How Many CPD Points Do I Need for ESSA?

If you are an ESSA-accredited professional, staying on top of your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is part of keeping your accreditation active and your practice current.

Here is a quick breakdown of ESSA's CPD Standards so you know exactly where you stand.

How many CPDs do I need?

The short answer: 20 points per year

ESSA's accreditation cycle runs from 1 January to 31 December.

Within each calendar year, every ESSA-accredited professional must accrue a minimum of 20 CPD points -this applies even if you work reduced practice hours.

As a general rule, one hour of activity equals one CPD point, though some activity types are capped.

These points can come from two categories

1: Further Education

2: Self Education

How many points from Further Education?

At least 15 of your 20 points need to come from Further Education. This category covers structured learning that maintains and develops your professional competence, such as:

• Conferences, workshops, seminars and webinars

• Tertiary study at AQF Level 7 or above

• Workplace training and in-services

• Mentoring, supervision, teaching or publishing (outside your normal employment duties)

• Cultural safety, trauma-informed practice and professional wellbeing training

The simplest way to lock in your Further Education points is through online, self-paced ESSA CPD courses that count toward your 15-point minimum.

One catch: activities that are part of your usual job, such as routine staff supervision, internal meetings and standard workplace tasks, do not count.

How many points from Self-Education?

A maximum of 5 points per year can come from Self-Education and Professional Contributions. This is the informal learning you are probably already doing:

• Reading or reviewing journal articles

• Listening to evidence-based podcasts

• Attending industry meetings or networking events

• Volunteering at expos and community events

• Writing blogs or presenting to consumers

First Aid points and ESSA compliance course

Easy points hide in training you are already required to do:

• First Aid is worth 3 points

• The annual CPR refresher is worth 1 point (not claimable in the same year as First Aid, which already includes CPR)

• ESSA's annual Standards & Compliance Online Course is worth 5 points of Further Education

Start with a plan

The Standards require you to set personal learning goals each year, so make them count.

• Where are the gaps in my knowledge?

• What genuinely interests me?

• What does my caseload need most?

• Where do I want my career to be in five years?

Choose activities that answer those questions and your 20 points become a career strategy rather than a hurdle.

Keep your records for seven years

You must keep CPD records for seven years and provide evidence to ESSA on request; failure to do so can result in suspension of your accreditation.

The easiest way to stay audit-ready is ESSA's online CPD Logbook (My ESSA > My CPD > My CPD Logbook).

Log each activity as you complete it, including a short reflection on how it maintained or improved your practice.

Insufficient detail on relevance is one of the most common audit issues, and a specific sentence written on the day covers you.

The bottom line

• 20 CPD points every calendar year, even part-time

• At least 15 from Further Education

• No more than 5 from Self-Education and Professional Contributions

• Keep verified evidence for seven years

• Log each activity in your ESSA CPD Logbook as you complete it

If you'd rather knock most of your points over in one go, browse our ESSA accredited CPD courses and get started today.

And the best part? Every point you earn shows up where it matters most: in the quality of care your clients receive.