Continuing Professional Development and Upskilling

About this course

This course aims to ensure that users of secure, sensitive data understand the robust standards that are in place and why  before being granted access. It covers governance and standards for accessing sensitive health and social care data within Trusted Research Environments (TREs).

Who is this course for?

The course is for people working with, or preparing to work with secure data in their role, and is targets to those from outside of academic research environments or the NHS.   

This course will be most beneficial to researchers or innovators working in areas or roles including:

• Start-ups and SMEs
• Software developers
• Large corporate organisations
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts
• Care providers and service improvement professionals
• Data controllers
• Technology and device innovators
• Cross-cutting researchers
• Innovative and data-driven research charities

Research led by these organisations is critical to driving improvements to health systems and outcomes across the UK. The main value to the learner is gaining the knowledge and competencies to work with sensitive datasets to deliver research and innovation for the public good.

What will you learn?

Course content includes an overview and introduction, followed by 6 core sections of learning using the ‘Five Safes’ Framework:

Section 1 - Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE)

Section 2 - Safe People 

Section 3 - Safe Projects 

Section 4 - Safe Data

Section 5 - Safe Settings 

Section 6 - Safe Outputs 

Each section includes learning outcomes, key learning points, stop and think activities and some short reflective topics. There is a set of multiple-choice questions at the end of each section, which the learner must complete in order to move on to the next section. Upon completion of the course, learners will have the opportunity to earn a digital badge by submitting a reflective summary of their learning.

Learning mode

The course is completely online and self-paced. Learning materials include text, videos and online readings.

How long will it take to complete this course?

A maximum of 3 learning hours. Once enrolled, participants will have a maximum of 12 weeks to complete the course to gain their digital badge.

What will you gain from completing this course?

This course enables the use of TREs from different disciplines, who need access to health and social care data.  

Why was this course developed?

TREs provide secure and trusted infrastructures and services to create an efficient and safe approach to store, link and enable access to data. Data required for research or innovation is typically detailed, personal and may be sensitive and therefore must be treated with proportionate care and governance.

The course uses the 'Five Safes Framework', with an emphasis on personal responsibility as a 'safe researcher' throughout. The Five Safes framework is a set of principles adopted by a range of data centres providing secure access to data around the world. Assessing each aspect of the framework individually and as a whole is part of how TREs ensure data are hosted and accessed safely.

This course is intended to supplement existing training resources and courses designed for academic researchers, such as ONS Safe Researcher Training course or the Research, GDPR and Confidentiality courses and quiz from the Medical Research Council. 

The content has been created to enhance learners’ understanding of public perspectives and governance requirements to improve your practice when accessing and working with sensitive health and social care data. When the term ‘researcher’ is mentioned, it refers to all innovators and users of data.

Further Information

ONS Safe Researcher Training Course

Medical Research Council

This self-directed course is funded by HDR UK and has been designed and developed by the University of Edinburgh, Usher Institute in collaboration with the following providers and organisations: 

HDR UK | University of Edinburgh  Usher Institute | DDI | DataLoch | EIDF | epcc | UK Health Data Research Alliance | Public Health Scotland | UK Research and Innovation | ADRUK

Are you a health or care provider working in any of the wide range of settings where person-centred service is delivered?

Do you work in a residential or nursing home, hospice, hospital, community setting or care for someone in their home?

Are you interested in using the information that you generate and collect, as you go about your daily work, to understand and improve the service you and your colleagues deliver?

This online course will help you develop your knowledge about the ways in which digital technology is used to help with compassionate, person-centred health and social care delivery.

Everyday delivery of health and social care services generate and use millions of data items, which can be transformed into information that is shared with service users and providers. But this same data could also be used to create new knowledge on which future evidence-based practice can be developed. This course will provide you with new knowledge and skills to explore how routinely collected data can provide an evidence base for improvements in health and care. It will also cover practical skills to ensure you manage data safely and securely in accordance with the law and professional guidelines.

"Systems of Digital Care" is made up of six chapters:

• Generating healthcare data from preconception to beyond the grave

• Transforming collected data to relevant healthcare information available at the right time in the right place

• Storing healthcare Information safely and securely and building meaningful data repositories

• Using healthcare information to make the right decisions

• Horizon scanning for new knowledge gains

• Healthcare Information Futures 

You can choose to follow the course from beginning to end, or to pick and choose the chapters that are most relevant to you.

The navigation and progression of the topics made studying interesting and enlightening. Great course.

Nnamdi

Is this course right for me?

There are no minimum entry requirements. However, to gain the most from this course, we would strongly suggest that you are:

• sufficiently fluent in English reading, listening and writing to engage effectively with other learners

• comfortable with and have access to a computer with reliable internet access

Assessment

Each chapter is assessed through online quizzes and once the minimum score is reached, you will be able to submit a short reflective account of your learning that is assessed for the award of a digital badge. Completion of the full course will enable you to collect a SSSC Open Badge for each chapter, and an additional completion badge indicating the level of knowledge and skills you have attained. These badges will be placed on the SSSC learning portal and MyLearning app, so you can curate and demonstrate your CPD learning.

Time frames

Suggested study time: 30 hours 

For self-funded learners, course materials are available immediately upon registration. Contact us if you would prefer to study within a cohort.

Course fees

Each CPD course has a set fee of £360 per student for Academic Year 2024/25 (September 2024 - August 2025).

All course fees may be subject to annual increase, so if you are planning to enrol for a different academic year, please contact our CPD team who will be able to confirm the fee for your year of study.

Ask us about our CPD courses 

Further information

Visit the Scottish Social Services Council website

Learn about the SSSC's accredited open badges

Do you manage or work in health or social care services and would like to contribute to improvements in the delivery of evidence-based practice to service users?

This online course will provide you with an opportunity to explore and understand how digital technologies can be harnessed to support the development and delivery of optimal care in the future.

"Evidence Based Practice in a Digital Age" consists of four chapters to be followed in sequence:

1. Understanding Evidence Based Practice  

2. Applying research findings to practice 

3. Scoping your own proposed enquiry concerning technology enabled care 

4. Horizon scanning and informed decision making  

Relatable and Relevant in this age of digital technology as a platform for care planning!

Esther

Is this course right for me?

There are no minimum entry requirements. However, to gain the most from this course, we would strongly suggest that you are:

• sufficiently fluent in English reading, listening and writing to engage effectively with other learners

• comfortable with and have access to a computer with reliable internet access

Assessment

You will be guided to deliver a project within your own setting and will benefit from the opportunity to reflect on your own current and future learning needs.

Each chapter is assessed through submission of a short reflective account of your learning. Completion of the full course will enable you to collect a SSSC Open Badge for each chapter, and an additional completion badge indicating the level of knowledge and skills you have attained. These badges will be placed on the SSSC learning portal and MyLearning app, so you can curate and demonstrate your CPD learning.

Time frames

Suggested study time: 30 hours 

For self-funded learners, course materials are available immediately upon registration. Contact us if you would prefer to study within a cohort.

Course fees

Each CPD course has a set fee of £360 per student for Academic Year 2024/25 (September 2024 - August 2025).

All course fees may be subject to annual increase, so if you are planning to enrol for a different academic year, please contact our CPD team who will be able to confirm the fee for your year of study.

Ask us about our CPD courses 

Further information

Visit the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) website

Learn about the SSSC's accredited open badges