Tag Archive for: Points

BASIS relaxes rules on CPD points

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BASIS relaxes rules on CPD points: With much of the country working from home and most industry events cancelled, BASIS has taken the decision to relax its CPD requirements for Professional Register members.

Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO, explains that ordinarily members are annually required to collect a set number of CPD points before the points-year ends on 31 May.

BASIS relaxes rules on CPD points

BASIS relaxes rules on CPD points

“Events are typically a focal point for collecting points, but with so many sadly not going ahead, we are extending the year-end period.

“This allows points to be collected into the next points-year. The only stipulation is that the full requirement of points for the 2019/20 points-year and 2020/21 points year are fulfilled for both years, by 31 May 2021,” he says.

For example, members holding the Certificate in Crop Protection are required to gain 40 CPD points annually. However, they will now need to collect 80 points over the two-year period.

“This flexibility will enable our members to remain on the Professional Register, while ensuring standards remain consistent, enabling members to continue to practice essential agronomy work,” says Stephen.

Depending on your qualification and membership category, the required number of points will vary. For example:

  • Certificate in Crop Protection – 80 points by 31 May 2021
  • Certificate in Crop Protection, with FACTS – 100 points by 31 May 2021
  • FACTS only – 40 points by 31 May 2021
  • Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) – 40 points by 31 May 2021
  • Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) with FACTS – 60 points by 31 May 2021

Boost your knowledge remotely

Despite opportunities being reduced, BASIS encourages members to seek CPD points remotely in order to stay up to date with industry innovation and regulatory changes.

There are various options that can be completed at home, including reading technical publications or newsletters, as well as participating in online training sessions.

A full reading list can and associated points can be found and downloaded here.

Check your points

Members can check their training record and points requirements on the BASIS website or contact a member of the BASIS team on 01335 343945.

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Terrain score points in Shropshire

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Terrain score points in Shropshire: The market town of Church Stretton lies in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Nicknamed ‘Little Switzerland’ in the late Victorian period for its landscape, the local geology has some of the oldest rocks in England.

Among the many amenities the town has to offer, Church Stretton Town Council provides facilities such as crazy golf, hard tennis courts, a bowling green and croquet pitches. The two croquet lawns at Sandford Avenue had been placed on a hard surface and over time, becoming so compacted, they developed severe waterlogging problems. Good management proving very difficult, the Council looked around for a solution and after a number of consultations brought in Terrain Aeration.

Terrain score points in Shropshire

“We chose to go with Terrain because we needed to open up the ground for better drainage,” says Michael Turner, the Council’s Amenities and Services Officer, “and with the ground being so hard it needed breaking up very much deeper than normal aeration.” The lawns are available to the croquet club and members of the public and the other reason for improving the facilities was the fact the town team won the West Midlands League and needed the lawns to match their prowess.

Terrain Aeration carried out the work over one and a half days, with their Terralift machine’s JCB hammer slicing through the compaction to allow the hollow probe to reach up to a metre under the lawns. Working on a staggered grid pattern, once the probe reaches the optimum depth, compressed air is released up to a maximum of 20Bar (280psi). The blast effect fractures the compacted soil to allow drainage and deep aeration, with the grid ensuring each shot interconnects the fissures and fractures. As the probe withdraws, dried seaweed is injected which expands and contracts with the moisture content in the soil to keep the fissures open. The probe holes are then back-filled with Lytag, an inert product which allows air and water to percolate through but is mower friendly.

Michael adds: “The whole process was very clean and professional and Terrain Aeration were nice people to work with. We’ve done a further piece of work with scarification and the combination of the two is bringing the results we wanted. We’re very happy with the work done.”

Terrain Aeration 01449 673783

For more information visit: www.terrainaeration.co.uk

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13 BASIS CPD Points On Offer In October

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13 BASIS CPD Points On Offer In October: October poses a bumper month for BASIS members to collect amenity CPD points at leading industry events.

