Informal learning - reading, shadowing, podcasts, problem-solving - counts towards your development and often your CPD. Here is how to make it count.
When people say they have "not done any CPD this year", they usually mean they have not been on a course. But most professional bodies count informal, self-directed learning too - and most of your real learning happens there anyway.
What counts as informal learning
- Reading industry articles, books or guidance
- Listening to podcasts or watching webinars
- Shadowing a colleague or being shadowed
- Solving a new problem at work and researching how
- Being mentored, or mentoring someone else
- Writing guidance, delivering a briefing or teaching others
- Reflecting on something that went wrong and changing your approach
If it developed your knowledge or skills and you can say what changed as a result, it is learning.
The difference between doing it and it counting
Informal learning only counts when you can show it. Three things make the difference:
- A record - date, what you did, how long it took
- A reflection - what you learned and how it changed your practice
- Evidence where possible - a link, notes, the document you produced
"Read an article about safeguarding updates" is weak. "Read the updated statutory guidance; identified two changes affecting our referral process; updated our team checklist" is a CPD entry.
Why this matters for your total hours
Many professionals scramble for hours before a deadline while sitting on months of unlogged informal learning. Ten minutes of logging after each activity beats a weekend of reconstruction.
A quick habit that works
Keep one rule: if you learned something, log it before you close the tab or leave the room. A free CPD log on your phone makes this a 60-second job.
Log informal learning free on WorkplaceHero
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