Qualified members of professional bodies are increasingly being required to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in order that the high standards they had to achieve to become qualified are maintained whilst they continue to practice in their chosen profession. The Medical Profession has recently made CPD compulsory, and this compulsion is likely to spread to other professions, which could, in due course, include farriery. Indeed it is possible that annual registration could become dependent on satisfactory achievement of a specified amount of CPD. 

However, at the moment there is no possibility of mandatory CPD in the near future, unless the government were to introduce it as a requirement for all regulated professions. There is no provision in the Farriers Registration Act, and any work on a new Veterinary Surgeons Act, which could introduce it if farriers wanted and DEFRA agreed, will not start until late 2011 at the earliest.

Therefore, in order that CPD is set up to suit farriers and the farriery profession, the Worshipful Company of Farriers, Farriers Registration Council, and National Association of Farriers, Blacksmiths and Agricultural Engineers have formed a CPD Steering Group (CPDSG) to take forward Farriery CPD.

CPD benefits everyone:

• Horses should be better looked after. Clients – the horse owning public in particular - will be able to see whether their farrier is keeping himself up to date, and thus make informed decisions on which farrier they engage to trim and shoe their horse(s).
• Farriers improve not only their technical knowledge and techniques, including the use of modern materials, but are also updated on related topics such as modern business practice and software, client relationships, and remedial shoeing. Financial benefits, such as reduced insurance premiums, are being investigated. Finally, if complaints are made about farriers they are seen in a much more serious light if the individual has not kept up with CPD. Equally it is a strong mitigation if modern practices are studied and followed. Annual checks of CPD claimed will be carried out. A van sticker will be issued annually.
• Providers of CPD can plan events to meet the demand, thus providing better targeted CPD by location, better focussed by subject to meet demand. This means better attended events, which should improve quality. CPD providers need to have their event accredited by the CPDSG (registrar@wcf.org.uk); CPD points for each event will be awarded in relation to the depth and breadth of the subject matter, quality of speakers, etc. The CPDSG will also inform providers how CPD should be recorded, both on the Farriers CPD Record Card at the event, and also electronically to the FRC where CPD will be recorded.

CPD Survey

The CPDSG has conducted a survey of farriers to determine what level of CPD is required together with the locations and frequency of demand. This has been analysed to provide an overview of the types of CPD required which will assist CPD providers in planning the provision of courses, and the geographical areas where they are needed. This will go some way to providing more regional CPD, rather than the current central location, which disadvantages farriers from the outer reaches of the UK.

CPD Points

Every farrier should be aiming to achieve a minimum of 10 points per year averaged over a 3 year period. The system will start in earnest in 2008. The minimum target in 2008 is 5 points, in 2009, 8 points, and from 2010 onwards 10 points per year. Farriers will be provided with a Certificate annually showing the CPD completed in the past year, and the points awarded over the past three years.  A list of the points earned for events, and also a list of activities which do not count as CPD are in the attachment below.

CPD providers

For CPD Providers there is an Event Registration Form attached below in pdf format for a simple manual production of an attendance list.  Registration Forms are also attached in both Word (.doc) and Excel(.xls) format for those supliers who are able to use these formats for producing attendance lists.  The completed, signed lists should be forwarded to the Registrar.

Points should be allocated to your event in accordance with the Points List which is also attached.