Category: BCS

Act Now Announces New EU GDPR Practitioner Certificate 

Act Now is pleased to announce the launch of its new EU GDPR Practitioner Certificate course.

This new course is specially designed for Data Protection Officers and privacy practitioners, based in the EU and internationally, whose role involves advising on the EU GDPR and associated privacy legislation. The content of the course has been developed after analysing all the knowledge, practical skills and competencies required for the EU DPO to successfully navigate the European data protection landscape. 

This course builds on Act Now’s very popular UK GDPR Practitioner certificate course which has been attended by hundreds of DPOs throughout the UK and abroad since its launch in 2017.  Our teaching style is based on practical and engaging workshops covering theory alongside hands-on application using case studies that equip delegates with knowledge and skills that can be used immediately. Personal tutor support throughout the course will ensure the best opportunity for success. Delegates will also receive a comprehensive set of course materials, including our very popular EU GDPR Handbook (RRP £34.99), as well as access to our online Resource Lab, which includes over 20 hours of videos on key aspects of the syllabus.

The EU GDPR Practitioner Certificate course takes place over four days (one day per week) and involves workshops, case studies and exercises. This is followed by a written assessment. Delegates are then required to complete a practical project (in their own time) to achieve the certificate. Whether delivered online or in the classroom, delegates will receive all the fantastic features of the course specifically tailored for each learning environment. 

The EU GDPR Practitioner Certificate course builds on Act Now’s track record for delivering innovative and high quality practical training for information governance professionals:

The course director for the EU GDPR Practitioner Certificate, Ibrahim Hasan, says:

“We have looked at every aspect of this course to ensure it equips EU Data Protection Officers with the knowledge and skills they need to implement the EU GDPR in a practical way. Because of its emphasis on practical skills, and the success of our UK GDPR Practitioner certificate course, we are confident that this course will become the qualification of choice for current and future EU Data Protection Officers.”

New Isle of Man GDPR Practitioner Certificate

Act Now is pleased to announce the launch of its new Isle of Man GDPR Practitioner Certificate course.

This new course is specially designed for Data Protection Officers and privacy practitioners, based in the Isle of Man and internationally, whose role involves advising on the GDPR as applies to the Isle of Man(the Applied GDPR) and associated privacy legislation. The content of the course has been developed after analysing all the knowledge, practical skills and competencies required for the DPO to successfully navigate the IoM data protection landscape. 

This course builds on Act Now’s very popular UK GDPR Practitioner certificate course which has been attended by hundreds of DPOs throughout the UK and abroad since its launch in 2017.  Our teaching style is based on practical and engaging workshops covering theory alongside hands-on application using case studies that equip delegates with knowledge and skills that can be used immediately. Personal tutor support throughout the course will ensure the best opportunity for success. Delegates will also receive a comprehensive set of course materials, including our very popular Isle of Man GDPR Handbook (RRP £54.95),as well as access to our online Resource Lab, which includes over 20 hours of videos on key aspects of the syllabus.

The Isle of Man GDPR Practitioner Certificate course takes place over four days (one day per week) and involves workshops, case studies and exercises. Delegates are then required to complete a practical project (in their own time) to achieve the certificate. Whether delivered online or in the classroom, delegates will receive all the fantastic features of the course specifically tailored for each learning environment. 

The Isle of Man GDPR Practitioner Certificate course builds on Act Now’s track record for delivering innovative and high quality practical training for information governance professionals:

The course director for the Isle of Man GDPR Practitioner Certificate course, Ibrahim Hasan, says:

“With its emphasis on practical skills we are confident that this course will become the qualification of choice for current and future IoM Data Protection Officers. We have looked at every aspect of this course to ensure it equips Isle of Man Data Protection Officers with the knowledge and skills they need to implement the Applied GDPR in a practical way.”

Online GDPR Practitioner Certificate: Going from Strength to Strength

Act Now Training would like to congratulate all our delegates who have recently completed our online GDPR Practitioner Certificate.

