Frequently Asked Questions for CPD
Authored by SANATA CPD Committee 2024
What is CPD/CEU?
CPD = Continuing Professional Development
CEU = Continuing Education Unit.
All CPD activities are accredited for a particular number of CEU’s, usually depending on the duration of the activity. For example, a one-hour live event earns you 1 CEU.
What are CPD activities?
A CPD activity is an activity that is CPD accredited by an HPCSA approved accrediting body, such as SANATA. It can take different forms, such as attending live or online events, presentations and training or reading articles and answering questions about them to assess that the activity has been carried out. SANATA offers many live and online CPD opportunities that you can take advantage of. There is also a CPD Library on the SANATA website providing many CPD opportunities.
How many CEUs do I need as an Arts Therapist?
A health practitioner is required to engage in CPD and accumulate CEUs per twelve-month period of which a specific number of CEUs should be for ethics, human rights and health law. There is a requirement through HPCSA to accumulate 30 CEU’s (made up of 25 clinical and 5 ethical CEU’s) per year. For ethics CEU’s the activity needs to specify that there are Ethics CEU’s for the activity.
What are CPD activities?
A CPD activity is an activity that is CPD accredited by an HPCSA approved accrediting body, such as SANATA. It can take different forms, such as attending live or online events, presentations and training or reading articles and answering questions about them to assess that the activity has been carried out. SANATA offers many live and online CPD opportunities that you can take advantage of. There is also a CPD Library on the SANATA website providing many CPD opportunities.
CPD compliance is a legal requirement by the HPCSA for all registered practitioners. Currently this is assessed over a 2 year period, meaning that at any given time you need to have 60 valid CEU’s (50 clinical and 10 ethics CEU’s) accumulated over the 2
year period. This will be changing soon to be assessed only annually by needing to reflect only 30 CEU’s valid for a one-year period from the date of completion of the activity.
Where do I check my CPD status?
All completed CEU’s will be uploaded onto the HPCSA practitioner’s portal. You will need to create an account under you HPCSA number using the following link
https://practitionerssso.hpcsa.co.za/identity/login?signin=6f42e86db30462418f5f0535c0b3f5b3
How do I get so many CEUs if I am a new graduate?
You will be able to apply for CEU’s after completing your postgraduate degree, which will provide you with 30 CEUs. This will assist you with a one year “grace period” to become CPD compliant.
Can I apply for CEUs after completing my Master’s degree?
Yes. All master’s degrees can be applied for CEUs. A total of 30 CEUs can be obtained after completion of the degree.
Can I apply to receive CEU’s for my postgraduate research?
No research can be allocated CEUs unless it has been formally published.
How long are my CEUs valid for after I have completed an activity?
All CEUs are valid for a period of 24 months from the date that the activity took place/ ended. CEUs may not be allocated retrospectively.
Can I get CEUs for international conferences/events?
Yes. When health practitioners who are actively practising in South Africa attend an accredited professional or academic meeting or activity internationally, it will be recognised for CPD purposes depending on the correct and sufficient documentation.
How do I apply for accreditation for an international event/conference?
An accreditor in South Africa (eg. SANATA) should accredit the activity attended internationally if not accredited/recognised for CEUs equivalent in the country where it was held.
How do I apply for accreditation for an international event/conference through SANATA?
After submitting all details via the google link, SANATA will convert the CEU’s according to the appropriate guidelines and submit the points to the HPCSA on your behalf. NOTE: Certificate/official documentation stating proof of attendance and hours are mandatory.
Do I receive double points if I am the presenter of an event?
Yes. Presenters of activities can be allocated double CEUs.
Can I claim every time I present the same workshop/event?
No. Presenters / co-presenters can only claim once for CEUs if the same activity is presented more than once.
Is there a cap on the amount of CEUs I can claim?
Yes, CEUs are allocated according to time, one CEU per hour to a maximum of eight CEUs per day.
What are the implications of non-compliance?
The names of bona fide non-compliant health practitioners will be submitted to the relevant
professional boards, which might take any of the following actions:
• Deregistration from the HPCSA
• Changing the category of registration to supervised practice; until proof of compliance
• with the CPD requirements are submitted;
• Successfully passing a Board Examination;
• Suspension from the register until submission of proof of compliance with the CPD requirements is submitted; or
• any other resolution by the relevant professional board.
Are there any activities that do not qualify for CEUs?
The following activities do not qualify for CEUs:
• time spent in planning, organising or facilitating any activity
• published congress proceedings;
• non-referenced letters to the Editor of accredited journals;
• daily ward rounds;
• written assignments;
• compilation of student training manuals for internal use;
• staff and/ or administrative meetings;
• membership of professional bodies, professional boards or associations;
• holding a portfolio on the professional body’s executive or council structure;
• presentations and publications to the public; and
• activities that fall within the job description
What role does SANATA play with CPD?
SANATA issues CEU points for profession-specific events that aim to develop the knowledge and skills set of Arts Therapists, as well as CPD certificates to individuals for Level 1, 2 and 3 activities, provided proof of attendance and/other relevant documents are provided (002 individual applications).
SANATA is an HPCSA-appointed accreditor to whom individuals/organizations who charge for events may apply for CPD accreditation for their events (002 service provider
applications).
How do I apply for CEUs through SANATA?
SANATA follows a formal application process based on the requirements set out from the HPCSA. When applying to receive CEU’s for an event that you attended, you have to
complete the google link https://forms.gle/R6cJMNTS7xKhm3o4A. After completing the link, the application goes to the CPD committee to review. If your application is successful, you will receive an invoice. SANATA as service provider will send the points to the HPCSA on
your behalf. Once the points have been approved by the HPCSA, SANATA will issue a CPD certificate.
How long does it take for my points to reflect on the portal?
If points are submitted through a service provider (007) such as SANATA, it can take up to 30 days to reflect on the system as the Service Provider submits once every month. If spreadsheets from individual service providers (002) are submitted, it may take 24 hours up to three days from submission.
How do I apply to accredit my own event as a practitioner?
Accreditation for an event presented by an individual service provider (individual practitioner) takes place through a HPCSA accredited body (Eg. SANATA).
How do I apply to accredit my own event as a practitioner through SANATA?
An email can be sent to sanatacpd@gmail.com to request an application form. After completing the application form, the CPD committee will review the application and provide feedback.
What could result in my application being unsuccessful?
There are only two components that can result in applications being unsuccessful:
1) If the application does not meet the HPCSA requirements – This may include but are not limited to insufficient documentation eg. no attendance certificates.
2) If the application falls outside of SANATA’s scope of accreditation- This may include but are not limited to workshops/events/courses with non-therapy related outcomes.
Does the SANATA CPD committee decide how many CEUs I am allowed to receive?
No. All allocated CEUs are provided in line with the HPCSA guidelines and audited on an annual basis.
For more information regarding CPD, kindly contact the SANATA CPD committee at sanatacpd.@gmail.com or sanataadm@gmail.com.
What could result in my application being unsuccessful?
There are only two components that can result in applications being unsuccessful:
1) If the application does not meet the HPCSA requirements – This may include but are not limited to insufficient documentation eg. no attendance certificates.
2) If the application falls outside of SANATA’s scope of accreditation- This may include but are not limited to workshops/events/courses with non-therapy related outcomes.