Resilience in the Workforce

What is resilience?

Resilience is the ability to ‘change ones behaviour to adapt to disadvantage or adversity’. Resilient people are able to cope with stress and crisis, and can bounce back quickly from adverse events.

In the workforce

Resilience is needed in the workplace now more than ever before. The rapidly changing marketplaces, intense competition, the need to ‘do more with less’, and the uncertainty of jobs all contribute to the pressures placed on employees.

The total number of cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2013-14 for all work-related illnesses was 39%. This figure could be significantly reduced if workers were to adopt a resilient attitude. By changing behaviours, workers can take more control over their health and well-being, and live a happier, healthier life.

Surveys say that only half of employees currently have the resilience that is necessary to perform in today’s business climate. But, the good news is, resilience can be learned.

A resilient workforce is a more productive one

Resilient workers are able to cope with change. They work well under pressure and learn from their bad experiences.

Employees can develop their resilience by viewing change as a challenge or an opportunity, rather than as a stress. Building on self confidence and optimism can also help to develop a more resilient attitude to work. Staying fit and healthy is another major contributor.

The overall happiness of a person has an impact on the way in which they work.

When employees build on resilience, they become happier and healthier, and therefore more productive in the workplace.

Employers can provide their staff with access to training and development to help them to develop a resilient attitude.

Embrace Resilience

At Embrace-learning, we have over 11 years experience in providing e-learning resources to the health and social care sector. We want to use our expertise to help to train staff in resilience, health and well-being, as we know that there is an increasing demand for resilient individuals in the workplace.

If you are interested in resilience, health and well-being training for your workforce, please get in touch on 0161 928 9987.

Embrace-learning is a UK leading provider of quality e-learning resources to the Health and Social Care sector. Find out more about us on our website www.embrace-learning.com

You can read more of our blog posts here.

E-learning: your questions answered

There are many benefits of e-learning. It can be completed at a time, place and pace that suits each individual learner, and is cost effective when compared with traditional face-to-face training. 

All managers want the assurance that their staff are receiving the highest standard of training. The rest of this post will aim to answer the key questions you should be asking, and how we at Embrace-learning aim to fulfill them.

1. What is the quality of the learning within the package?

Poor quality courses will not meet the needs of the learner, or of the organisation. Embrace-learning’s courses are developed by a collaborative team of educationalists, designers and software developers to ensure that the content is of the highest accuracy and quality.

Many organisations are determined to save on costs and find the lowest price available to ‘tick the box’ on their staff training but the real risk here is that the quality will suffer greatly, and staff won’t be fully competent.

Our course content engages the learner with constant questions and examples throughout. You cannot proceed to the next page before answering questions and not only do they teach learners what they need to know, but how to implement the key learning concepts in real life.

2. How do they keep their courses up-to-date with legislation and current ways of working in the subject area?

With the ever-changing legislation and government guidelines, you want to make sure the courses you purchase aren’t going to become obsolete over the year that you are using them.

Both CQC guidance and Skills for Care advice highlight the responsibility of the service provider and registered manager to continue to improve care standards through a well-trained workforce.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the health and social care regulator for England. Their aim is to ensure better care for everyone in hospital, in a care home and at home. Training is a key component in ensuring standards of service are met and increasingly providers are required to provide evidence that health and social care training is not only being provided but that learners are achieving specific outcomes. Legislative requirements must be adhered to.

Embrace-learning guarantee that by using our courses your staff training will:

• Meet CQC standards of compliance for continuing professional development
• Be available on demand 24/7 365 days a year
• Provide certificates of achievement on successful completion
• Provide reports demonstrating CQC compliance

Regardless of industry or sector, most employees are now required to undertake some form of CPD. As we work predominantly in knowledge and service economies, the updating of skills and knowledge is critical in keeping abreast of industry changes, maintaining professional competence and ensuring that qualifications do not become obsolete.

3. What is their process of development?

Embrace-learning add, change and develop courses to keep in line with current legislation. The quality of our courses remains consistent throughout these changes and all updates are made quickly, ensuring that your staff don’t have to wait for updates before they can complete a course.

