1 Final draft published now as: Beddoe , L., & Duke, J. (2013). Continuing professional development of registered social workers in New Zealand Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 25(3), 35-49. ___________________________________________________________ Continuing professional development of registered social workers in New Zealand Liz Beddoe and Jan Duke Liz Beddoe is Associate Professor of social work at the University of Auckland; Jan Duke is Deputy Registrar at the Social Workers Registration Board. Both have written about social work education and professional issues in New Zealand. Abstract Continuing professional development (CPD) is a significant feature of contemporary practice in most professions. In New Zealand the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) is empowered under legislation to set expectations for CPD. Initially NZ registered social workers were expected to undertake 150 hours of CPD activities across a three-year period. A random audit undertaken in 2010 found that social workers were not planning their CPD activities in a purposeful way (Duke, 2012), and were struggling to meet the target and as a consequence the requirements were reduced. A content analysis of CPD logs was undertaken in order to provide a snapshot of CPD activities of 84 randomly selected registered social workers. Findings demonstrate that while a broad range of activities were undertaken by social workers there was only weak evidence for the enhancement of reflective practice. Engagement in scholarly activity and research was low among the randomly selected group. INTRODUCTION Professional development is a career-long process in which, via diverse learning activities, professionals refine and augment their knowledge, develop their skills and undertake personal professional supervision to enhance critically reflective practice. Lymbery (2011, p.466) notes that a central component of professional competence is the “establishment of a coherent and properly funded structure for continuing professional development”. Provision of any professional development in social work in New Zealand is patchy. Continuing professional development can be inclusive of a broad range of large activities some of which could be described as ‘maintenance’ activities (e.g. engagement in regular supervision and attending skills workshops and seminars about new policies). Continuing professional education (CPE) generally refers to the undertaking of formal higher qualifications and such scholarly activities are undertaken by a smaller number of people. Within the current climate however