CILIP Professional Registration Emily Hopkins CILIP NW Candidate Support Officer

What is it? Professional Registration is about completing a process that demonstrates that you have attained a certain level of professional practice; enabling you to be added to the register of practitioners that CILIP maintains under the Royal Charter. As a member, being added to the register is recognition of both your achievements and your commitment to continuing professional development (CPD) and the profession.

Certification Certification is aimed at those who are at the beginning of their professional career or who want to gain some recognition for the knowledge and skills they have developed working in a library, information or knowledge role. Certification is a great way to examine and develop your skills and knowledge and make improvements. There is no time constraint – take as long or as short a time as is appropriate for your development.

Chartership Chartership is the level of Professional Registration for those working in the information professions who wish to be recognised for their skills, knowledge, and application of these in the form of reflective practice. Chartership is a great way to further develop your foundation of skills and knowledge and apply these skills and knowledge in your current and future activities.

Fellowship Fellowship is the highest level of Professional Registration and if you’re a Chartered member, hold a senior position in your organisation, or have made a significant contribution to the Information Professions, it is appropriate for you. Fellowship is a great way to evaluate the impact you have had on your organisation and the wider profession. There is no time constraint; you can take as long or as short a time as is appropriate for your development.

Revalidation Revalidation is relevant for all current CILIP members registered with Certification, Chartership and Fellowship. As a member of CILIP, you show a commitment to CPD. One way to demonstrate this commitment on an ongoing basis is through Revalidation of your Registration. The Revalidation process is designed to enable you to record your CPD activities, and to reflect on them through a short evaluative statement. It is recommended that you revalidate once per year throughout your CILIP membership. CILIP is currently working towards an obligatory Revalidation scheme which would be implemented in 2016.

Professional Registration & CPD: Why do it? What makes a professional? Recognition Honing skills Demonstrating value & standards Professional parity Requirement for some roles! Keeping up to date Applying skills learned on academic courses 'Gold standard' for information (para-)professionals Some of the reasons that have come out in discussions at events – group may have others!

Future Skills Project Accessibility – removing barriers and bureaucracy Broadening the appeal and relevancy of CILIP qualifications Clearer assessment criteria Alternative methods for delivering and assessing revalidation Online submission The changes are a direct result of the Future Skills Project which aimed to promote the value of CILIP qualifications. Big review of profession/CILIP, ran from 2011-2013 The final report recognised the need for introducing: clearer guidance and information More distinction between what was required for certification and chartership a CILIP VLE – technology is one of our key everyday tools so as a professional organisation we need to use it to Improved support for all who are part of the process for enabling candidates to obtain their professional registration

Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) Recognizes broad range of skills that make up the Library Information and Knowledge Management profession. Designed as a self-assessment tool for you to map and plan your current and future development. Provides a gap analysis of what you need at this stage of your career and what you actually have. Using the PKSB will help you map your skills and achievements for considering or applying for job opportunities that may not have occurred to you. Your self-assessment won’t be judged by the assessors – it’s your assessment. Mentor could help. Most of you will have seen the PDF version of the PKSB. There is also a downloadable Excel version which is submitted in the portfolio.

Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) Succeeds & replaces the Body of Professional Knowledge Key tool in the new application process for Professional Registration Replaces the PPDP/PDP Can also be used by individuals and employers Vast range – not every section will be relevant to every member It’s the new guidance for CILIP members on the core competencies required for LIS workers. A key tool in assisting those partaking in the Professional Registration process, enabling them to self assess their strengths/weaknesses and areas to improve Self assessment replaces the PPDP in the application process. Candidates now plot their training needs on PKSB. Use in appraisal process at work? Not all sections are relevant to all members. Think about 5 or 6 sections. Part of mentors role to reassure candidates about this. Equally you do not have to aim to be advanced in everything – in many sections you may not need or want an understanding of the subject or practical experience. In some sections a basic understanding may be all you require.

PKSB Exercise

Professional Registration Professional practice / Reflection Knowledge and Skills Certification Chartership Fellowship Minimal changes Purpose PKSB Mentor requirement Removal of routes and pathways ‘Not where you start it’s where you finish’ Knowledge, Skills and ability to apply them Largely unaltered Direct application This diagram nicely sums up some of the differences between the 3 levels of professional registration. Using the green and blue colours. It shows a continuum moving from dependence on knowledge and skills in certification through the mix required for chartership and ending with the dominance of professional practice and reflection at Fellowship level. We can also see a summary of changes to the 3 levels. Certfication – mentor now needed.