Any developments take effect immediately, learners can log in as usual and the course will have been updated accordingly.

4. What platform are they using, how simple is it, how secure is it and what is the downtime?

Since staff have a range of levels of computer literacy, a complicated platform will confuse learners before they even get to the training course, discouraging them from using the provider in the future.

Embrace-learning’s platform is simple to navigate. Learners simply log in with their unique username and password, and can instantly see the list of courses they need to complete, and how far along in each course they are already.

We always plan to have downtime during weekends or late nights to ensure minimal disruption, unless there is essential action to be taken at another time. We can assure you that all the proper security measures are in place to protect both your staff details and their learning records.

5. How do they communicate with you?

You should always be aware of what your provider is developing and planning over the year.

At Embrace-learning we send out e-newsletters containing relevant information to keep our clients updated. In addition to this, we have 2 networking groups on LinkedIn and are active on all of our social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn), as well as regular blogs which are shared across our social media channels.

6. What reporting mechanisms do you have? Is it real-time?

Managers need access to information and reports on their staff, to know what courses have been completed, how long it took and whether or not they have passed. This information can then be used to check staff queries, support learners in appraisals, and contribute to compliance reports, and gives managers the confidence that the staff are well trained and able to perform their job competently.

Embrace-learning offer a Learner Management System (LMS). This is completely free of charge when you license a training course from us. Some features of the LMS:

• Fully hosted by us or secured on your own intranet / extranet
• Fully managed 24/7
• Automated correspondence, evaluation and notifications
• In-built management reporting and data exports
• Administrator training and technical support
• Secure data back-up
• Scalable from 10 to 100,000 learners
• Flash content delivery

As an organisation, you can:

• Track large numbers of learners
• Monitor uptake and completion of training courses
• Get results from online assessments
• Batch upload an unlimited number of learner details
• Batch enrol your learners onto their courses
• Add your own bespoke content to our courses

7. What implementation and helpdesk support can you provide?

 If you are new to e-learning or are switching to a different provider, you may need support and guidance in getting to know the new system.

 Embrace-learning offer helpdesk support Monday-Friday 9am-5pm on the phone. If you have a query outside of office hours you can send an email and it will be answered the next working day. We also offer a live chat service Monday-Friday 9am-5pm on our website for anyone with questions whilst browsing the site.

 Administrators can benefit from training in how to navigate the LMS and direct their learners when asked simple questions like forgotten passwords.

If learners have a query, in the first instance they should contact their administrator. If the issue cannot be resolved the team at Embrace are on hand to give support during office hours.

8. How do they keep up with learning and technology trends?

 Technology is constantly changing and improving and organisations need to keep up with learning and technology trends if they want an edge over the competition.

Embrace-learning has recently launched a new website which has been thoroughly tested for any bugs and has excellent security measures in place. Our training courses are compatible with any web browser and are currently accessible on desktop PCs and laptops as well as some android tablets.

No course is updated without first conducting thorough research in to the trend and understanding how it impacts on the learning experience, and whether or not it benefits the learner.

9. Have they worked with organisations with the same needs as yours?

A good training provider needs to be able to support your needs. The best way of showing they can do this is with examples of similar organisations who have used their e-learning.

Embrace-learning’s current clients include Local Authorities, CCGs, NHS Trusts, GP Practices, Care Homes and Mental Health Trusts across the UK. With our particular focus on Health and Social Care, we have a depth of experience in providing these organisations with tailored e-learning packages to suit their individual needs. Ourwebsite contains a list of just some of our clients should you wish to compare your company’s needs.

10. Can you speak to other customers?

The best way to find out how good a provider really is, is to know about the experience other customers have had with them.

Embrace-learning welcomes feedback from all of our clients and you can find a page containing ‘success stories’ from a number of them on our website.

If you wish to speak directly to an existing client to discuss the training offered by Embrace-learning, we can arrange this for you.

Embrace-learning is a UK leading provider of quality e-learning resources to the Health and Social Care sector. Find out more about us on our website www.embrace-learning.com

You can read more of our blog posts here.

Learning at Work

What is Learning?

