Before and during the course FAQs

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. The term refers to activities’ professionals undertake to continue their development within their career. CPD can be undertaken in various forms, for example training courses, e-learning and workshops. CPD is designed to ensure your professional knowledge and skills remains up to date. It also shows you are committed to continually developing your career and can help you to achieve career goals.

Some organisations, such as IEMA, requires members to complete a set amount of CPD, for example annually, to allow you to retain your membership. We recommend checking CPD requirements with the organisation you are applying to as they may require you to gain CPD through specific courses.

It is of course recommended that you undertake CPD related to your industry or field. For example, if you are a quality management professional you may wish to undertake our ISO 9001 Lead Auditor training course, an Auditor Conversion training course or an integrated management system auditor training course.

To check how many CPD hours our courses are equivalent to, please select your chosen course using the search bar below and view ‘CPD’ near the top of the course listing page.

1. Click on your name to view your LinkedIn profile
2. Scroll down to 'Licenses & certifications' and click the add '+' button on the right (on the mobile app click the pencil icon and then the '+' symbol)
3. Enter the name of your certificate, for example, ISO 9001 Lead Auditor. Under Issue Organisation, type and then select 'Bywater'. Enter the date and credential ID where relevant.
4. Click 'Save'.

As LinkedIn no longer shares changes to licenses and certificates with your network we recommend that you also post a status about your achievement. Within the post you may wish to include details such as what you enjoyed the most about the course, what you learnt and how the course will benefit you in the future. You may also wish to include a photo of your certificate. Use relevant hashtags on your post to ensure your post is seen by relevant professionals in your sector making it a great opportunity for networking. To tag Bywater, simply type @Bywater within the post.

To stay up to date with industry news, we recommend following relevant groups. For example, if you undertook an ISO Lead Auditor training course we would suggest following ISO and CQI & IRCA to ensure you are alerted to any changes, for example, updates to ISO standards.

ISO 22301:2019 is the international standard for business continuity management systems. The standard details the structure and requirements for implementing and maintaining a business continuity management system (BCMS). The aim of implementing a BCMS is to ensure the organisation is prepared for disruptions with the aim the business can continue to operate during disruptions. The standard is applicable to organisations of all sizes.

ISO 22301 Clauses 

Clause 4 Context of the organisation - details the requirements for organisations to understand the needs of interested parties and legal requirements

Clause 5 Leadership - provides details of the importance of ensuring top management are committed to the implementation and maintenance of the BCMS

Clause 6 Planning - focuses on addressing risks and opportunities including how the organisation should plan to address these

Clause 7 Support - details the required competence of personnel undertaking work and the importance of awareness of the BCMS

Clause 8 Operation - details the requirements of the business impact analysis

Clause 9 Performance evaluation - focuses on how the organisation shall monitor, measure, analyse and evaluate the BCMS performance

Clause 10 Improvement - details how organisations should react to a nonconformity

To learn more about ISO 22301 and how to undertake an internal audit against ISO 22301 view our ISO 22301 training courses.

To purchase a copy of ISO 22301 please visit the ISO website here.

ISO 27001:2017 recommends for organisations to undertake internal audits at planned intervals (Clause 9.2). Information security management system (ISMS) internal audits are undertake to ensure the organisation conforms to its own ISMS requirements and the requirements of ISO 27001. Internal auditing ensures the management system is implemented and maintained. Internal auditing also allows organisations to identify any nonconformities and opportunities for improvement. To learn more about auditing an ISMS please view our ISO 27001 Internal Auditor training course which provides delegates with the skills to plan, conduct, report and follow up an ISMS internal audit.

Virtual Classroom Training is the same as face to face training with the exception that the training is completed online, allowing you to join from your preferred location including your home or office. We use well-established, user-friendly video conferencing technology to allow you to easily see, hear and talk to the tutor and other delegates throughout the course duration. As with venue-based training, virtual classroom training incorporates a range of engaging teaching techniques including group work, case studies and role-plays. Our online training courses are certified by professional bodies including the CQI and IRCA, IEMA, RSS & IOSH and all delegates receive a certificate upon successful completion.

The virtual courses have all of the benefits of our scheduled course with the added convenience of not having to leave your home. The courses are delivered on Zoom by an expert tutor. Prior to the course date you will be sent the relevant training materials, either via post or virtually if you prefer.  Training includes breakout rooms to ensure they remain interactive. The tutor shares their screen with you and discusses the presentation slides, as they would in a scheduled exam. Our Virtual Classroom Training courses also run with smaller class sizes for maximum tutor-delegate interaction. If the chosen course includes an exam, this will take place via FlexiQuiz, a secure online testing platform.

Prior to the course date you will be provided with relevant contact details for technical support. If you have any technical questions, wish to schedule a Taster session, or general questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Click here to learn more about our Virtual Classroom training.

A Lean Leader drives improvement activities, typically working with local management to identify and drive improvement. They also coach Lean Practitioners on process improvement methods and activities and deliver Lean training.

ELCAS (Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service) is an MoD scheme which provides funding to Service Personnel and Service Leavers in the form of the Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELC). The scheme is designed to encourage lifelong learning amongst members of the armed forces including Serving Personnel and Service Leavers from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force (RAF).

Service Personnel and Service Leavers can claim up to 80% of course costs through the scheme. Delegates are required to make a personal contribution of at least 20% towards the total course cost. Eligibility, and the amount you are entitled to claim depends on your length of service and when you left the forces (if applicable) .

Enhanced Learning Credits can be used against all of our CQI & IRCA certified Lead Auditor training courses including our venue based and online training courses. In addition our ISO 9001 Internal Auditor, IEMA Internal Environmental Management Systems Auditor and RSS Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training course have been approved by ELCAS.

For further information about ELCAS, and links to the ELCAS claim forms please visit our ELCAS page.

To view all of our ELCAS approved courses and upcoming course dates visit our ELCAS course listing page.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is important for certified Lead Auditors, especially IRCA Lead Auditors who are required to submit a CPD log every five years.

For Lead Auditor's seeking to expand their auditing knowledge, we recommend CQI & IRCA Auditor Conversion training courses. These courses are designed specifically for existing Lead Auditors seeking to enhance their knowledge gain the qualifications to audit a further ISO standard. The training courses, which are three days in length, satisfy the training requirements for certification to IRCA's Auditor Scheme in the specified field. For example, if you have previously successfully completed an ISO 9001 Lead Auditor training course you can complete our three day ISO 14001 Auditor Conversion training course to meet the training requirements for certification to IRCA's EMS Auditor Scheme. Please click here to view our Auditor Conversion training courses.

The two terms are frequently used interchangeably and can often be interpreted to mean the same thing. However, there are some key differences between the two.

Continual improvement means that the approach is repeated and has pauses in between repetitions. A continual approach will have a phased system, whereby improvements will be made then there will be a break to measure and analyse the success, after this further improvements can be made.

Whereas a continuous improvement approach does not stop, it is an uninterrupted flow. A continuous approach is one that will constantly look to make improvements, it is a sustained process of development.

One of the most common approaches of continuous improvement is Lean. This approach aims to embed a culture of continuous improvement (Kaizen culture) which uses a set of tools and techniques to reduce waste and maximise customer value.