning objectives and outcomes, such as a Prime Dispute's training, development or events.
4.2 Prime Dispute may request to see evidence of any formal CPD activity including supporting documentation.
5. Informal CPD
5.1 Informal CPD is any learning that is relevant to a members’ professional role within industry. This could include activities such as private study, on-the- job training, attendance at informal seminars or events where the focus is on dispute avoidance and resolution.
6. Business Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy
6.1 All members are required to read and adhere to our "Business Ethics and Conflict of Interest policy"; prior to renewing their membership or attend one of Prime Dispute's training, development/events relating to ethics or conflict of interests. This will have CPD points associated to it.
7. Training for Industry
7.1 Prime Dispute provides CPD training, development and events for industry to ensure it keeps its employees skills and knowledge up to date.
7.2 Prime Dispute's training, development and events benefit not only the individual but the organisation/industry sectors they work within. Employees should be supported in their personal learning development as this supports the values of being a responsible employer and, therefore, bespoke in-house programmes are available.
8. How we monitor CPD
8.1 CPD enables learning to become conscious and proactive, rather than merely reactive. Industry and individuals must see CPD as a way to remain competitive with their peers and within their industry sector. CPD creates positive change through a methodical approach to learning. Professionals across all industries should be aware of the importance of training, development and events and, therefore, need to remain up to date.
8.2 Prime Dispute may request a member on renewal of membership, to provide a record of their CPD record.
8.3 Throughout the year, Prime Dispute may conduct a random sample of members and request a copy of their CPD records for review.
8.4 Prime Dispute can decline to accept CPD points without reasons.
8.5 One CPD point is equivalent to one hour of activity.
8.6 Prime Dispute is able to award CPD to external organisations and has the discretion to refuse without reasons.
8.7 Prime Dispute is able to award CPD to Educators and has the discretion to refuse without reasons. Educators can request 'Prime Dispute Membership Designations' to be attached to the training or development course delivered directly by them (Please refer to Terms & Conditions for Educators). After successful completion of the training or development course, candidates may be eligible to gain the specific membership designation stated by Prime Dispute. Prime Dispute can decline to associate their membership designations to the training or development course without reasons.
8.8 We reserve the right to impose sanctions against members who fail to meet their CPD requirements.
8.9 Prime Dispute will only look to penalise members for non-compliance as a last resort the decision to impose sanctions is at the sole discretion of Prime Dispute.