Linking reflective practice to evidence of competence: a workshop for allied health professionals

Abstract

Under new regulation requirements for Allied Health Professionals in the UK, maintenance of professional registration is linked to evidence of competence through continuing professional development. This paper reports on the outcomes of a multi-professional workshop for Allied Health Professionals working in one National Health Service Trust. The aim of the workshop was to help practitioners from different health professions understand and implement the process of reflective practice and link their learning to evidence of competence using a common framework. The workshop demonstrated that collectively, Allied Health Professionals in the Trust are taking advantage of a range of opportunities for informal practice-based learning, and was helpful in enabling practitioners move from a factual to a more critical level of reflective thinking. The outcomes suggest that a common framework within which Allied Health Professionals can reflect on their practice and facilitate their own CPD, as well as demonstrate continuing competence to a variety of stakeholders, is realistic and workable.