At the start of the Pandemic, we decided to offer our flagship classroom based GDPR Practitioner Certificate as an online option. We redesigned the course for the online world with even more emphasis on practical exercises and case studies to try and recreate the classroom learning environment. Delegates receive all the fantastic features of our classroom course but in a live online learning environment accessible from anywhere in the world.

The course is aimed at those undertaking the role of Data Protection Officer under GDPR whether in the public or the private sector. It teaches delegates all the essential GDPR skills and knowledge. The course takes place over four days (one day per week) and involves lectures, assessments and exercises. This is followed by a written assessment. Candidates are then required to complete a practical project (in their own time) to achieve the certificate.

In less than 18 months, 178 delegates have completed the course representing a diverse range of organisations including private companies, councils, universities and government departments. We have even had delegates from the Houses of Parliament, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. 

Read some of the delegate feedback below:

“The GDPR Practitioner Certificate course was really excellent.  The content was thorough and tied in with real life situations to really embed the learning.  It has really helped me in my role, even after the first week I had new practical skills I could use in my daily work life.” KL, Kent County Council

“Very useful, insightful course that provided hands on practical tips on GDPR implementation within our business.” AD, Danske Bank

“The course was delivered at a pace that suited the learners and with ample opportunities to revisit tricky topics or ask for clarification. The supplied learning materials were comprehensive and genuinely added value to the learning experience.” Nigel Leech, CEFAS

“The course was the right balance between overall guidance and detailed information presented in an easy and understandable format.” RR, Chugai Pharma Europe Ltd

​“The course delivered through Act Now was not only educational but informative.
The teaching skills were excellent, I felt at ease in the class and came away with a tremendous amount of knowledge that I can use in everyday situations. Thank you.”
HB, Foseco International Limited

Our next online GDPR Practitioner Certificate courses start in October. We also have a classroom course starting in November in Manchester. 

For those who have successfully completed our GDPR Practitioner Certificate, we have one place left on our Advanced Certificate in GDPR Practice course starting in October. 

Act Now Launches New Advanced Certificate in GDPR Practice

Act Now Training is pleased to announce the launch of the Advanced Certificate in GDPR Practice. It comes following 12 months of development and as a result of the success of our GDPR Practitioner Certificate which, over the last few years, has cemented its position as the gold standard for data protection qualifications.  

Our courses are practical and jargon free. We focus on teaching the skills and knowledge to help delegates do their job every day. Our aim is to help delegates become the most complete DPO for the ever-changing privacy landscape.  

“The training provided practical guidance with useful examples to help inform my application of GDPR in the workplace. The focus was on how to use it rather than learning all the legal minutiae, and from the first session I was able to go away and use what I’d learnt in my Information Governance role.” EG, Hampshire CC  

“A highly informative and interactive course which helped to join the dots together and add layers to my understanding of a complex area. I had some reservations as to how it would be possible to achieve an effective course remotely and would it be as engaging as a classroom-based alternative. Frank managed all this and more, he was approachable, highly knowledgeable and made sure the participants were understanding the content.
I would not hesitate to recommend to colleagues.” SW, Harrogate BC 

Having trained over 1500 data protection professionals on our GDPR Practitioner Certificate, we have now answered their call for a more advanced GDPR qualification to help them enhance their skills and knowledge. 

The new Advanced Certificate in GDPR Practice consists of a series of challenging masterclasses in which delegates will analyse and evaluate thought-provoking case studies designed to help them deconstruct and interpret complex GDPR issues. This will help them gain a deeper understanding of the GDPR and further their ability to navigate the legislation and its application. 

The course is set over three days; approximately one masterclass per month and will take a total of 12 weeks to complete. Delegates should expect to do at least five hours of self-study prior to each masterclass. A practical project will be required to be submitted at the end of the course.  

This course has been designed and will be delivered by our senior associate, Susan Wolf, and our director, Ibrahim Hasan. Susan has over ten years’ experience teaching practitioners on the LLM Information Rights Law at Practice at Northumbria University. She has also designed our very popular FOI Practitioner Certificate course. Ibrahim has been designing and delivering practical data protection courses for over 20 years. 

Ibrahim said: 

“I am really looking forward to teaching this course. I hope to challenge, inspire and provoke delegates into thinking about advanced GDPR concepts and their application.
It will be hard work for the delegates (and the tutor) but worth it! 