Learning is an active, shared process, as opposed to a passive information overload.

Rather than just teaching, employees should be supported in their growth through the way in which they process information into knowledge, skills and values.

Components of learning

• Problem solving
• Questioning
• Sharing ideas
• Continuous coaching
• Mentoring
• Successful habits through repetition

Learning Culture

The learning culture in an organisation has an impact on the overall performance. It increases motivation and employee morale. Staff are constantly learning new things in line with changes in their industry, as well as developing their skills to help them do their job to the highest standard.

The benefits of having a learning culture far outweigh the costs involved in the learning and development of employees. Organisational goals can be achieved, the company can grow, and, if the morale is high, staff are more likely to stay in their position for the long-term and be motivated and happy in their job.

What is Learning at Work week?

Campaign for Learning has run the annual Learning at Work Week since 1999, to raise awareness of the importance and benefits of learning and development.

The theme this year is ‘Connect’.

Opportunity

Thousands of organisations take part each year, running campaigns and activities to engage staff in development and promoting learning. You can run a branded learning campaign in your own workplace- which will be linked to a national event.

Learning at Work week is a perfect opportunity to change or enhance the way an organisation views learning and development. The changes can then be implemented over the whole year. There are a range of activities that you can run as part of the week. You can find out more on the Campaign for Learning Website.

Connect

Some ideas on the website relating to the theme this year ‘Connect’:

• Connect and share
• Connect and make
• Connect and grow
• Connect and address
• Connect and collaborate

You can find more information on each of these points here.

Taking part

The website also states the opportunities and benefits reported from people who have taken part in previous Learning at Work weeks:

• Changing attitudes to learning and work
• Greater awareness of opportunities to learn
• Greater employee engagement
• Informing business & learning and development strategies
• Opportunities to discover and recognise internal talent
• Greater recognition and valuing of different ways to learn in the workplace
• Highlighting business priorities, agendas and addressing change
• Addressing workplace silos and bridging information gaps

It’s free to register and you can access online resources from the Campaign for Learning website.

Ways of Learning at Work

Face-to-face training

This allows the learners to share ideas with one another, benefiting from the groups input. The trainer can focus more on a particular topic depending on the learner needs and questions can be asked and answered in the session.

E-learning

E-learning is increasingly being seen as one of the most powerful tools in any training strategy- especially where a large dispersed workforce is involved. At Embrace-learning, we understand that people learn and absorb information in different ways and at different speeds.

Our online training courses provide a flexible and versatile learning system that enables training to be tailored to fit with specific requirements.

Here are just some of the reasons to choose e-learning:

• Save money
• Flexibility
• Certificated Evidence
• Up-to-date

See more information on the benefits of e-learning here.

Blended Learning

For the best, fully rounded learning experience, we recommend a blended approach to learning at work, combining instructor-led training and e-learning technology, to bring additional dimensions and enhance the learning process.  

E-learning is a great way of providing refresher and mandatory training, whilst face-to-face sessions can aid the development of staff through helping one another.

If you are interested in e-learning for your organisation, we have over 50 courses to choose from. Visit our website www.embrace-learning.com for more information.

View more of our blog posts here.

Embrace-learning is a UK leading provider of quality e-learning resources, with a particular focus on health and social care.

Apprenticeships: What’s happening?

What’s happening with Apprenticeships in Health and Social Care?

 In 2014-15, there were 87,000 starts in Adult Social Care Apprenticeships. That's 17% of the approximately half a million starts- the largest proportion of any sector of the economy.

What is an Apprentice?

An apprenticeship, as described by Skills for Care, is both on-the-job and off-the-job learning and development.

An apprentice works as a normal employee. With help from experienced staff they gain the skill set needed for their role within care. Off-the-job training contributes towards the apprenticeship qualifications. Apprentices are also paid for their work.

Different Levels of Apprenticeships

There are two learning frameworks:

Health and Social Care

Learners follow an adult social care pathway at one of 2 levels:

• Intermediate.
• Advanced.

Care leadership & Management

This is a higher level apprenticeship- equivalent to Year 2 of university.

