CPD scheme

Links for subscribers: Take a test | Password reminder | Your CPD record

The scheme is primarily aimed at mental health solicitors, and is accredited by the SRA (reference DOM/WIKI). It is an ideal way to obtain your necessary hours, or to evidence your continued competence.

The course will cover LAA category supervisors for their mandatory MHA- and MCA-related CPD hours, and Law Society MH Accreditation Scheme (Panel) members for their mandatory MH-related CPD hours.

It is also suitable for barristers (established practitioners), psychiatrists, social workers and psychiatric nurses.

For £60, you can obtain 12 CPD credits. Multiple-choice tests are published monthly and stay online for 12 months. The tests can be taken at any time: for instance, a solicitor could take 4 tests today and save the other 8 until the start of the new CPD year in November. The subscription lasts for up to 12 CPD points or 12 months, whichever is sooner.

The aim is to provide updates on mental health law - case law, legislation and general information. At the end of the course you will have a better understanding of recent changes in this area of law. You do not need to have any prior knowledge to take the tests, as each test is based on its own reading material.

Subscription - £60 per subscriber

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Price: One subscriber £75.00 GBP Two subscribers £150.00 GBP Job advert £75.00 GBP Event advert £75.00 GBP Name AND email: Please don't use Gmail here. Second subscriber's name AND email:	Click here to obtain an invoice containing the necessary payment information.

You will be emailed with login details within a day of payment being received.

If you have any queries about your order, please email jonathan at mentalhealthlaw.co.uk

About the scheme

1. Study the relevant month's reading material.

2. Answer 8 multiple-choice questions which are set by a practising mental health solicitor.

3. Your marks will be checked by computer and you will immediately be given your score.

4. If you score at least 7 out of 8, then you will be awarded one CPD hour and will be able to print out a certificate for your records.

5. If you fail the test you can resit it until you pass, but will need to re-read the relevant materials carefully.

Further details

1. Solicitors Solicitors can continue on the SRA's hours-based regime for 2014-15 and 2015-16, or may opt for the new competence-based regime. The MHLO scheme is an ideal way to evidence your continued competence in this area of law.

Under the hours-based regime, solicitors must attain 16 CPD credits between 1 November and 31 October each year; however, there are exceptions, such as for newly-qualified solicitors and those who work part-time. See the SRA website for details.

LAA category supervisors must undertake a minimum of 6 hours of Continuing Professional Development per year in the Mental Health Category of Law of which no fewer than 3 hours must be on the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Each questionnaire states what proportion relates to the MHA or MCA.

Law Society panel members must undertake a minimum of 6 hours of mental health CPD per year.

2. Barristers: Established Practitioners (barristers over 3 years' call) must accrue 12 CPD hours per calendar year. Only 4 hours must be accredited by the Bar Standards Board; the remaining 8 can be claimed as unaccredited. This scheme is not accredited. Therefore, Established Practitioners can still subscribe but the CPD hours will have to be claimed as unaccredited. Practitioners would have to satisfy the 4 accredited hours via other means. The subscription period can straddle calendar years, so it is still possible to obtain 12 points per subscription. See Bar Standards Board, 'Frequently Asked Questions about CPD' answer 4.

3. Legal executives: CPD courses accredited by the SRA are suitable for legal executives. See ILEX website.

4. Doctors: Psychiatrists can earn up to 10 external CPD points per annum from online courses, subject to peer group approval. See RCPsych CPD information.

5. Social workers: Suitable as part of your post-registration training. See GSCC, 'Transfer of GSCCs functions to the HPC FAQs' (21/12/11) and HPC, 'Continuing professional development'.

6. Nurses: There is no such thing as approved Prep (CPD) learning activity, so if this learning activity is relevant to your practice then it is suitable for you. See NMC, 'The PREP handbook' (October 2011) para 11.

If you have any enquiries about the scheme - whether technical (e.g. you can't get the system to work) or otherwise (e.g. you disagree with your score) - then you can email jonathan at mentalhealthlaw.co.uk. In addition, there is a feedback form which can be filled in at the end of each assessment.