Our core mission at Advantage Accreditation is to improve the quality of training and education, especially within health and social care. We strongly believe that better education leads to better care. Keeping our curriculum up-to-date is a major component of this. Here’s our process for updating our learning materials, using the example of the new Mental Health Bill announced in the King’s Speech (17th July 2024).
Why are updates so important?
The use of outdated training materials can lead to non-compliance with legal requirements and put organisations at risk of legal repercussions. Plus, staff may provide ineffectual, outdated and inconsistent care.
First, we look at exactly what changes are coming.
The Mental Health Bill will modernise the Mental Health Act of 1983. The reform will ensure dignity and choice for patients, rectify disproportionate detentions among ethnic minorities, and improve treatment for autistic patients and patients with learning disabilities. Key components of the Bill include:
Updating criteria for detention, ensuring it is used appropriately and only when necessary.
Strengthening the rights of patients, ensuring their voices are heard and preferences are respected.
Improving community support services, preventing unnecessary hospitalisations.
Next, our curriculum team will incorporate these changes into our learning materials.
We currently offer materials for multiple courses focussed on mental health. Plus, many of our other courses include sections on mental health where relevant.
In this example, we will update content to reflect the revised detention criteria, enhanced patient rights, and improved community support services outlined in the new bill. Our talented curriculum team will find innovative methods to deliver these messages, through videos, group activities, case studies, etc. Our aim is to bring this content to life so that learners can apply their new knowledge in their work.
Where possible, we can include some information about proposed changes. However, we will need to wait for confirmation and roll out of new legislation before finalising any updates. This process may take months or, in the example of transitioning from Deprivation of Liberty Standards (DoLS) to Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS), years.
Finally, we will send our updated materials to relevant centres.
Many of our accredited training centres choose to deliver our ready-to-use learning materials. Those who deliver courses that we have updated will receive the new materials. We also send out a general update to let centres know about the changes and why they have been made.
If you are interested in becoming an accredited training centre with Advantage Accreditation, please contact us. We are happy to save you the time and stress of updating your courses yourself.