Changes to Professional Registration 1 Accessibility Pathways removed CILIP Membership is only prerequisite for application Candidates now decide what level they want to follow Timescales completely removed New clearer assessment criteria implemented Every candidate now follows exactly that same procedure regardless of their background and previous qualifications. CILIP membership is the only prerequisite that all candidates need to possess. Candidates decide what levels they follow – CILIP CPD staff and mentors will advise and recommend, but ultimately it will be up to the candidate to choose what level they apply to. Candidates can submit their portfolios whenever they are ready – no need to wait. (Theoretically, can submit the day they graduate from a course!). Resubmissions for unsuccessful candidates – when you’re ready. No more waiting for a year. New assessment criteria – we will come onto this next

Certification, Chartership and Fellowship Personal performance Identified areas for improvement in their personal performance and undertaken activities to develop skills and enhance knowledge Identified areas for improvement in their personal performance, undertaken activities to develop skills, applied these in practice, and reflected on the process and outcomes Organisational context Considered the organisational context of their service and examined their role within the organisation Examined the organisational context of their service, evaluated service performance, shown the ability to implement or recommend improvement, and reflected on actual or desired outcomes Examined the organisational context of their work and evidenced substantial achievement in professional practice Wider professional context Enhanced their knowledge of information services in order to understand the wider professional context within which they work Enhanced their knowledge of the wider professional context and reflected on areas of current interest Established their commitment to, and enhanced their knowledge of, the information professions in order to have made a significant contribution to all or part of the profession(s) The assessment criteria aren’t easier; just clearer. Wording changed but principles the same as the old regs. All three levels of assessment use the same 3 criteria: Personal performance Organisational context Wider professional context Personal performance criterion for Chartership and Fellowship is exactly the same. For organisational and wider professional context there is a progression in what has to be demonstrated between all 3 sets of assessment criteria. More reflection required for Chartership and Fellowship New Handbooks available.

Changes to Professional Registration 2 PKSB self assessment introduced Online submission using new CILIP Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) All levels now must have a mentor Assessors can change assessment level Evaluative statement 1,000 words for all levels Charges to remain the same Annual obligatory revalidation – free! As mentioned earlier, the PKSB will replace the PPDP as the method of self assessment Submission will be primarily online using the new Moodle VLE. In exceptional circumstances paper submissions may be possible. Revalidation will be obligatory and undertaken annually. We’ll look at this next. Note that assessors can change the level of assessment so if you submit for Certification you may be awarded Chartership. Equally a Chartership submission could be assessed as more suitable for Certification. The candidate will be offered the choice of accepting Certification or resubmitting for Chartership. Evaluative statement – Fellowship was 250 words and a bit of an art to create it, Certification had a template!

Revalidation Members are able to revalidate annually 20 hours CPD and 250 word reflective statement Range of CPD activities encouraged – not just formal training/conferences Evidence not required Free of charge! Most significant changes have been made to revalidation. Need to keep skills up to date! Similar to other professionals; e.g. medical professionals need to revalidate annually in order to keep practising. Revalidation is currently voluntary but is intended to be obligatory for all members by 2016 but members will vote on this. Includes those not in employment. Undertaken annually. You decide what your annual period is: calendar year, year used for your work appraisal. You need to complete 20hrs of CPD and a 250 word reflective statement. You are trusted – no evidence required. CPD activities can by anything that helps you develop your professional skills and knowledge. But not 20 hours of reading Update! No specific assessment criteria for revalidation. Use PKSB and assessment criteria relevant to your level. Submission will be online using the new VLE

The pathway to professional registration

“Unwritten rules” How long should it be? Cross referencing & links Evaluative statement as “map” of the evidence Format What to include...and leave out Reflect, reflect and reflect... “So what?” Questions many candidates ask! No formal rules about some of these – every portfolio may be slightly different. Length is a bit “how long is a piece of string” as will vary, but my guidance would be “no longer than necessary” Use professional judgement (& common sense!) to ensure cross-references, links, etc make sense & the assessor can easily navigate around the portfolio. Don’t make it difficult. Ask yourself “so what?” – why is that piece of evidence there & what does it show? Very descriptive pieces are much less valuable than a short, reflective or evaluative piece Format – theoretically could include more multimedia now on VLE.

Tips for an effective relationship with your mentor At the initial meeting make sure you agree the structure for how the relationship will continue Expect to do most of the work – this relationship is about your professional development Do the work – in between meetings make sure you do the tasks you and your mentor agreed. If there are any problems then let your mentor know Actively listen to your mentor and ask questions Ask for feedback Remember that you are responsible for deciding what to submit and when; your mentor won’t tell you what to do, they just offer advice Taken from the CILIP guidance

What to expect from a mentor Mentors will be well informed about the profession They will be trained and knowledgeable about Professional Registration Mentors will have made a time commitment to be involved in mentoring They will listen and support you Offer guidance and facilitate progress, but not decision making

Guidance for completing the mentor / mentee completion form The mentor / mentee completion form has been introduced to give both parties the opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness of the relationship. The mentor is expected to write 250 word maximum and email this to you. You can then use their report to populate the completion form. You are also expected to write 250 words maximum on the mentor / mentee partnership.

