Continuing Professional Development

Bookkeeping is a regulated profession and ICB members are committed to the continuing development of their professional skills, ensuring they maintain their status as the UK's leading bookkeepers.

Continuing Professional Development is defined as the systematic maintenance, enhancement and continuous improvement of the knowledge, skills and ability, often termed 'competence', that one needs to work as a professionally qualified bookkeeper.  There are two strands to CPD:

• Update CPD, which ensures professional competence and prevents technical obsolescence within the member's field of work.
• Developmental CPD, which provides new knowledge, broadens skills and opens up career opportunities.

It is the responsibility of the individual member to develop and maintain the competence demanded by their role and the need of the users of the services they provide.  CPD is self-monitored.

The purpose of CPD:

• Meet the demands made of members for knowledge, understanding and skills in keeping with the newest legislation, practice and technology.
• Provide members with the opportunity to extend those technical interpersonal and managerial skills which they seek to aid their career progression.
• Maintain the confidence of employers and the general public in the standard of the ICB qualification and professional ability of ICB members.

Types of CPD:

• Short courses
• Seminars and workshops
• Articles and case studies in the ICB online newsletter and other professional journals
• Directed reading

Structured & Unstructured CPD:

ICB recommends that members undertake a minimum of 30 hours per year of which 15 hours should be structured.

Unstructured learning can in many situations be most effective and more efficient than structured training in terms of time and cost.

Members attending ICB seminars/workshops are credited with CPD points.  

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