Ongoing Professional Development
Develop your skills and grow from peers in the industry
Ongoing Professional Development
Develop your skills and grow from peers in the industry
Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) Policy
Effective 31 May 2022
This page outlines AACAD's policies and point allocation for OPD events. An AACAD approved event is one that has been formally submitted to, and approved by, AACAD. A Non-AACAD approved event is an event that has not been submitted to, or approved by, AACAD and therefor carries a lower point allocation and does not appear on the AACAD events page.
PLEASE NOTE: Points are not allocated against hours of delivery; 1 x point is not equivalent to one hour of attendance.
How does OPD work?
Engaging in structured peer mentoring, participating in "communities of practice" (where colleagues meet to reflect on complex scenarios), and taking part in clinical supervision allow support workers to share diverse perspectives, swap successful behavioral strategies, and improve their own practice.
By absorbing the collective knowledge and real-world experiences of their peers, workers avoid the echo chamber of reflecting in isolation, fast-track their problem-solving skills, and ultimately deliver a higher, safer, and more deeply empathetic standard of individual care.
Member Requirements for OPD
All practicing members of AACAD are required to complete 25 points of Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) per calendar year. An event is defined as any one activity regardless of how many hours or days the activity goes for. Breaks for lunch etc. must not be included when defining how many hours an event runs for. Only completed events will attract OPD points. Each event can only be claimed once.
The required annual accrual of 25 points must be attained through attendance at a minimum of two different and separate events unless completing a course. 25 points cannot be accumulated through one event or activity.
Professional Development & Supervision Point Table
| Event Description | Points for AACAD Approved Event | Points for non AACAD Approved Event |
|---|---|---|
| Online training program: No less than one hour and no more than six hours, with assessment. Must provide certificate of completion/attendance with assessment | 5 Points | 3 Points |
| Online training program: Duration of six hours or more. Must provide certificate of completion/attendance with assessment | 10 Points | 6 Points |
| Workshop: Duration of no less than 90 minutes and no more than six hours or one day. Must provide Certificate of Attendance. | 5 Points | 3 Points |
| Workshop: Duration of more than one day. Must provide Certificate of Attendance. | 10 Points | 6 Points |
| First Aid Certificate course for private health provider number certificate must be provided (yearly CPR is not included) | 6 Points | N/A |
| Conference: Duration of no less than six hours and no greater than one Day. Must provide certificate of attendance. | 6 Points | 3 Points |
| Conference: Duration of not less than two days. Must provide certificate of attendance. | 12 Points | 6 Points |
| Courses and qualifications: See notes page 2 | 8 Points/Unit | 5 Points/Unit |
| A Imparting knowledge related to Community Services, Aged Care, or Disability Support through formal presentations, peer reviewed research and publications. Supporting documents must be supplied. Imparting knowledge as a lecturer/tutor in an educational environment ie. University, College, School, TAFE or RTO is not considered OPD. | Maximum 8 points per membership year | N/A |
Notes on OPD Events
Workshops/Presentations
All practicing members of AACAD are required to complete 25 points of Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) per calendar year. An event is defined as any one activity regardless of how many hours or days the activity goes for. Breaks for lunch etc. must not be included when defining how many hours an event runs for. Only completed events will attract OPD points. Each event can only be claimed once.
Online training program
All practicing members of AACAD are required to complete 25 points of Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) per calendar year. An event is defined as any one activity regardless of how many hours or days the activity goes for. Breaks for lunch etc. must not be included when defining how many hours an event runs for. Only completed events will attract OPD points. Each event can only be claimed once.
Courses and qualifications
AACAD will accept courses and qualifications that further a member's skills and qualifications in their field for OPD purposes under the following conditions:
- A qualification must be an AQF accredited qualification
- A course unit must include a formal assessment
- A course unity must have no less than 60 hours of coursework
- OPD will be allocation on a per unit per semester basis
- Only completed units are eligible for OPD
- A transcript of training must be submitted as evidence of a completed unit
- Each unit completed is a single event.
AACAD delivered OPD, workshops and conferences will be allocated OPD point separately. Guidelines for OPD Presenter/s:
OPD events should be presented by those who are:
- An appropriate, experienced organisation delivering OPD training
- Appropriately qualified and experienced individual in the subject matter that they are presenting; and
- Individual members of AACAD; or
- Able to demonstrate eligibility for membership to AACAD
- Recognised by the profession as having advanced expertise in the topic being addressed.
Any activity or events that fall outside this document can be sent to AACAD for consideration of OPD points.
It is the responsibility of the event providers to seek AACAD pre-approval.
Have an enquiry about Ongoing Professional Development or approved events?
Get in touch with AACAD today! We are here to help with your queries related to OPD points or sourcing events.
If you are a company representative and would like to add your event to our approved list, our team can guide you through the process.