The higher level, introduced in 2012, is widely undertaken by aspiring managers. It accounted for 43% of higher apprentices in all sectors in 2014-15.

Apprenticeship Reform- Trailblazer

The Department of Business Innovation and Skills, and the Department for Education have been leading the Government in reforming the apprenticeship system. This is known as Trailblazer. The process has been led by employers, with support from Skills for Care.

4 New Job Titles

The employer group- led by Helen Wilcox MBE of Woodford Homecare in the West Midlands, have assessed apprenticeships and decided on 4 generic occupational job titles:

• Adult Care Worker. (Current level 2 intermediate)
• Lead Adult Care Worker. (Level 3 advanced)
• Lead Practitioner in Adult Care. (Now level 4)
• Leader in Adult Care. (Level 5 or higher)

The standards for these titles are on the Government website, but won’t be available to use for another few months, once details are finalised.

End Point Assessment

On top of existing competency based QCF Diplomas, an apprentice must finish with independently administered tests. This requirement is the same for new apprentices across all sectors.

If an apprentice doesn’t already have maths and English qualifications, they will have to acquire them:

• Level 2 apprentices will need level 1 in English and maths.
• Level 3 or above apprentices will need level 2 English and maths.

The Reform Part 1- The One Plus Two Model

The employer is the customer. They have the relationship with the learning provider- so they should have buying power.

The Current System

Learning providers claim money from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). The amount that they receive is determined by the size of the qualifications and the age of the apprentice.

Apprentices aged 19 or over attract 50% or less of payments of the 16-18 year olds. The difference in the cost of delivery is usually made up from employer contributions. These can be in kind rather than in cash.

The New System

Employers will need to pay in cash. But, there will be no age based distinction on the cost. The SFA will set a maximum price for each apprenticeship standard from 1 of 6 caps. The employer will decide on a price with their chosen learning provider under this cap.

Employers will pay one third of the price and the SFA will contribute the remaining two thirds.

The SFA will pay additional incentive payments to the employer if they are small, employing 16-18 year olds and upon completion.

It is also important to note that Employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25 will be abolished.

Part 2- The Levy

The Apprenticeship Levy will apply to all employers from April 2017. Any employer with a payroll over £3million will contribute 0.5% on the amount over the £3million.

The levy should only affect around 2% of employers. It includes private & public bodies, Government departments, Local Authorities and NHS Trusts.

The money raised will be put in a digital online account for that employer. It will be matched with a 10% top-up from the Government. This account will be part of a new digital apprenticeship service. It will combine databases of learning providers, learners looking for apprenticeships and any advertised vacancies.

The levy essentially means that employers will have control over a pool of money to pay for as many apprenticeships as they require.

Government Aims

·         3 million apprenticeship starts between 2015-2020.

·         Public bodies will be required to take on 2.3% of their workforce as apprentices.

·         To persuade employers to take on more apprenticeships.

The Apprenticeship Ambition programme, driven by Skills for Care and supported by the Department of Health contributes 17% of all starts. There is also a high completion rate of 79%.

People who achieve the new Apprenticeship standard will be of a very high quality. They should take great pride in what they have achieved and the occupation they have chosen.

Embrace-learning

At Embrace-learning, we are going to work with both employers and learning providers in the Health and Social Care sector to help deliver Apprenticeships. Our online content will help to both reduce training costs for employers and learning providers, and support apprentices throughout their training.

The better you train your employees, the longer they tend to stay.

This information was gathered from Skills for Care and Care Management Matters magazine.

Embrace-learning is a UK leading provider of quality e-learning resources to the Health and Social Care sector. Find out more about us on our website www.embrace-learning.com.

You can read more of our blog posts here.

National Mental Capacity Action Day 2016

Aiming to increase awareness and highlight good practice of the Mental Capacity Act, the new National Mental Capacity Forum has organised the National MCA Action Day for the 15th March this year.

As an article from Community Care UK states, The Mental Capacity Act is about ‘treating people as human beings worthy of respect and time.’ The forum intends to identify MCA improvement priorities for the coming year, and work towards improving the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act at the frontline.

