Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Scottish Infection Prevention and Control Education Pathway

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 2

Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Introduction 3

About the pathway 3

What is the Pathway? 3

Foundation Layer 4

Intermediate Layer 5

Improvement Layer 5

What is the aim of the pathway? 5

Who is the pathway aimed at? 6

Is the pathway for staff/students who have already completed the Cleanliness Champions Programme? 6

Why is the concept of an individual learning pathway being introduced? 6

Key benefits of the pathway 7

How does the pathway relate to the NHS Scotland Healthcare Associated Standards? 7

Accessing the pathway 7

How can the pathway resources be accessed? 7

When should learners access/complete the learning resources of the pathway? 8

Supporting learners and selecting learning resources 9

How can line managers/course leaders support learners on their pathway? 9

Will there still be an HAI clinical and non-clinical induction? 9

How do line managers/course leaders identify the right resources for a learner to use?10

What do students need to do when they enter health and social care services? 10

Completions and certificates 10

How can line managers/course leaders check if the learning has been completed? 10

Does everyone have to complete all the modules in the Foundation Layer? 11

Is there an overall certificate available for a layer within the pathway? 11

Further information 11

Frequently Asked Questions 11

Resources and updates about the pathway 12

Individual learning log template 13

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 3

Introduction

Welcome to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Scottish Infection Prevention and Control

Education Pathway (SICEP). The pathway was created to support a culture in health and

social care in which the safety of people we care for related to infection prevention and

control is of the highest importance.

This guide gives an overview of the pathway and provides guidance for learners and line

managers / course leaders on accessing and selecting learning resources.

About the pathway

What is the Pathway?

• A suite of different types of learning resources in three progressive layers –

Foundation, Intermediate and Improvement.

• It provides flexible access and the opportunity to create individual learning

pathways for health and social care staff/students, suited to specific learning needs

and job roles.

• Short learning bites are aligned with KSF core dimension outcomes. The content is

contemporary and suitable for all staff roles working in all health and social care

settings.

• The pathway is NOT a programme that needs to be completed by all staff and/or

students in its entirety.

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 4

Foundation Layer

The foundation layer is for all staff/students across health and social care services in the

public, private and education sectors and is designed to develop underpinning knowledge

and core behaviours across Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs). These link in

with national occupational standards in infection prevention and control and form the basis

for further learning.

The foundation layer of the pathway comprises e-learning modules, printable learning

resources, pocket guides, videos, animations, DVDs etc. covering all 10 Standard infection

Control Precautions and other introductory IPC topics which are aligned with the National

Infection Prevention and Control Manual.

Topics include:

1. Why Infection Prevention and Control Matters

2. Breaking the Chain of Infection

3. Patient Placement/Assessment for Infection Risk

4. Hand Hygiene

5. Respiratory and Cough Hygiene

6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

7. Safe Management of Care Equipment

8. Safe Management of Care Environment

9. Safe Management of Linen

10. Safe Management of Blood and Body Fluid Spillages

11. Safe Disposal of Waste (including sharps)

12. Prevention and Management of Occupational Exposure (including sharps)

13. Prevention and Control of Infection – Clostridium difficile

14. Infection Prevention and Control: Refresher for non-clinical staff

15. Infection Prevention and Control: Refresher for clinical staff

All resources can be individually selected.

Time to complete: variable, usually 20-30 minutes per e-learning module

Modules 1-13 have a separate assessment module.

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 5

Intermediate Layer

The principles in this layer relate to the application of knowledge into practice and

leading and motivating staff to apply SICPs and Transmission Based Precautions

(TBPs) consistently in the workplace. It is this layer that provides further learning for staff

(including existing Cleanliness Champions), the building blocks for them to progress and

enhance their knowledge and skills and champion good practice locally and nationally as

they join the pathway.

Learners will apply knowledge into practice via topic specific modules. This will include

many of the NES HAI learning resources already available.

Themes include:

• Enhancement of ‘clinical’ or ‘practical’ skills, including antimicrobial resistance,

antimicrobial stewardship, aseptic technique procedures and surgical site infections.

• Use of decision making and clinical reasoning, including outbreak management,

making audit meaningful and reflective practice.

