Introduction

For the purposes of regulation and best practice, Professional/ Registered Reiki Practitioners should evidence that they are continuing to develop professionally. This means demonstrating that they are keeping up with changes and developments in their field of practice and in the law.

Section One
What is CPD?

CPD is a range of learning activities through which professionals continue to develop throughout their career to ensure that they maintain their capacity to practise safely, effectively and legally within their evolving scope of practice.

Changes in the evidence base and the skill requirements of a professional make CPD a career long process through which professionals remain up-to-date by increasing and enhancing their competence.

1.1 Recommended  CPD

All Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioners commit to undertake CPD.

Section Two
2.1 CPD for Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioners

The public can expect Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioners

• To make sure that their professional knowledge, skills and competence are of a high standard and relevant.
• To maintain their fitness to practise and to understand the need for self-directed learning by undertaking CPD throughout their working life.

Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioners need to ensure they have the skills and training to practise safely. For example, this may include reviewing or adapting their practice where any factor (e.g. their health, a disability or anything else) may affect their practice of Reiki.

A wide variety of activities may be considered as being CPD, and examples are given of some of these in Appendix 1.    CPD does not include “Core training”, which for Reiki is usually understood as Reiki 1 and 2. 

2.2  Who benefits?

The Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioner

• Gains knowledge, understanding, experience, confidence, satisfaction and enthusiasm, which serves to support their development within the Reiki and wider healthcare communities.
• The identity and reputation of Reiki is enhanced by the practitioner’s commitment to CPD, and respect with the public is increased, which in turn assists the process of Voluntary Self-Regulation (VSR).
• Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioners who meet their CPD requirements will be better placed to offer their clients the best possible care.
• Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioners will also be able to demonstrate their commitment to maintaining and extending their knowledge and competence in the interests of clients.
• CPD provides documented evidence of their commitment to their chosen profession and of their continued competence
• Anticipates change whilst not being driven by it
• Ensures best practice

The Employer/business/organisation

• Ensuring that professionals are capable, competent and well trained contributes to organisational goals and service provision.

The Profession

• Increasingly professional bodies are being required to demonstrate that their members are taking a systematic approach to CPD – in order to maintain standards of professional practice

The Public

• Are reassured that Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioners maintain and develop their skills and knowledge on an ongoing basis, giving them confidence in the service.

2.3  How does the Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioner plan for CPD?

Individual Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioners should

• Reflect on and assess their own learning needs and interests. Practitioners may find that sitting down with friends and colleagues may highlight areas where they can usefully develop
• Plan their own CPD programme of learning either with others or on their own and noting how their learning has improved their practice

It is recognised that the way in which the individual Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioner takes part in CPD and the range of his or her CPD activities undertaken may be influenced by:

• Personal learning needs (areas which they have identified in their own training or experiences which need further development)
• Preferred learning style (ways in which they can learn ie course attendance, self learning, distance learning, work shadowing etc)
• The relevance of the CPD activities to each individual practice

CPD should be accompanied by documented reflection to be effective.  This means that before starting any CPD the Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioner should set themselves learning objectives, ie what is the purpose in undertaking this CPD and what do they want to get out of it.  Afterwards they should think about the experience and how it has contributed to their self development and note this down e.g. in a file or notebook. They should be able to use the experience to either reinforce current practice or to introduce change.  See point 3.2 below.

2.4  How does the Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioner record CPD?
As suggested in point 2.3, the Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioner should keep a record of any CPD activities for their own use, and to provide proof that it has been undertaken.  They should consider that it is not just about the “number of hours” they do, but also the “quality” of the activities.

2.5  When would the Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioner need to provide evidence of CPD?

CPD is an ongoing process. However evidence of CPD activity may be required periodically by a Professional Association or a Regulatory Body.

Section Three
3.1  The audit process

A Regulatory Body or Professional Association may periodically carry out an audit of CPD.  Each will have its own process for auditing and would advise the Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioner accordingly. 

Section Four
4. 1  How much CPD should be done?

The Reiki Council recommends that the Professional/Registered Reiki Practitioner undertake a minimum of 12 hours of Continuing Professional Development per year. A minimum of 6 hours should be specific to Reiki.  A maximum of 6 hours could be general, including reflection or research.