These together with a series of practical tasks is sure to enthuse and excite delegates on their way to advancing their skills.” 

This advanced course is exclusively available to those who have completed the Act Now  GDPR Practitioner Certificate as it builds on the knowledge and skills developed in that course. There is an application process for places which are limited to 8 per course.  

The course has a special introductory price of £2,150 plus vat, which is £500 off the RRP. Application forms are available on our website. If you wish to discuss your suitability for this course before applying, please get in touch and we will be happy to help. 

Act Now Launches Online FOI Practitioner Certificate

Act Now is pleased to announce the launch of its new online FOI Practitioner Certificate.

This new course has been designed to mirror our classroom based course that was running successfully throughout the country before the Coronavirus lockdown.
Delegates will benefit from the same fantastic features in a live online learning environment.

Class sizes are 50% smaller to ensure that delegates receives all the attention and support they need to get the best out of the course. They will also have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, test their skills and engage with FOI practitioners from the comfort of their home office.

The four days of training are split up into three online sessions per day. Using our online training platform, delegates will be able to see and hear the course tutors as well as the slides, exercises and case studies. We have also built in 1 to 1 tutor time at the end of each day to provide individual support.

A very comprehensive set of materials, including all legislation, will be posted to delegates in advance of the online sessions. In addition they will have access to our online Resource Lab, which now includes updated videos on key aspects of the syllabus.

This new course builds upon our wealth of experience of designing and delivering online training as well as the delegate feedback from our online GDPR Practitioner Certificate.

Susan Wolf, who has designed this new course says:

“This is a very exciting opportunity. Despite the current difficult times and uncertainties, this online course gives FOI practitioners access to high quality training, that is cost effective and safe.”

The first course starts on 20th August with a special introductory price of  £1,995  plus VAT. Places are filling up so book early to avoid disappointment. We can also deliver this course on an in-house basis customised to the needs of your staff. Please get in touch for a quote.

 

Act Now Launches Revised Foundation Certificate in Information Governance

Act Now Training is proud to announce the launch of its revised Foundation Certificate in Information Governance. This qualification is designed for information management professionals who need a foundation in the basics of information rights law and information governance. It is a fully online and interactive course designed by leading Information Governance experts Scott Sammons and Ibrahim Hasan. Scott said:

“I am pleased to be involved in the revision of this ground-breaking online qualification. With up to date content on a range of Information Governance issues it is a great starter qualification for new information governance professional across the public and private sectors.”

The course contains three learning streams namely Data Protection, Freedom of Information and Records Management. These streams now contain additional exclusive content covering cyber security and data subjects’ rights. Using the latest web based technology, delegates will be able to learn (without leaving their desks) by attending three live webinars. In addition they will have exclusive access to four recorded modules. Finally they will do a short online assessment to achieve the certificate.

Since the launch of the first version in 2016, hundreds of delegates have successfully completed this course. They represent a diverse range of organisations from the UK and abroad including multinational corporations, local authorities, universities, NHS, government departments and regulators. Feedback has been very positive:

“The course covered the main topics that are important to my job, and answered queries that regularly arise. After completing the course I felt reassured that I could apply this knowledge on a day to day basis in my job.” EF, Brighton and Hove City Council

Modules were interesting and packed full of useful content. As someone relatively new to the sector, this was the perfect course for me. JH, Healthcare Improvement 

I’ve learnt a lot and I am confident I will be more of an asset to my team because of it. The tutor was also open to discussions which really helped us to relate the information to our own areas. LW, Milton Keynes Council

“Good course, well delivered, offering a good grounding in the subject matter.
Many thanks.” MB, Flintshire County Council

These are difficult times when traditional face-to-face training is not an option.
However the learning cannot stop. The revised Foundation Certificate in Information Governance allows delegates to learn about all the important information governance subjects from the comfort of their home office and gain a qualification. It is also an ideal starter qualification for those who wish to progress to more advanced qualifications such as the as the GDPR Practitioner Certificate which is also now available as an online option.