• Interpersonal skills, including communication skills; negotiation skills; managing

conflict or difficult conversations.

Improvement Layer

This layer will offer learning resources and development opportunities for those who wish

to develop a deeper level of knowledge and skills in relation to IPC and QI and lead or

actively participate in an IPC improvement project in their place of work. This layer

incorporates QI programmes currently offered by NES at lead and practitioner level. It will

build on knowledge and skills in the application of the science of improvement that will, in

turn, complement this specific area of specialisation.

The foundation layer will be launched in June 2017 and the Intermediate and

Improvement layers will be available from Summer 2018.

What is the aim of the pathway?

The aim of the pathway is to provide a clear staged progression of HAI education to

enable all staff and students to continuously improve their knowledge and skills around

infection prevention and control as part of their role.

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 6

Who is the pathway aimed at?

Infection prevention and control in health and social care is everybody’s business.

All health and social care staff and students in Scotland should make use of the

pathway learning resources, but not all staff will need to progress through all layers of the

pathway.

Is the pathway for staff/students who have already completed the

Cleanliness Champions Programme?

Yes.

But if learners have already completed the Cleanliness Champions Programme, it may not

be necessary for them to complete all the Foundation Layer modules pertaining to the

SICPs. This will depend on when they completed the programme, how confident they are

that their knowledge and skills are up-to-date and if they are putting this knowledge into

practice on a frequent basis. They should discuss this with their line manager.

Cleanliness Champions can refresh and update their knowledge by completing either the

“NES: IPC - Refresher for Clinical Staff” or “NES: IPC - Refresher for Non-Clinical Staff”

module, and then move on to complete other modules relevant for their role, like “NES:

Infection Prevention & Control - C. difficile” from the Foundation Layer and Intermediate

Layer modules, like “NES: Aseptic Technique” and others.

Learning resources from the Intermediate Layer will be more suitable for Cleanliness

Champions to further develop their role in promoting infection prevention and Control.

Why is the concept of an individual learning pathway being introduced?

Providing an opportunity for managers and learners to create individual learning pathways

has several advantages. It will:

• Allow learners to complete only those modules relevant to their role and enable

them to add other modules over time as and when needed;

• Focus learning on where it can have the greatest impact on the people we care for

and on the individual learner;

• Make more efficient use of available learning time;

• Focus on specific tasks performed by the individual;

• Encourage participation by providing relevant education;

• Develop individual expertise in the workplace.

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 7

Key benefits of the pathway

• Learners (with their line manager) can create personalised learning pathways – this

is not a “one size fits all” programme.

• Learners will complete only those modules relevant to their role. They will be able to

add other modules over time as and when they need to.

• The pathway provides a clear staged progression of HAI education to enable staff

to continuously improve their knowledge and skills around Infection Prevention and

Control as part of their role.

• Just click and go – no need to register. Staff and students can freely access

modules via learnPro.

• The content is aligned with the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual.

• Employers and colleges and universities can make use of the pathway resources in

a more flexible way and integrate them into their HAI education strategies and

curricula.

How does the pathway relate to the NHS Scotland Healthcare

Associated Standards?

Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Standards

(2015), Standard 2: Education to support the prevention and control of infection

Using the SICEP pathway will assist organisations to comply with standards 2.4, 2.5 and

2.6. - providing quality, tailored HAI education that supports staff to fulfil their roles and

responsibilities.

Accessing the pathway

How can the pathway resources be accessed?

The Scottish Infection Prevention and Control Education Pathway Foundation layer is

available free of charge to all Scottish health and social care staff and to Higher and

Further Education Institutions in Scotland for inclusion in any health and social care

related course.

Staff from the independent and voluntary sector in Scotland may access the pathway free

of charge.

The pathway is not available to those working outwith Scotland.

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 8

All learning resources can be accessed on learnPro NHS (for NHS staff) and LearnPro

Community (for non-NHS staff and students) using the links below.

NHS staff:

learnPro NHS http://nhs.learnprouk.com/

Students, General Dental Services staff and health and social care staff from the

independent and voluntary sectors:

learnPro Community http://community.learnprouk.com/

Users without a learnPro account first need to register for an account. Details required for

registration are first name, last name, e-mail address, location, and job role.

