Lockdown Learning – The Sequel

Back in May, we shared a post about “Lockdown Learning” where we talked about the things we had learnt as a result of external circumstances.  We talked about how we adopted the motto “we can do that” and how that positivity had spread.

As we approach another lockdown, fire break or circuit break, spending on which is flavour of the moment, I wanted to revisit some of the themes we covered in that previous post, but also what we have learnt since May!

Second Wave – Second Chance

Firstly, before we go any further, if you have lost a loved one or a colleague over recent months, our thoughts are with you.

However, if we are all going to be spending time working from home over the next four weeks (those who can, of course), how can we make best use of that time?

I know my plan is not to put on any more weight in Lockdown 2; I am still trying to lose what I gained during Lockdown 1!

The power of online learning is that it can be done at home, or on the bus, or anywhere else that suits you.  So, if you are going to be at home over the next four weeks, ask yourself, is there a subject I have always wanted to know more about.  Do you support someone with a condition that you don’t know a lot about?  Can you find out more?

CQC Digital Guidance

CQC is in the process of changing their inspections from on-site to digital; now is therefore an ideal opportunity to get ready for the new version of inspection.  If CQC is going digital, then it means we can too.  In fact, there are no ifs or buts about it; we will have no choice but to share digital information with CQC.  If you currently don’t have digital systems in place, then now might be a really good time to start!

TIME!

The one thing in my experience that neither managers nor staff have plenty of!  We are busy.  We are all busy.  We are even busier at the moment, covering shifts and recruiting staff.

However, if staff are shielding, or just working from home, it may be an ideal time to catch up on some outstanding courses and turn the Training Matrix green.  For instance, it might be a great time to find out about that condition that Peter has, or it could be an ideal time to learn something new.  When we get to return to the new normal, we will be armed with new knowledge, not just for our own benefit but also that of the Peters we support.

Speed

Another useful element of learning online is the speed at which you can learn.  This saves that most precious of resource – time.  Now, some will say that it is never as good as face-to-face, but it simply isn’t an option at the moment and rarely provides the digital evidence we need to share with CQC.  (see “eLearning does not work, does it?”)

Money

The other commodity we generally don’t have enough of… However, learning online, as well as being quicker, is also much more cost-effective.  Think of it this way; if we use online learning to find out who really needs the face-to-face training, we can then target our limited resources to where they are needed most.

Bite-Sized

One of the key elements of learning is retention of knowledge, whatever delivery method is used.  So, when someone already knows a subject, making them repeat the whole subject from start to finish will only demotivate them (whatever the delivery method).  So why not give bite-sized a try?  The BBC does it – why can’t we?

Lastly, if you are going to get staff to complete learning online whilst working at home, make sure your system supports them to add additional evidence from their day-to-day practice, so you can share the competence evidence with CQC.

If you want to see the features of Click, our online learning and competence recording system and how you can use it to share digital info with CQC, just click on the Book a Demo button…