Policy

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Participation and Compliance Policy

Background

CPD Home provides Australian registered medical specialists, international medical graduates, PGY2+ trainees and non-vocationally registered medical practitioners a CPD Program of Learning (CPD Program). The CPD Home aims to provide a program that address a wide range of learning to meet the continuing professional development needs of its subscribers.

CPD Home is committed to supporting its subscribers to:

undertake meaningful professional development
meet their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements under the Medical Board of Australia’s (MBA)’s Registration Standard: Continuing professional development (the Standard)
easily demonstrate that they have done so should they be audited by the MBA.

Purpose

To outline provisions for subscriber participation, compliance and non-compliance with the CPD Program and the Standard.

Objective

To make clear, that unless an exemption has been granted, participation in continuing professional development as set out in the CPD Program and the Standard is mandatory.

Scope

This policy applies to all subscribers to CPD Home.

Definitions

Please refer to the Glossary for definition(s) of terms that apply to this policy.

Participation in the CPD Program is mandatory for subscribers of the CPD Home if they are to obtain a CPD Statement of Completion. Participating subscribers, whether working full-time or part-time, are expected to meet the minimum CPD requirements of the Standard within the CPD year.

Subscribers at the start of each year are required to write a CPD plan relevant to their scope of practice. This plan will then inform their CPD activities for that CPD year.

Subscribers recognised in more than one specialty or field of specialty practice may be required to complete specialist high-level CPD requirements set by the MBA. CPD Home aims to promote a range of CPD activities subscribers need to meet their CPD requirements via the online Catalogue. Subscribers can self-record CPD activities completed through other providers or during their working day that align with the CPD Home Program Guide. Subscribers can print or download reports as evidence of completed CPD hours during a reporting period.

Subscribers continuously absent from practice for at least 6 months and up to 12 months in a CPD year or across two CPD years may be eligible under the CPD Home Exemption Policy for an exemption from their CPD requirements. Where an exemption to their CPD Requirements is granted, the Subscriber is expected to meet the terms of the exemption.

Hours of CPD undertaken in excess of the minimum CPD hours required apply only to the CPD year in which they are completed. Excess hours undertaken in a CPD year will not be held in credit for use in a subsequent CPD year.

CPD Home respects the professionalism of our subscribers and aims to facilitate self-help mechanisms to support them in meeting their requirements. However, CPD Home recognises that at times subscribers may need some additional support. Subscribers needing additional support should in the first instance contact CPD Home by email: enquiries@cpdhome.org.au.

CPD Home will monitor subscriber progress in meeting their CPD requirements throughout the CPD Year. CPD Home will notify participating subscribers deemed to be at risk of not meeting their CPD Program requirements for the CPD year. Where no mitigation action is taken by the subscriber, individual support will be offered (see CPD Home Audit Policy).

In addition, CPD Home will conduct an audit of at least 5% of participating subscribers each year to confirm compliance with the CPD Program (see CPD Home Audit Policy).

Decisions about individual subscriber compliance with CPD requirements will be made in line with this policy and without bias or any conflict of interest that would impact the impartiality of the decision maker.

Compliance (where applicable)

Participating Subscribers who meet the CPD Program requirements will:

be deemed compliant
satisfy the Standard
have their name and Ahpra Registration Number included in the CPD Home report to the Ahpra of compliant subscribers
receive a CPD Home Statement of Completion.

Participating Subscribers who fail to meet their CPD requirements by 31 March of the following year will not receive a CPD Statement of Completion, nor will they be listed in the CPD Home report to Ahpra as CPD compliant for that year.

All subscribers may be audited by the MBA and CPD Home from time to time and should this occur, they will need to provide documentary evidence of the completion of CPD activities or any of any exemption granted. Subscribers are required to retain records of their annual CPD activity for three years after the end of each one-year cycle.

Subscribers should familiarise themselves with the CPD Home Reconsideration, Review and Appeals Policy should they be dissatisfied with any CPD Home determination regarding any aspect of their compliance with the CPD Home Program or the Standard.

Recency of Practice ahpra

Retired or non-practising subscribers wishing to return to medical practice should:

familiarise themselves with the MBA Registration Standard: Recency of Practice
be prepared to undertake additional training
reach out to CPD Home for support in identifying relevant CPD activities
be aware that if CPD Home does not provide the training required to support recency of practice or change of scope requirements, it will refer subscribers to one or more learning provider(s) who may be able to assist.