Learners do not need to register for the pathway itself.

Once signed into learnPro users can find the pathway by typing IPC Education Pathway

into the search box next to “My Learning”. The title for the Foundation Layer is NES:

Scottish IPC Education Pathway – Foundation. Simply select this and click ‘ADD’ to

add this to your list of courses.

All students and staff from further and higher education institutions will have the

Foundation Layer learning resources automatically assigned to their learnPro account.

NES have produced a tip sheet explaining the structure on learnPro for ease of reference.

Download the SIPCEP foundation layer structure on learnPro tip sheet:

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/media/3972281/sipcep_learnpro_set_up_module_tip_sheet.pdf

When should learners access/complete the learning resources of the

pathway?

The pathway model allows NHS boards, other health and social care employers and

educational institutions to flexibly use the learning resources. There is no time limit or fixed

sequence of modules to be completed.

Managers should engage with staff at the point of care and support services staff to

ensure that their knowledge of Standard Infection Control Precautions as required for their

role is up-to-date. All staff must understand and apply the principles of infection prevention

and control set out in the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual.

Relevant Foundation Layer modules should be completed before the learner has any

direct contact with people they care for.

In the workplace, the SIPCEP should be part of a personal development plan and the

required time of completion should be agreed between learner and manager.

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 9

For students, it is important that they have completed the SIPCEP modules appropriate

for their role/placement before they go on placements which involve carrying out elements

of clinical practice.

Supporting learners and selecting learning resources

How can line managers/course leaders support learners on their

pathway?

There are many ways in which line managers/course leaders can support learners:

• Explain the reasons for completing infection prevention and control training.

• Ensure access to the learning resources

o If staff members are not able to access e-learning modules on learnPro,

consider providing either face-to-face training or providing printed copies of

the learning materials.

• Provide/arrange for support for learners who might have difficulties when first using

learnPro e-learning modules.

• Ensure the learners complete the feedback forms at the end of each module.

• Ensure learners get and keep completion certificates.

For staff not able to use online resources, printable versions of the e-learning modules are

available on the SIPCEP Support Materials web page:

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-theme-initiative/healthcare-

associated-infections/scottish-infection-prevention-and-control-education-

pathway/pathway-support-materials.aspx

Will there still be an HAI clinical and non-clinical induction?

No.

The foundation layer modules of the SIPCEP, especially those covering the topics “Why

Infection Prevention and Control Matters”, “The Chain of Infection” and those covering the

Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs) will replace the NES HAI clinical and non-

clinical inductions and the Cleanliness Champions modules.

HAI inductions should take place locally and cover topics like local contacts and local

policies for Infection Prevention and Control, local and national training requirements.

Staff new to health and social care without any previous knowledge and skills in infection

prevention and control should complete the relevant Foundation Layer modules as part of

their induction. Clinical and non-clinical staff can complete different groups of the SIPCEP

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 10

foundation modules, depending on their role. As a minimum, “NES: Why Infection

Prevention and Control Matters” and “NES: Hand Hygiene” are recommended.

How do line managers/course leaders identify the right resources for a

learner to use?

Planning for infection prevention and control learning should begin with considering the

learner’s role and practice settings. This provides a basis for developing a suitable learning

pathway and deciding which modules to use.

• Check with your local Infection Prevention and Control Team / Learning and

Development Team if any modules are mandatory for certain staff groups.

• Include the SIPCEP in your annual personal review meeting. Talk to your staff and

agree which modules are appropriate for their role.

• Consider what the learner has completed already.

• Consider when the learner has completed any relevant HAI learning.

• Ask if they have skills to complete e-learning.

• Ask what support they would need to make use of e-learning resources.

• Consider what other types or learning would be useful for them.

Groups of foundation layer modules suggested as a minimum for different staff groups are

indicated in a matrix document:

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/media/3974099/sicpep_foundation_modules_by_staff_group_mat

rix.pdf

What do students need to do when they enter health and social care

services?

When students come into a health board or enter other health or social care employment

in Scotland, they can present their Foundation Layer module completion table and

learnPro Certificate of Achievement, and locally the employer can decide if additional

modules or refreshers are required for their role.