See the full range of certificate courses available from Act Now here. 

Act Now’s FOI Practitioner Certificate: The Story So Far

At the end of 2018 Act Now announced the launch of its new FOI Practitioner Certificate. In keeping with the company’s ethos of delivering on the ground practical training, the new course is designed to meet the needs of practitioners and to enable them to fulfil their roles as FOI Officers.

Act Now is pleased to inform readers that in May and June the first two cohorts of delegates attended our fully booked courses in London and Manchester respectively.
The courses were designed and delivered by Susan Wolf, formerly a senior lecturer on the University of Northumbria’s LLM in Information Rights Law.

The course has so far attracted delegates from a range of public authorities, including the Crown Prosecution Service, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCGA), Nursing and Midwifery Council, University of West London, Dudley CCG, Land Registry, Lancashire Council, Cheshire Police and St Leger Homes,

Susan says:

 “I have looked at every aspect of this revised course to ensure it equips FOI officers with the knowledge they need to tackle FOI in a practical way.”

The course uses the same format as our very successful GDPR Practitioner Certificate.
It takes place over four days (one day per week) and involves lectures, discussion and practical drafting exercises. All delegates are encouraged to actively participate and share their experiences, in order to create an inclusive environment.  Over the coming months, further courses will be delivered by Susan, Ibrahim Hasan and Philip Jones.

What’s new?

The new course offers several innovations, which Act Now believes makes the it distinctive and highly relevant to FOI Officers and other practitioners with responsibility for providing access to public information. One innovation is that time is made available each day for delegates to reflect on what they have learned and how it will inform their practice. From her experience of delivering of training the first two cohorts, Susan noted:

“Delegates were able to share their experiences and problems, and more importantly offer suggestions for tackling problems.  This was particularly useful for delegates with limited FOI experience, or from smaller organisations, who were able to take away practical suggestions about how to handle requests and deal with the exemptions.”

The course also encourages delegates to become independent learners and provides guidance on ‘keeping up to date’ and understanding how cases are handled by the First Tier Information Rights Tribunal.  Susan says:

“The law isn’t static; we keep getting new ICO guidance, based on Tribunal and Court decisions. It is important that FOI practitioners understand the importance of keeping up to date, and how to do this.”

The assessment of the course is innovative and modern. The assessment model will be very familiar to people who have undertaken our GDPR Practitioner Certificate. First delegates must complete a one-hour MCQ test. This is  worth 30% of the overall assessment. The remaining 70% involves a written project.  Delegates are given a practical scenario which requires them to draft a Refusal Notice and explain how they would handle the request and their selection of exemptions. All delegates receive detailed feedback on their written projects. Our Scottish FOISA course also now follows the same format.

Susan says:

“The assessment has been designed to be relevant and useful; I can see little point in giving delegates a task that has no meaning to their practice.  Instead we want our delegates to feel like the assessment will inform their practice and enable them to enhance and develop their skills. Writing a robust refusal notice is an essential skill for FOI practitioners and lies at the heart of our assessment on this course.”

The delegate feedback so far has been excellent and it seems that this course has plugged a gap in the market:

An excellent course taught by someone with all the relevant knowledge and experience to impart to the delegates. Also very useful course materials which have proved to be helpful to me on a day to day basis in my job. I would really recommend this course to anyone who is dealing with FOI’s in their job.
JC, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Ibrahim Hasan (Director of Act Now Training) says:

“We are pleased that this new FOI certificate course is meeting the training needs of FOI officers. Because of its emphasis on practical skills, we are confident that it will become the qualification of choice for current and future FOI Officers and advisers.”

More venues have been added for this course including Belfast. All our courses can be delivered at your premises at a substantially reduced cost.

Contact us for more information.

Act Now Launches New FOI Practitioner Certificate

 

Act Now is pleased to announce the launch of its brand new FOI Practitioner Certificate.

This course is one of the first of its kind, in a way that only Act Now delivers – practical, on the ground skills to help you fulfil your role as an FOI Officer.

