Self Assessment and Continuing Education
As mandated by government legislation, the Quality Assurance (QA) Committee has launched two new quality assurance initiatives - continuing education and self assessment - that will promote continuing competence among members. The QA Committee created these initiatives in response to the legislative amendments to the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA).
Continuing Education and Professional Development
CCO members have been required to participate in CE and professional development activities and to document these activities in their professional portfolios since 1998. Members are now be required to participate in 40 hours of CE activities over a two-year period, document these activities in their professional portfolios, and report on these activities as part of their registration renewals.
Two documents that will assist members with the task of recording 40 hours of CE are the expanded professional portfolio and an accompanying information handbook.
Self Assessment
The self assessment is for members' personal use. It has been designed to help members reflect their current professional proficiency, identify areas for improvement and develop a learning plan that will address those areas that need improvement. Members will be required to complete the self assessment once every two years.
Once members have completed the Self-Assessment Questionnaire and have identified areas that need improvement, members should transfer the information to the Plan of Action Summary Sheet, which then becomes part of the member’s professional portfolio. Members should use the information from the summary sheet to develop a learning plan that will guide their CE and professional development.
Please refer to the Self-Assessment Handbook for assistance in completing the Self-Assessment Questionnaire.
Professional Portfolio
The professional portfolio consists of the following components:
Please refer to the Professional Portfolio Handbook for assistance in completing the Professional Portfolio.
Participation is Mandatory
Every CCO member holding a general certificate of registration is required to maintain a professional portfolio, which will be made available to the QA Committee upon request or to the peer assessor during a peer assessment.
Members will be required to complete the Continuing Education and Professional Development Log as part of their registration renewal. In this document, members must demonstrate that they have completed their 40 hours of CE over a two-year cycle.
Reporting
The CE cycle is as follows:
- 1st Cycle: July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2012
- 2nd Cycle: July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2014
- 3rd Cycle: July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2016
The first cycle is two-and-a-half years to help members become accustomed to this process. Each subsequent cycle will be two years.
Members will be required to complete their self assessment and CE requirements (i.e., 40 hours) once in each of the above cycles.
Following completion of each cycle, members will be required to complete the Continuing Education and Professional Development Log as part of their registration renewal. The first log, which will reflect CE activities between 2010 and 2012, will be due on January 1, 2013, with registration renewal.