Recognition of Prior Learning or RPL, provides an opportunity to receive credit for Professional Development undertaken outside of the Diocesan Program. Applicants with relevant, eligible training can be awarded between 1–10 credit points, going towards their total credits for the calendar year. A maximum of 10 credit points can be awarded through the RPL application process.
There are numerous external Professional Development courses available that will fulfill the RPL criteria. If you attend a workshop, conference/symposium, webinar or on-going program that explores subjects relating to safeguarding or professional standards, the Child Safe Standards or the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards, you may be eligible for credit points.
If you presented a workshop or webinar etc. on such relevant content you may also be eligible for RPL. The time involved in both preparing and delivering the presentation is taken into consideration in the assessment of your application.
Internal professional development courses/training offered by your Pastoral Work will likely be eligible for credit. This can be coordinated with the OPSS team to ensure participants receive recognition under the Professional Development program. We invite team leaders to contact OPSS via [email protected] to discuss this further.
We have compiled a list of pre-approved safeguarding training and professional development courses that can be completed online and qualify for credit under the RPL application process. Upon completion of these courses and submission of your RPL application, you will be accredited with the points attributed to the chosen course. Please see the section below titled ‘Pre-approved Online Courses’ for more information.
You can only apply for RPL for training you have already completed. Credit will not be given for courses enrolled in but not yet attended.
Please see the below form to submit an RPL application. We ask that you provide as much information as possible, about the course for which you are seeking credit.
Please keep in mind that the workshop(s) must have taken place during the same calendar year for which you are seeking credit, and evidence of attendance and completion will be required to process your application.
All RPL applications are due by 31st December 2026.
Once received, RPL applications are assessed by the OPSS team according to the following criteria:
| Duration | Credit points |
| 1 hour | 2 points |
| 2 hours | 4 points |
| 3 hours | 6 points |
| 4 hours | 8 points |
| 5+ hours | 10 points (maximum award) |
Following the submission and assessment of your RPL application, you will receive an outcome letter from OPSS via email. This letter will outline the number of credit points you have been awarded for the professional development undertaken.
Response times may vary at different points throughout the year, depending on the volume of applications received. We recommend that you apply for RPL as soon as you have completed your external course/training and we ask for your patience in the assessment of your application. If you have not received an outcome letter within 4 weeks of your application submission, please contact the OPSS team to follow up.
Should you have any questions about applying for RPL or are unsure whether your training is applicable, please contact OPSS at [email protected].
Account means the account held at your financial institution from which we are authorised to arrange for funds to be debited.
Agreement means this Direct Debit Request Service Agreement between you and us, including the direct debit request.
Business day means a day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a listed public holiday.
Debit day means the day that payment is due.
Debit payment means a particular transaction where a debit is made, according to your direct debit request.
Direct debit request means the Direct Debit Request between us and you.
Us and we and our means the Catholic Development Fund.
You means the customer(s) who signed the direct debit request. Your financial institution is the financial institution where you hold the account that you have authorised us to arrange to debit.
By submitting a direct debit request, you have authorised us to arrange for funds to be debited from your account according to the agreement we have with you.
We will only arrange for funds to be debited from your account:
If you wish to stop or defer a debit payment you must write to us at least 5 business days before the next debit day.
This notice should be given to us in the first instance.
It is your responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient clear funds available in your account to allow a debit payment to be made.
If there are insufficient clear funds available in your account to meet a debit payment:
Please check your account statement to verify that the amounts debited from your account are correct.
If you believe that there has been an error in debiting your account you should call us on (02) 4222 2444 and confirm the details in writing with us as soon as possible so that we can resolve your query quickly.
You should check:
Warning: if the account number you have quoted is incorrect, you may be charged a fee to reimburse our costs in correcting any deductions from:
We will keep any information (including your account details) in your direct debit request confidential.
We will make reasonable efforts to keep any such information that we have about you secure and to ensure that any of our employees or agents who have access to information about you, do not make any unauthorised use, modification, reproduction or disclosure of that information.
However, we may use your contact details to provide information about the fund. Should you wish this not to be the case, please advise the fund in writing.
The Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Wollongong (the Fund) is required by law to make the following disclosure: The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). Investments in the Fund are intended to be a means for investors to support the charitable, religious and education works of the Diocese of Wollongong and for whom the consideration of profit are not of primary relevance in the investment decision. The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and any investment of the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed at www.cdfwollongong.org.au or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.
Our diocesan logo is theologically rich and very succinct. As a hand, it depicts our mission as a diocese and as individuals within the diocese, of bearing (bringing, carrying) Christ’s love to one another and to the world around us. In this, we are the hand of Jesus Christ, and we are offering ourselves to him so that he might work through us.
We can be the bearers of his love only as a response to his call and in the strength of his grace. We are reminded of this in two ways—through the symbol of the dove (the Holy Spirit) also present in the logo, and by the incorporation of the cross that segments the logo. The presence of the cross is a reminder that bearing the love of Christ will inevitably cost us if we live it authentically. However, in the way that the Cross is the portent of redemption and life—an echo of the tree of life in the book of Genesis—so becoming bearers of the love of Christ will also bring us to life.
The four fingers of the hand also represent the four regions of our diocese. The first is blue representing the beautiful water of the Shoalhaven. The second is a blue and green combination representing the waters and escarpment of the Illawarra. The third is green depicting the hills and plains of the Macarthur. The fourth is dark green illustrating the forests of the Southern Highlands.