Things to consider Reflect on the overall relationship Evaluate the effectiveness of the partnership Be constructive – offer both negative and positive comments as appropriate Consider the mentors approach to mentoring – did it meet your needs, etc

What to do if you think the relationship isn't working There are many reasons why mentor / mentee relationships don’t work out; personal circumstances, workplace demands, personality clashes. If you feel that your relationship with your mentor isn’t meeting expectations there are a number of things you can do, depending on the seriousness of the situation. Contact CILIP or your CSO/MSO for advice Don’t worry about this as the majority of mentoring relationships are very successful – but occasionally things go wrong. If that happens, we’re here to help.

Help & support CILIP website & VLE - handbook, regulations, forms... Discussion forum on VLE Mentor Candidate Support Officer (me!) Fellow candidates LIS-CILIP-REG, LIS-CILIP-ACLIP, LIS-CILIP-REVAL lists NW Member Network - visits, courses #chartership twitter chats Informal buddy schemes with people starting around the same time as you can be really beneficial! www.jiscmail.ac.uk mailing lists – worth signing up Twitter chats scheduled at regular intervals & hashtag is used for ongoing discussions/questions/moral support! Search for #chartership hashtag. Actually covers all prof reg not just Chartership so ACLIP/FCLIP/Revalidation welcome too – was started by Chartership candidates & it stuck.

Reflection & evidence

What makes a good piece of evidence? Piece of reflective writing Annotated photographs Meeting notes; showing your input/contribution Excerpts of writing; e.g. something you’ve written for your organisation’s website Training plans/feedback Videos? Multimedia? Just a few examples/ideas- there will be many more and no two portfolios will be the same Certificates – nothing wrong with including, but not really the ‘best’ on their own – a short piece of reflective writing showing what you learned on the course in much more valuable than a certificate on its own.

Reflective practice Not a new idea Donald Schon The Reflective Practitioner (1983) John Dewey How we think (1933) Gained in prominence in healthcare – clinical governance & accountability Also commonly used in education, leadership/coaching & other professions

Why we reflect? We tend to reflect on why something has not worked, in order to: Make decisions or resolve uncertainty Critically review something [the process, our own behaviour or when learning something new] Engage in personal or self-development (Moon, 1999, p.23)

Reflective writing Reflective writing does not come easy for most of us in fact “many of us find it quite difficult to write reflectively: like most skills, the earlier you start and the more practice you have; the easier it becomes” (Watson, 2008, p.23)

Reflection You do something You think about it You draw conclusions from the experience You plan how to do it better You do it better

Reflection What A statement of what has happened, describe the situation; Achievements, consequences, responses, feelings, and problems. So what How it fits in the larger picture of your development discuss what has been learnt; Learning about self, relationships, attitudes, cultures, actions, thoughts, understanding, and improvements. Now what Identify what needs to be done in order to; improve future outcomes, and develop learning. Having reflected you now need to capture that reflection and write reflectively. A straightforward model for reflective writing

Reflection exercise Think of a recent experience you’d like to reflect on – training course, meeting you attended, interaction with a customer, presentation you gave, piece of work you did... Use the template if you like Reflect on what you learned, what went well or not so well So what? How will you put this into practice? Or do it differently next time?

VLE & Portfolio system

I haven’t done screenshots as you won’t be able to read them. I’ve snipped some of the sections from some of the pages on the VLE. Logon to the VLE via the CILIP website to see a range of options available to you including guidance and screencasts such as 'Getting started on the VLE‘. VLE still under development more tools and resources will come. “My courses” section probably the section you will use the most. Sections are locked down – see the key – until you are entitled to access them. You are then enrolled onto that course, similar to a university module. I’ll briefly look at Chartership next 35

Introduction: relevant handbook and assessment criteria Again an excerpt from the page. This is the Chartership “course” but there are similar sections for Certification and Fellowship. The central section of the page provides all the guidance, tools and information a candidate needs to collect, build and complete their submission. 6 tabs: Introduction: relevant handbook and assessment criteria Getting started: outlines the process and information about how to get a mentor PKSB: includes Excel PKSB gap analysis file Developing yourself and collecting evidence: some activities you can do Assembling your portfolio: portfolio checklist, video on building your portfolio in the “CILIP Portfolio” section Submitting your application: payment and how to submit. We’ll now have a quick look at revalidation on the VLE. 36

Revalidation – you don’t need a mentor Only 4 tabs here – revalidation isn’t onerous: Introduction – general information & handbooks Recording your CPD activities – video that takes you through adding activities events to your CPD log Evaluative statement – use assessment criteria to help you structure your 250 words. Submitting your revalidation – video on the process and a link to submit your revalidation 37

VLE/Portfolio Exercise Login to the CILIP website, navigate to “VLE” and then “Portfolio” Either have a look at the example portfolio, or practice navigating to the “portfolio” tab Create a page & play with the layout! The portfolio system (“Mahara”) is where you’ll actually put together your portfolio VLE is where you submit & is also a source of information

Contact Details for Support CILIP NW Candidate Support Officer Emily Hopkins emily_hopkins@hotmail.co.uk CILIP NW Mentor Support Officer Linda Ferguson linda.ferguson@nhs.net CILIP Member Services memberservices@cilip.org.uk or 020 7255 0613