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Developing your career - Professional skills in government

Information on assessing your skills in line with the Professional Skills for Government agenda is available on the Veterinary Skills and Expertise framework pages.

The Veterinary Skills and Expertise Framework (PDF 848 KB) aims to support implementation of the Professional Expertise component for Professional Skills in Government (PSG) initiative to create a more professionally focused civil service.

This framework forms just one component of the total picture in organisational talent and learning management and needs to sit alongside the relevant competence frameworks, other PSG core skills –including leadership - requirements and learning and development processes for the individual departments and agencies. The framework is intended to support vets and their managers identify application of their professional skills and expertise.

Continuing Professional Development

As registered members of the RCVS all government vets must maintain and continue to develop their professional knowledge and skills, in order to make continuous improvements to delivery of business objectives and in accordance with RCVS CPD requirements.

Undertaking CPD helps the individual to keep up to date with the continual changes and developments in knowledge, skills and operating environments.

The RCVS defines Continuing Professional Development as “the systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skills and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout the Member's working life."

Currently the RCVS recommends a minimum CPD of 105 hours over three years with an average of 35 hours per year.

The RCVS Guide to Professional Conduct (Link to RCVS website) states that that veterinary surgeons have a responsibility to ensure that they maintain and continue to develop their professional knowledge and skills.

CPD is therefore the personal obligation of all responsible veterinary surgeons and should be seen as the continuous progression of capability and competence.

The RCVS website contains more guidance on CPD.

The GVS policy statement on responsibilities in relation to CPD for vets in Government

All government vets must maintain and continue to develop their professional knowledge and skills, in order to make continuous improvements to the standard of service they provide to their departments and agencies.

The Veterinary Head of Profession (VHoP) working through the Government Veterinary Surgeons Steering Group (GVS-SG) is responsible for:

  • developing and refining a Learning and Development Framework for Vets in Government, encompassing the Cabinet Office's Professional Skills for Government (PSG) initiative.
  • assuring the progressive knowledge and skills acquired and applied by vets working within government are recognised as satisfying the CPD obligations, requirements and professional standards set down by the RCVS.
  • championing best practice in learning and development in order that vets in government, and the teams they work with, achieve excellence in the delivery of their work.

Vets in government are responsible for:

  • negotiating their Personal Development Plans with their Line Managers.
  • recording their learning and development activities in relation to CPD as required by the RCVS.

Managers of vets working in government are responsible for:

  • defining the department's corporate requirement for veterinary knowledge and skills.
  • supporting veterinary staff in meeting their individual learning and development needs in order to meet the corporate requirement.
  • systematic appraisal of veterinary staff and quality assurance of their CPD.

See also

 

Page last modified 13 March, 2008