This new certificate course is ideal for those wishing to acquire detailed knowledge of FOI and related information access legislation (including EIR) in a practical context. It has been designed by leading FOI experts including Ibrahim Hasan and Susan Wolf – formerly a senior lecturer on the University of Northumbria’s LLM in Information
Rights Law.

The course uses the same format as our very successful GDPR Practitioner Certificate. It takes place over four days (one day per week) and involves lectures, discussion and practical drafting exercises. This format has been extremely well received by over 1000  delegates who have completed the course. Time will also be spent at the end of each day discussing what issues delegates may face when implementing/advising on the FOI topics of the day.

The four teaching days are followed by an online assessment and a practical project to be completed within 30 days.

Why is this course different?

  • An emphasis on practical application of FOI rather than rote learning
  • Lots of real life case studies and exercises
  • An emphasis on drafting Refusal Notices
  • An online Resource Lab with links, guidance and over 5 hours of videos
  • Modern assessment methods rather than a closed book exam

 Who should attend?

This course is suitable for anyone working within the public sector who needs to learn about FOI and related legislation in a practical context, as well as those with the requisite knowledge wishing to have it recognised through a formal qualification. It is most suitable for:

  • FOI Officers
  • Data Protection Officers
  • Compliance Officers
  • Auditors
  • Legal Advisers

Susan, says:

“FOI and EIR are almost 14 years old. Since the Act and Regulations came into force there have been many legal developments and court decisions that have given practitioners a much greater understanding of the legal provisions and how they should be applied in practice. With this in mind, we have written this course to ensure that it equips public sector officers with all the necessary knowledge and skills they need to respond to freedom of information requests accurately and efficiently. This course, with its emphasis on the law in practice, will enable trainees to become more accomplished and confident FOI practitioners”

Susan will share her vast experience gained through years of helping organisations comply with their information rights legislation obligations. This, together with a comprehensive set of course materials and guidance notes, will mean that delegates will not only be in a position to pass the course assessment but to learn valuable skills which they will be able to apply in their workplaces for years to come.

This new course builds on Act Now’s reputation for delivering practical training at an affordable price:

This new course widens the choice of qualifications for IG practitioners and advisers. Ibrahim Hasan (Director of Act Now Training) commented:

“We are pleased be able to launch this new qualification. Because of its emphasis on practical skills, we are confident that it will become the qualification of choice for current and future FOI Officers and advisers.”

To learn more please visit our website.

All our courses can be delivered at your premises at a substantially reduced cost.
Contact us for more information.

GDPR Practitioner Certificate: Another Set of Great Results

Act Now Training would like to congratulate the 10 delegates who have successfully completed our intensive one-week course leading to the GDPR Practitioner Certificate.

The course was delivered in London in August 2017. All 10 delegates passed with 6 achieving a distinction.  This is an even better than our first set of results back in May.

The GDPR Practitioner Certificate is aimed at those undertaking the role of Data Protection Officer under GDPR whether in the public or the private sector.

This course will teach delegates essential GDPR skills and knowledge. The course takes place over four days (one day per week) and involves lectures, assessments and exercises. This is followed by a written assessment. Candidates are then required to complete a practical project (in their own time) to achieve the certificate.

The August course delegates represented a diverse range of organisations including councils, universities and government departments from the UK as well as the Isle of Man and the USA(see comment below and at the end of this post). They all enjoyed the course and gave us some very positive feedback about the course and the trainer:

“Thank you very much and this is great news. Close to distinction I was and I am pleased for being the only American in the class. I have a solid foundation on GDPR and look forward to future trainings that will lead to a role as a DPO” Domenic DiLullo, USA

“The course content was comprehensive and the course material have real continuing value back in day-to-day work. The trainer’s expertise and experience was obvious but he also created a really fun, discursive environment to learn in.”  KG, University of London

“I feel well equipped to provide relevant advice and guidance on the GDPR as a result of taking this course. It was well presented with good quality, practical course material and access to a resource lab for articles, webinars and exam practice, all of which proved invaluable.” JD, East Sussex County Council

“Undertaking the Act Now GDPR practitioner course has reinforced my understanding of Data Protection and Privacy.  The training provided by the trainer has given me new strategies relating to implementing GDPR and privacy measures, achievable with much more confidence. I can now help my organisation understand, categorise and evidence risks associated with privacy and GDPR in more practical and robust way.” RS, Boston Council

“The course was excellent and well presented. I found the trainer approachable and entertaining and he helped to make what could be a dry subject come to life. Pre attendance the admin was excellent and everything went ahead without any glitch at all. Act Now have responded to me really quickly and efficiently every time.” SH, Swansea University

Demand for these courses has been phenomenal as have the testimonials. Due to this demand we have now added some further dates! Book early to avoid disappointment. Course starting on 21st November in Manchester!