Those attending this year’s Amenity Forum Conference and the two-day SALTEX event have the opportunity to collect a total of 13 BASIS CPD points for event attendance and participating in educational sessions.

13 BASIS CPD Points On Offer In October

Amenity Forum Conference – Thursday 10 October

Five points are on offer for general attendance of the Amenity Forum Conference, where BASIS CEO, Stephen Jacob, will be presenting as part of the programme.

“This year’s conference is focusing on 21st century amenity management, and I’m looking forward to presenting in the afternoon session on ‘assured practice in our sector – licenced to practice,” explains Stephen.

SALTEX – Wednesday 30 to Thursday 31 October

“Following on from the conference, we’ll be offering up to four points per day at SALTEX.

“Here, members can gain one point each day for attendance, with a further point for every ‘Learning Live’ session participated in, throughout the course of the event, up to a maximum of four points per day.

For further information about BASIS, please visit www.basis-reg.co.uk or call 01335 343945.

To attend the Amenity Forum Conference, please visit https://amenityforum.co.uk/conference/the-amenity-forum-conference-2019/

For a full list of the ‘Learning Live’ sessions, please visit www.iogsaltex.com/learning-live/.

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Top Up BASIS Points Before June

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Top Up BASIS Points Before June: There are just three months remaining for members of the BASIS Professional Register to collect their allocated CPD points before the points year ends.

Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO, explains that to maintain their status on the Professional Register, members must collect a set number of BASIS CPD points by 31 May 2019.

Top Up BASIS Points Before June

“There is a multitude of different ways to collect points before the deadline, including everything from visiting exhibitions and trial sites, to attending conferences and technical seminars, as well as reading publications and newsletters,” he says.

The number of points each member must collect depends on their qualification and membership category. For example:

  • Certificate in Crop Protection – 40 points
  • Certificate in Crop Protection with FACTS Certificate – 50 points
  • FACTS Certificate only – 20 points
  • Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) – 20 points
  • Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) with FACTS Certificate – 30 points

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BASIS Points Reminder

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BASIS Points Reminder: Members of the BASIS Professional Register are being reminded that there are just three months left until the end of the points year.

BASIS Professional Registers and accounts manager, Michele Williams, explains that members must collect a specified number of BASIS CPD points by 31 May 2018, to maintain their Professional Register status.

BASIS Points Reminder

“There are numerous ways in which BASIS members can top-up their points before the 31 May deadline, including visiting exhibitions, conferences, trial sites and technical seminars,” she says.

A maximum of eight points per year can also be collected from reading a wide range of technical industry publications and newsletters.

The number of points an individual member must accrue depends on their qualification and category of membership. For example:

  • Certificate in Crop Protection (agriculture, vegetables or horticulture) – 40 points
  • Certificate in Crop Protection (agriculture, vegetables or horticulture) with FACTS Certificate – 50 points
  • FACTS Certificate only – 20 points
  • Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) – 20 points
  • Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) with FACTS Certificate – 30 points

“We’ve currently got 5,591 members, with over 200,000 CPD points to be collected during the year, and encouragingly, over three quarters of these have already been allocated. But there are still plenty of opportunities to meet your quota before the end of May.”

Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO reiterates the importance of Continued Professional Development (CPD), explaining that it is essential for agronomists, advisers and farmers to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly developing agricultural and horticultural industries.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen agronomy step up a gear, and with the uncertainty around Brexit, and tightening regulations, this is expected to continue,” he says.

“New technology, restrictions and stewardship guidelines are being introduced all the time, so it’s essential that those providing advice remain up-to-date, and collecting BASIS CPD points will help to do so. This will allow consultants to deliver the latest information and assist farmers in making informed decisions.”

Points requirements

Members can access their training record on the BASIS website, or via the BASIS app at www.basis-app.co.uk, to find out how many more points they need to collect.

For more information please visit www.basis-reg.co.uk or contact a member of the BASIS team on 01335 343945.

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