The GOC on the Reflective exercise

As the Reflective exercise requires registrants to reflect on their education and professional development during the three-year CPD cycle, registrants were able to start completing this new requirement in July this year.

Here, the GOC’s head of education development, Samara Morgan, answers a series of questions about the Reflective exercise that OT has received from registrants.

What is the reflective exercise and why was it established?

As registrants should all now be aware, they need to complete and submit a Reflective exercise before the end of the 2022–2024 CPD cycle. We introduced the Reflective exercise to allow registrants to gain insights about their practice to improve the way they work and the care they give to their patients.

Reflection gives registrants a chance to challenge knowledge and assumptions and increases self-awareness. During the discussion, registrants will reflect on their CPD activity to date, how their learning outcomes may have changed throughout the cycle, and identify what CPD activities they need to carry forward to the next cycle.

The Reflective exercise can help prevent CPD from becoming a ‘tick box’ exercise as we encourage registrants to discuss how their learning activities have affected their practice.

If a learning activity has not influenced their practice, or a learning outcome has changed or hasn’t been met, that’s fine too, so long as registrants discuss why this was.

It may feel uncomfortable at times to critically examine completed CPD, but through critical reflection, registrants can positively change their practice, impact the practice of others, and benefit their patients.

It also allows registrants to get ahead and prepare activities for the next cycle. At the start of the next cycle, registrants' reflections will form part of their Personal development plan (PDP) on their MyGOC, MyCPD to help them plan their learning over the next few years.

The Reflective exercise can help prevent CPD from becoming a ‘tick box’ exercise as we encourage registrants to discuss how their learning activities have impacted their practice

When and how can registrants upload their Reflective exercise evidence?

Since the beginning of July this year, registrants have been able to complete and submit an online form on their MyGOC, MyCPD documenting the discussion that has taken place.

We have published a reflective exercise guidance template, which mirrors the form that appears on registrants’ MyGOC, MyCPD, to make it easier for registrants to have their discussions offline. However, registrants cannot upload the template, they must complete the template in their MyGOC, MyCPD.

The Reflective exercise should be completed and submitted by 31 December, at the very latest.

There are some rules about who can act as a peer for registrants. Who counts as a peer? And who counts as a ‘close friend’?

There are a number of options for peers. They can be:

• Another optometrist or dispensing optician
• A registrant’s employer
• Another healthcare professional regulated by a statutory body.

However, the peer shouldn’t be a relative, employee or a close friend. Essentially, there needs to be a little ‘distance’ in the relationship between a registrant and their peer – it shouldn’t be someone a registrant socialises with regularly or knows intimately.

The reason for this is so a peer can challenge and question the registrant if needed, therefore allowing for a more meaningful discussion which may not be possible between individuals who have a very close relationship. Registrants might also be uncomfortable reflecting on areas for improvement in their practice with a close friend as opposed to an impartial peer.

The peer shouldn’t be a relative, employee or a close friend. Essentially, there needs to be a little ‘distance’ in the relationship between a registrant and their peer

If you have completed your Reflective exercise and then act as a peer for another practitioner, what do you need to do?

Registrants can act as a peer for more than one registrant. However, registrants can only submit one Reflective exercise for themselves on their MyGOC, MyCPD.

If a registrant wants to act as a peer after completing and submitting their own Reflective exercise, they should go through the questions listed in the reflective exercise guidance template with the registrant completing the Reflective exercise.

When the registrant completing the Reflective exercise fills out the online form in their MyGOC, MyCPD, they will give the name and email address of the peer. The peer will then receive an email asking them to confirm that they were the peer.

What should practitioners do if they cannot find a suitable peer to complete the Reflective exercise with?

There are several options for peers, and registrants can act as peers for more than one registrant. Furthermore, some CPD providers are assisting in matching up peers, so registrants should all be able to find a peer to carry out the Reflective exercise with.

Registrants should all be able to find a peer to carry out the Reflective exercise with

What should you do if you want to replace the original Reflective exercise template you submitted?

We would urge registrants not to be concerned once they have submitted their Reflective exercise. While our CPD record reviewers may provide feedback on a registrant’s Reflective exercise, we are aware that it is a new requirement for this cycle and so will not penalise registrants for making mistakes when completing it.

If registrants have any concerns about the Reflective exercise they have submitted, they should email the GOC in the first instance.