The Adult Principal Social Workers Network is encouraging practitioners to post comments and photos illustrating unwise decisions they have made, to highlight the importance of respecting the capacitated ‘unwise’ decisions of people receiving support. If you want to get involved, just follow the Mental Capacity Act forum on twitter @MCAatDH and use the twitter hashtags #mca and #unwisedecisionto share what decision you have made that could be considered unwise by other people.

If you want to further yours or your staffs’ knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act, we have an online training course that can help. All of the key aims and principles of this important legislation are covered, including the concepts of capacity and best interests, and the importance of the Code of Practice and how the courts become involved.

On top of this, we have MCA - specialist case studies. This course contains a set of four specialist units and has been developed specifically for practitioners working in these settings:

• Mental Health
• Acute Hospitals
• Community and Primary Care
• Residential Settings

The specialist case studies course comprises twenty different cases and can be used as the basis for staff training, refresher sessions, individual learning and continuous professional development, and as a day-to-day reference for staff. If you are working towards a CPD certificate, the Mental Capacity Act - Specialist Case Studies will award you 4 hours.
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If you are interested in training for the Mental Capacity Act or any other health and social care modules, view our catalogue of 50+ e-learning courses here and get in touch today on 0161 928 9987.

The benefits of e-learning

Get The Care Certificate e-Learning Course- Free

For a limited time only, get unlimited use of
The Care Certificate e-learning course COMPLETELY FREE when you purchase a pay monthly package deal from Embrace-learning.

The Care Certificate, as described by Skills for Care, is an identified set of standards that health and social care workers adhere to in their daily working life. It gives everyone the confidence that workers have the same introductory skills, knowledge and behaviours to provide compassionate, safe and high quality care and support.

As well as being used for staff who are new to the care industry, the Care Certificate can be completed by existing staff to refresh or improve their knowledge.

 To take advantage of huge cost savings, just select the course titles and tell us the number of learners, and we will discuss the best package with you. You also get our Learner Management System free of charge with any package, helping you to track and monitor learner progress, and run management reports.

Unlimited use of the Care Certificate means that over the 12 month period you could buy 50 other course titles and still use the Care Certificate 250 times, so everybody who needs the Care Certificate has the opportunity to complete it, free of charge.

Click here to view our catalogue of 50+ courses.

You can be assured of the highest standard of training with our CQC compliant, certificated courses.

 E-learning can be integrated in to your current training matrix offering flexibility, improving quality and ultimately reducing your overall training costs.

 View more information on our package deals here.

Contact Embrace-learning 0161 928 9987

GPs should urge patients to go online: e-learning alternative to standard medical prescriptions

BBC News recently published an article: GPs should urge patients to go online. The recommendations made by Baroness Martha Lane Fox include every NHS building having access to free wi-fi. The aim is for GPs to actively encourage patients to go online for booking appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions, enabling the NHS to push forward with an IT revolution.

Tim Kelsey, NHS England national director for patients and information, said: "Digital health tools can dramatically improve people's lives and well-being.”

E-learning is increasingly being used as an alternative to standard medical prescriptions.
There is a wealth of evidence to show that early intervention is both effective and highly cost efficient.

GPs can now prescribe e-learning courses to patients and carers giving the learner the opportunity to access training anywhere they have an internet connection. This flexibility to gain self-help can provide early intervention for many common ailments and is an effective way of enhancing the health and well-being, and resilience of patients and carers. 

Baroness Lane Fox said "One of the founding principles of the NHS was to ensure that everyone - irrespective of means, age, sex, or occupation - should have equal opportunity to benefit from the best and most up-to-date medical and allied services available." In rural areas, there is limited access to the internet, but if NHS buildings were to implement the free wi-fi for all, patients could still benefit from e-learning within the buildings. If required, courses can also be downloaded so they can be accessed without an internet connection.

Our course range at Embrace-learning includes:

• About Me: Building Resilience for Caring
• Awareness of Alcohol and Substance Misuse
• Obesity and Nutrition
• Supporting People with Autism
• Supporting People with Cerebral Palsy
• Supporting People with Diabetes Mellitus

Find out more at our website: www.embrace-learning.com