How to use CDEP

Here's everything you need to know to make the most of your learning.

CDEP works a little differently from traditional online training.
Rather than working through all the learning material before completing an assessment, CDEP combines bite-sized learning with continuous assessment.
This approach helps you recognise what you already know, build confidence and identify any gaps in your knowledge, so you can focus your learning where it's needed most.

Choosing your training topics:

CDEP offers a wide range of diabetes training topics, which you can complete in any order and at your own pace.
To help you get started, CDEP recommends topics based on your selected healthcare sector and the people you support:

Essential Learning: Priority topics most relevant to your role.
Other Topics: Additional training to help broaden your knowledge and skills.

BROWSE CDEP TOPICS

Each successfully completed topic generates a certificate and reflection document, providing evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) for appraisals, revalidation and professional development.
You don't need to complete all CDEP topics to earn a certificate.

Understanding your registration level:

Each topic is divided into sections (competencies). The number of sections within a topic you complete depend on your CDEP registration level, ensuring the training is appropriate for your role and responsibilities.

CDEP offers four registration levels:

1) Core = Staff who have any contact with people living with diabetes.

2) Intermediate = Staff who regularly support people with diabetes, including providing basic care and administering medication, but who do not prescribe or adjust treatment.

3) Diabetes specialist = Healthcare professionals directly involved in diabetes management, including diagnosing diabetes or its complications, prescribing or adjusting treatment.

4) Diabetes expert = Healthcare professionals providing advanced care for people with complex diabetes needs.

Need to change your level?
You can update your level at any time and at no extra cost in My Account, once signed in.

Learn and assess your knowledge as you go

CDEP uses continuous assessment, allowing you to check your understanding throughout your learning rather than taking one final assessment at the end of a topic.
Here's how it works:

Answer questions: Each section contains around 5 questions to assess your knowledge.
Explore bite-sized learning: Each question includes bite-sized information with optional resources to read or videos to watch to help you answer the question.
Check your results: Once you've completed the questions, you'll receive your results and feedback to help reinforce your learning.
Pass and progress: You need to achieve 80% or more to pass each section.

What if you don't pass?
You can retry the section, choose another section or topic.
If you've made three unsuccessful attempts without viewing any learning resources, the section will be temporarily locked. Simply review at least one of its resources to unlock it and try again.

Earning your certificate
Once you've passed all the sections within a topic, CDEP will generate your certificate and reflection document.
They will be emailed to you as well as stored in your CDEP account.
Certificates are valid for 12 months.

Make the most of your learning resources

Each section includes relevant learning resources to help you develop your knowledge and understanding.

You can also access these resources in the Resource Library, where they are linked to CDEP's 4 registration levels, with higher-level resources generally providing more detailed information.
However, you're welcome to explore resources from any level:

Core resources often include accessible patient information that may also be useful to health and social care staff.
Specialist and expert resources can help staff at other levels broaden their understanding of diabetes care.

The resources are there to support your learning, so use them whenever you need them.

Need help or have feedback?

We're here to help!
If you have any questions about using CDEP or would like to share feedback, please get in touch.
Email: info@cdep.org.uk

START USING CDEP »