IRMS Certificate in Information Governance Proving Very Popular

In April 2016, Act Now in partnership with the Information and Records Management Society (IRMS) launched IRMS Foundation Certificate in Information Governance. This is the first fully online certificated course on Information Governance and is proving extremely popular amongst public and private sector professionals.

In difficult economic times, traditional face-to-face learning is often the first activity to fall victim to budget cuts. However the area of Information Governance is currently the subject of rapid change. After four years of negotiation, the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has now been formally adopted by the European Parliament and will come into force on 25th May 2018. The Government recently confirmed that it will be adopting the Regulation despite the Brexit vote. The FOI Commission’s report, published in March, will lead to additional obligations for public authorities under the Freedom of Information Act. With recent high profile hacks, records management and information security are now top of the corporate risk agenda.  And the list goes on…

Employees and managers need timely and cost effective IG training.  The IRMS Foundation Certificate in Information Governance is the solution. This is an online certificated course designed for information management professionals who need to know about the basics of information rights and information management in their job role. It is an ideal starter qualification for those who wish to progress to more advanced qualifications such as the as the Act Now Practitioner Certificate In Data Protection and the BCS FOI and DP Certificates.

There are four learning modules (Records Management, Security and Information Assurance, Data Protection and Freedom of Information). Using the latest web based technology, delegates will be able to learn from the comfort of their own desk by attending four live online webinars. In addition they will be able to tailor their learning through doing four recorded modules from a choice of six. Finally they will do a short online assessment to achieve the certificate endorsed by the excellent reputation of the IRMS.

Since its in inception in April 2016, 70 delegates have successfully completed the course. They represented a diverse range of organisations from the public and private sector including,  HMRC, Prudential Regulation Authority, Ropes and Gray International LLP, 14 local councils, Scottish Government, University of the Arts London and Creative Scotland to name but a few.

Feedback from delegates has been very positive:

“The IRMS Foundation Certificate is a great way to cement a base knowledge, plus I found it useful to update some details and understand what changes may be on the horizon.” LK, Isle of Man Government

“Modules were interesting and packed full of useful content. As someone relatively new to the sector, this was the perfect course for me.” JH, Healthcare Improvement Scotland

“The course was really interesting, I have been in the profession for many years but still found a lot of new content throughout the course that built upon my existing knowledge but also explained some topics much more in depth which was very engaging. The webinars were very useful and gave a good insight into the topics as well as giving a good opportunity to ask any questions and engage with other students and tutors. The course has certainly expanded my knowledge and interest in Information Governance and is very relevant to my work. I will be taking the information I have gained on this certificate further to enhance my career.” RD, Ministry of Defence

Ibrahim Hasan, Director of Act Now Training, has developed the course with IRMS colleagues. He said:

“I am pleased that this ground breaking online qualification is proving a big hit with information governance professionals. We are committed to continuous improvement and hope to add more such qualifications to our training portfolio in the future. “

Scott Sammons, the Chair of the IRMS, recently wrote in the IRMS magazine:

“I am very pleased that the online course is proving extremely popular amongst public and private sector professionals. Bookings have been received from a diverse range of organisations including local authorities, Government departments, Academy Trusts, the NHS, universities and even overseas governments!”

The qualification is also suitable for Scottish delegates who can choose to learn about the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act instead of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

IRMS members receive a 10% discount off the normal price of the course (£449 plus vat).

If you would like to know more about this course please see Act Now’s dedicated IRMS Certificate webpages or e mail info@actnow.org.uk.  You can also compare all our certificated courses here.

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