Research Delivery Workforce Update
June 2021
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Welcome to our Update page, where we intend to share regional & national updates related to training & research delivery workforce matters. This month's update is longer than usual - please ensure you scroll to the bottom to avoid missing webinar details & course updates.
About The NW Research Workforce Team (LCRNs GM & NWC)
LCRNs GM & NWC have entered into a collaboration to provide a single CRN WF Function across the North West. The team is currently in formation & will be place in Autumn 2021.
It will take some time to be in a position to fully describe what the revised offer to our Partner Organisations. In the meantime, if you have any unresolved queries after reading this update, please contact us via this link.
Research-Specific Training Programme
Please note that NIHR GCP is currently provided as a suite of online learning only, with some face to face events prioritised.
Other GCP related programmes are still being provided both online & via classroom - where appropriate learning space can be secured.
To ensure your team are exposed to all that is offered - please ensure you (and any learners you have responsibility for) are familiar with NIHR Learn, especially the range of courses available for new starters - to be in a position to request any available training according to any training plans you may have. We are currently arranging for NIHR Learn local learning pages to be merged to form a NW-wide identity. In the meantime, the CRN GM local learning pages will give a good idea of what is currently being provided and any queries can be sent to
As a reminder, here are weblinks to current suggested plans for Research Delivery Teams and Principal Investigators, plus we have summarised our COVID-19 research training advice & guidance in poster format here.
New Starters
If you're planning to support a new starter into a research delivery team, please consider utilising the suggested learning pathway to ensure your learner is best placed to consolidate their peer/workplace learning within face to face events.
We plan for incremental learning, using 'spaced repetition', bearing in mind competency frameworks & induction phase timelines.
A new addition to NIHR Learn - Clinical Research in Practice Settings - could be useful for new starters if it's utilised prior to being asked to complete GCP.
Please also remember that NIHR MOOCs are also available to help new starters begin to adjust to the research environment - Please also see MOOC information below.
Research Delivery Team Essentials (RDTE) & Informed Consent (relates only to the Research Delivery workforce)
We offer a Research Delivery Team (RDT) 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.
"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.
We need to be able to schedule these training courses according to demand and need support in advance planning from RDT line managers. Please send us a request via this googleform for GM teams and this googleform for NWC teams 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 - anticipating that once we resume to a more regular schedule, this will be at the recommended time for completion.
New Learning Resource on NIHR Learn: Introduction to GCP - IMP management module
The Introduction to GCP - IMP Management module is now available on NIHR Learn. This specialised Good Clinical Practice (GCP) module explores Investigational Medicinal Product (IMP) management within the context of clinical trials conducted in the NHS.
It is a specialist module for the Introduction to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for those who have delegated responsibility (freedom to act) for IMP management for a clinical trial.
It meets a training need for GCP IMP management outside of a pharmacy setting and by non pharmacy professionals while continuing to ensure Pharmacy staff receive the relevant training they need to be GCP compliant.
This modular approach replaces the outdated NIHR e- learning GCP for IMP management (pharmacy) training.
With thanks to Jenny Warmington, Senior Pharmacy Technician, GCP Subject Matter Expert & Learning Advisor at CRN: West Midlands who has led on the development of this course.
This new module is part of our ongoing commitment to provide learning resources on NIHR Learn that are fit for purpose for the research workforce at this time.
Contact: learnerfeedback@nihr.ac.uk for further information or to provide feedback about the learning.
The NIHR CRN Workforce Leads Group - Identifying your learning needs
We are dedicated to supporting the delivery of high quality research by developing our workforce through a range of current and relevant development opportunities including training courses and e-learning.
We would like your views on your research learning needs now and in the future by asking you to complete a simple questionnaire.
AHP Research Survey
Are you an Allied Health Professional (AHP) working in the NHS or providing NHS healthcare at least one day per week?
The Council for Allied Health Professions (CAHPR) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) are asking all AHPs working in the NHS to complete an important national survey, whether involved in research or not.
The survey - which is open until the end of July - and now has CRN Portfolio status - asks about your research skills and confidence, and about the support from your employer to engage in research activity and use research findings to inform practice. Your responses will provide crucial information to help shape the support needed to increase research skills for all AHPs.
The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete, and will need to be completed in one sitting.
Please use this link to access the survey - AHP-perceptions-of-research-in-the-NHS-survey
CRP Registration & NIHR CRN CRP Engagement Manager Vacancy
A reminder that the NIHR Academy of Health Science, Clinical Research Practitioner Register is now live. A detailed update is linked here, with the NIHR/AHCS CRP website linked here.
Our NIHR CRN Co-Ordinating Centre Colleagues have a vacancy in the CRNCC Workforce and Professions team. The new role of Engagement Manager for CRP Registration is open until 7 July.
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CHA129/engagement-manager-clinical-research-practitioner-registration
North West England NMAHPs Research & Capability Strategy 2021-2024
Q&A SESSION - Friday 25th June, 12 - 12:45pm
Since the NMAHP Strategy launched back in May we've had a lot of feedback and questions, so we have decided to run a short lunchtime Q&A session via MS Teams. Everyone is welcome and if you have any burning questions you want answered come and join us for this short 45 minute session and get your voice heard!
Clinical Research Nursing Resources
Clinical Research Nursing Resources
Each year, CRN GM takes part in HEI Employability events.
As this can't be face to face at this time, we collated a set of resources that can be utilised by line managers aiming to support potential recruits and student nurses in placement in understanding the field of research nursing.
The information is primarily for under-graduates nurses - but could be linked into job adverts if the information is in line with how your team work.
It is a "work in progress" but may also be of use for others.
NIHR Learn Insights
NIHR Learn Insights
NIHR Learn Insights (CPD resource) for June is now available.
In this instalment we will explore how we can develop effective communication skills and use new mediums and platforms to support the way that we work.
Frontline Research Engagement & Collaboration Consultation
On the 29th June at 12pm, the NIHR CRNCC NHS Engagement Team will be holding an informal webinar on the new UK ministerial vision for clinical research and what this means for those working in health and care in the UK.
First and foremost, the webinar is an opportunity for discussion and to ask questions about what the future of research might look like. We would very much like to hear your thoughts on what this might mean on the frontline. We will be using the questions below to help frame our discussion, so we encourage you to reflect ahead of the session so you can feedback on the day:
What do you think about this vision?
How do you think it will succeed?
What role might you play in helping it progress?
These questions, and a comprehensive digest of the ministerial paper, can all be found in Robert Peveler’s Expert Blog ‘Is this the vision for our futures?’ written for the Frontline Research Engagement and Collaboration community - do make sure you give it a read!
If you can’t make this date, a summary of the session will be uploaded to the community forum, where you can also continue the discussion. To register for the webinar, please complete this form.
National & Regional Workforce Planning Resources
National & Regional Workforce Planning Resources
If you are interested in workforce planning; additional workforce; volunteer deployment; skill mix; this webpage holds links to National & Regional Resources.
Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs)
Both NIHR MOOCs are scheduled to repeat over the coming weeks/months:
For NHS staff, patients and public: "What is Health Research?" Explore the world of health research and the role volunteers play in transforming treatments and improving health care.
For research novices: "Improving Healthcare through Clinical Research". In this free online course, find out how medical treatments are discovered, tested and evaluated to improve healthcare for all. As GCP face to face is not available at present, this could be well placed to ensure continuity of formal learning for those who are new to research.
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