Appendices

Glossary

Version Tracking

Version	Date	Comments
1.0	December 2022
1.1	January 2023	Inclusion of paragraph on auditing 5% of subscribers
1.2	September 2024	Updated Introduction to reflect the joint ownership of CPD Home. Amended CPD Home Program of Learning start year from 2023 to 2024, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority to Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Replaced AMA (WA) CEO with Executive Lead to reflect current SOP. Removed unrelated glossary terms.
1.3	October 2024	Corrected minor grammatical errors. Updated compliance procedures. Added Definitions statement and edited glossary.
1.4	July 2025	Replaced CPD Home Board with Doctorportal Learning Board.
1.4.1	July 2025	Expanded continuous absence from practice explanation.
1.5	October 2025	Replaced Executive Lead with Management. Deleted ‘special considerations’. Removed unrelated glossary items. Updated minor amendments.

Appendix 1

Glossary

Term	Definition
Appeal	Of a decision, to be undertaken by an Appeals Committee, an ad-hoc committee of the Doctorportal Learning Board.
Ahpra	Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Conflict of interest	A conflict of interest occurs when a person’s personal interests’ conflict, or could be perceived to conflict, with their responsibility to act in the best interests of CPD Home. Conflict of interests may be: Real – where a direct conflict exists between the decision maker and their duty to act in the best interests of CPD Home Apparent – where it appears or could be perceived that personal interests are influencing the decision maker to not act in the best interests of CPD Home Potential – where personal interests are not currently but could come into conflict with their duty to act in the best interests of CPD Home.
CPD Home Catalogue	The online listing of CPD activities on the CPD Home website and app, accessed by doctors who sign-up to CPD Home as a paid Subscriber or free Learner.
CPD Home Program of Learning	The CPD Home Program of Learning (CPD Program) provides a pathway for Australian registered medical specialists, international medical graduates, PGY2+ trainees and non-vocationally registered doctors to engage in an accredited CPD program. From 1 January 2024, the CPD Program is a mandatory program for subscribers to the CPD Home service.
CPD requirements	Means CPD requirements against the Standard, as follows: develop a written annual CPD Plan complete a minimum of 50 hours per year of CPD activities that are relevant to your scope of practice and individual professional development needs allocate your minimum 50 hours per year between the following types of CPD activities at least 12.5 hours (25 percent of the minimum) in educational activities at least 25 hours (50 per cent of the minimum) in activities focused on reviewing performance and measuring outcomes, with a minimum of five hours for each category the remaining 12.5 hours (25 percent of the minimum), and any CPD activities over the 50-hour minimum across any of these types of CPD activities, including any relevant specialist high-level CPD requirements reflect on your CPD goals at the end of the year in preparation for your next CPD Plan retain records of your annual CPD compliance for auditing purposes by your CPD home and the MBA for three years after the end of each one-year cycle.
CPD year	CPD year commences 1 January and concludes 31 December.
Decision maker	Any person or persons making decisions for or on behalf of CPD Home.
Exemption	CPD requirements for the CPD year are waived in part or full.
Exceptional circumstances	Means circumstances that are not ordinarily encountered or anticipated, which are beyond the control of the individual concerned and which are of such severity or gravity that they may impact adversely on the individual’s capacity to complete their CPD requirements.
Participating subscriber	Subscribers to CPD Home who do not have an exemption and who by default are participating in the CPD Program.
Personal interest	Personal interests include where the decision maker or a person or organisation affiliated with them would receive a benefit or incur a detriment because of the decision being made. That benefit or detriment could be financial or non-financial.
Reconsideration	Of a decision, to be undertaken by the original decision maker.
Review	Of a decision, to be undertaken by a Review Panel.
Review Panel	A panel comprised of three people chosen at the discretion of Management or their delegate for the purpose of reviewing a decision under the Review, Reconsideration and Appeals Policy. The Review Panel shall not include a member who participated in the original decision or its reconsideration, or who otherwise has, or is perceived to have, a conflict of interest.
the Standard	The Medical Board of Australia’s (MBA)’s revised Registration Standard: Continuing professional development.

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