Research Delivery Workforce Update

Welcome to our Update page, where we share regional & national updates related to training & research delivery workforce matters.    

The North West Research Workforce Team work across Greater Manchester and North West Coast LCRNs, ensuring that there is a cohesive workforce, learning & development offer to our Partner Organisations and the wider workforce.  

Note that our L&D offering is research specific and is designed to supplement the non-research L&D offering of your employing organisation.

Please email us at learning.lcrnsnorthwest@nihr.ac.uk if you have any queries or feedback.    

*Please ensure you scroll to the bottom so you don't miss anything*

We plan for incremental learning, using 'spaced repetition', bearing in mind competency frameworks & induction phase timelines and we also use a workforce learning model known as the 70/20/10 rule. 

With 70% being on the job learning, 20% being peer support and 10% formal learning events. This is described in our approach to L&D  & other aspects of this work is described across the pages in the Our Approach to....... webpages.

Within NIHR Learn - Clinical Research in Practice Settings - could be useful in helping new starters settle in if it's used prior to being asked to complete GCP, or for students on placements.    There are also several related sections below.

Research Delivery Team Essentials (RDTE)* & Informed Consent (relates only to the Research Delivery workforce) 

We offer a Research Delivery Team (RDTE) specific learning pathway to our Partners - scheduled by the line manager, in alignment with how it is offered. 

Most of the pathway can be accessed directly via NIHR Learn.   This is not something the learner should be navigating in isolation - it is expected that the line manager will drive the learning plan and development of research novices, in a timely manner with staff performance & retention in mind.

• RDTE is designed to underline the first 3-4 months of development & plan for the next few months ahead - and is a course that necessitates line manager nomination. RDTE Course outline.

• "Informed Consent" is an additional course to the consent component of RDTE, specifically for those who will seek consent - so should be undertaken after RDTE. It forms part of the Consent Training Pathway.     Informed Consent Course outline.

Nominations for Training

We need to be able to schedule these training courses according to demand. Please send us a request via this RDTE and Informed Consent Line Manager Nomination Form to let us know you have a new starter in post who needs to access RDTE and possibly also Informed Consent. 

We will then send them a welcome message and will make contact when a place for Essentials becomes available.

Dates

New Learning Resources

Experiential Gateway to Registration  is now open

The Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) Education Committee has now opened access to the Accredited Register to experienced CRPs who do not have a degree or equivalent education.   This will close in December 2024.

• If you are planning to access the CRP Accredited Register via this route and haven't as yet completed an Expression of Interest form, it would be really helpful if you could complete this ASAP.

• You can also  read the guidance document which outlines what the process will be and what you need to do to prepare to access the gateway. 

• Start to complete this eligibility form, in conjunction with your line manager, ready to submit it when the gateway opens.

Please explore the Academy for Healthcare Science advice & guidance.  If you have any questions or have trouble accessing the documents in this article then please contact workforceandprofessionscrn@nihr.ac.uk

North West / Regional Update

You can visit the North West CRP webpage. Within this page, there is the opportunity to sign up to a mailing list to connect you with both the regional and national CRP Engagement Leads.

North West CRP Community of Practice -  Our next meeting is 16th March 2-4pm, venue to be confirmed. 

North West CRP Confirmers Community of Practice

This group consists of organisational clinical delivery leads or their nominated representatives.  

Any queries - learning.lcrnsnorthwest@nihr.ac.uk

With all FutureLearn MOOCs, remember that your do not have to purchase a certificate as you can 'screenshot' your completion page.

What is Health Research? (NIHR/University of Leeds)

For NHS staff, patients and public and is a good first step and overview. Explore the world of health research and the role volunteers play in transforming treatments and improving health care. What is Health Research? registration page 

Improving Healthcare through Clinical Research (NIHR/University of Leeds)

Through The Improving Healthcare Through Clinical Research course, find out how medical treatments are discovered, tested and evaluated to improve healthcare for all.  This is more technical that the 'What is Health Research?' course.  As GCP face to face is not available widely at present, this could be well placed to ensure continuity of formal learning  for those who are new to research.

Introduction to Randomised Controlled Trials - University of Birmingham (available now) 

Discover the importance of trials in evidence-based medicine and learn about the trial lifecycle from conception to publication. To find out more the course page on FutureLearn will have everything you need. 

Digital Tools for Efficient Clinical Trials (NIHR/University of Southampton)

Digital Tools for Efficient Clinical Trials aims to give researchers and trial teams an overview of how digital tools can support the recruitment and retention of trial participants, whilst also considering their possible limitations. The course is open to anyone with an interest in clinical research.