Completions and certificates

How can line managers/course leaders check if the learning has been

completed?

Completions can be monitored via learnPro by registered administrators, and learners can

download individual Certificates of Achievement from learnPro providing learners and their

employers with an audit trail.

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 11

Learners can also download a comprehensive Certificate of Achievement from learnPro,

and all SIPCEP modules and assessments will be listed on this.

Does everyone have to complete all the modules in the Foundation

Layer?

No. Learners should only complete the modules which are appropriate for their role. For

example, dental staff would not be expected to complete the Safe Management of Linen

module if it does not relate to their specific role. The line manager or course leader will

advise learners which modules should be completed.

Is there an overall certificate available for a layer within the pathway?

No, there will be individual certificates for each part/module which can be printed via the

learnPro Certificate function, once the learner has successfully passed the assessment.

The pathway is not about completing layers, but about completing learning that is relevant

to the learner’s job role and tasks.

Further information

Frequently Asked Questions

A comprehensive web page with frequently asked questions is provided on the NES HAI

website:

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-theme-initiative/healthcare-

associated-infections/scottish-infection-prevention-and-control-education-pathway/sipcep-

frequently-asked-questions.aspx

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 12

Resources and updates about the pathway

General information about SIPCEP

Please check the SIPCEP web pages provided by NHS Education for Scotland:

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-theme-initiative/healthcare-

associated-infections/scottish-infection-prevention-and-control-education-pathway.aspx

Pathway News and Updates

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-theme-initiative/healthcare-

associated-infections/scottish-infection-prevention-and-control-education-

pathway/pathway-news-and-updates.aspx

Suggested modules for different staff groups

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/media/3974099/sicpep_foundation_modules_by_staff_group_

matrix.pdf

Promotional Tools

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-theme-initiative/healthcare-

associated-infections/scottish-infection-prevention-and-control-education-

pathway/pathway-promotional-tools.aspx

SIPCEP Support Materials

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-theme-initiative/healthcare-

associated-infections/scottish-infection-prevention-and-control-education-

pathway/pathway-support-materials.aspx

Video message from the Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Scottish Government

https://vimeo.com/218582652

NES HAI Bulletin

You can keep up-to-date with all the latest developments by subscribing to the bi-monthly

HAI E-bulletin using the subscribe box on the right hand side of the HAI webpage:

http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/education-and-training/by-theme-initiative/healthcare-

associated-infections.aspx

Contact the NES HAI Team

hai@nes.scot.nhs.uk

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 13

Individual learning log template

The completion of learning modules online will be automatically logged, but learners can

use the template below to log modules and other learning activities.

Example:

Foundation Layer

Topic Learning completed Date Hand Hygiene e.g.:

Completed SIPCEP learnPro module Completed SIPCEP learnPro assessment Watched NES Hand Hygiene video Completed work-based activity - hand hygiene

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 14

Scottish Infection Prevention and Control Education Pathway - Individual learning log template

Foundation Layer

Topic Learning completed Date Why Infection Prevention & Control Matters

Breaking the Chain of Infection

Standard Infection Control Precautions

Patient Placement/Assessment for infection risk

Hand Hygiene

Respiratory and Cough Hygiene

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Safe Management of Care Equipment

Safe Management of Care Environment

Safe Management of Linen

Safe Management of Blood and Body Fluid Spillages

Safe Disposal of Waste (including sharps)

Occupational Safety: Prevention and Exposure Management (including sharps)

Organisms

Prevention and Control of Infection – Clostridium difficile

Refreshers

Infection Prevention and Control: Refresher for Non-clinical Staff

Infection Prevention and Control: Refresher for Clinical Staff

SIPCEP – Guide for Learners and Line Managers / Course Leaders Page 15

Scottish Infection Prevention and Control Education Pathway - Individual learning log template

Intermediate Layer

Topic Learning completed Date

Improvement Layer

Topic Learning completed Date

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alternative formats and community languages. Please contact us on

0131 656 3200 or email altformats@nes.scot.nhs.uk to discuss how we can best meet your requirements.

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