Category: Training

New FOI Intermediate Certificate

Act Now Training is delighted to launch the FOI Intermediate Certificate . This new course empowers delegates to further enhance their skills as FOI practitioners, by building upon the foundations established by the FOI Practitioner Certificate, delving deep into the intricacies of FOI and gaining the confidence to navigate its complexities effectively.

Background

Over the past three years, Act Now Training has worked diligently alongside industry experts and education professionals to develop a comprehensive skills and competency framework for FOI Officers. The Intermediate Certificate emerged from the need to further develop FOI Officers who have already completed our FOI Practitioner Certificate and wish to enhance their expertise. The course emphasises skills as well as knowledge, covering challenging topics to provide a deeper understanding of the FOI fundamentals.

Course Content

The Intermediate Certificate strengthens the foundations established by the FOI Practitioner Certificate. Topics include interpreting information requests, navigating data repositories for relevant information, handling vexatious requests and applying the exemptions. Time will also be spent discussing the historical development and transformative impact of FOI on transparency, accountability and citizen empowerment. International comparisons with the FOI Act will broaden delegates’ perspectives, while critically evaluating its impact and effectiveness will assist them to appreciate the importance of transparency and accountability. By the end of the course, delegates will gain skills in, amongst other things, effectively interpreting information requests, assessing their scope, retrieving relevant information, overcoming challenges in organisational compliance, applying exemptions and crafting clear Refusal Notices.

Format

The course is structured over three days, one day per fortnight, and can be undertaken online or in the classroom. Each day includes engaging discussions, exercises and case studies. Upon completion, delegates must submit a practical assessment within 30 days. Personal tutor support is provided, throughout the course, alongside access to a comprehensive online resource lab to maximise success.

Our Commitment

Act Now Training is committed to promoting the recognition of Information Governance as a profession. We believe that anyone in the profession can gain a solid foundation in interpreting and applying the law as part of their skillset. We are committed to not only teaching with a non complex jargon free philosophy, but also ensuring our delegates are supported in building these skills for themselves and their organisations.

Our involvement with NADPO and the IRMS over the past two decades demonstrates our dedication to nurturing new entrants into the IG profession through quality training. Our partnership with Damar, on the DP and IG Apprenticeship, has led to the recruitment of over 100 apprentices and laid the foundations for prosperous IG careers.  Course Director, Ibrahim Hasan, commented:  

“After carefully considering feedback from our delegates and consulting with FOI experts, we are thrilled to introduce the FOI Intermediate Certificate. This newly designed course offers an excellent opportunity for individuals with a strong foundation and practical experience in FOI to further elevate their expertise and refine their skills.”

Special Discount

The first course starts in November and is currently eligible for a special introductory discount. In addition, if you have completed our FOI Practitioner Certificate in the last 24 months, we are offering a further £150 discount off the Introductory price. Limited places are available, book now so book now to avoid disappointment.  

Act Now Launches New RIPA E Learning Course

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The Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO), like its predecessor the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner(OSC), undertakes inspections of public authorities to ensure their compliance with Part 2 of the Regulation of Investigatory Act 2000 (RIPA).
A common feature of an IPCO report into a council is the highlighting of the lack of regular refresher training for those who undertake covert surveillance, including when using social media.  

The coronavirus pandemic as well as decreasing council budgets means that training staff is difficult to say the least. Social distancing and home working make face to face training impossible and live online training may not always be cost effective for those who need a quick refresher.  

Act Now Training is pleased to announce the launch of RIPA Essentials. This is a new e learning course, consisting of an animated video followed by an online quiz, designed to update local authority employees’ knowledge of Part 2 of RIPA which covers Directed Surveillance, Intrusive Surveillance and CHIS. Designed by our RIPA experts, Ibrahim Hasan and Steve Morris, it uses simple clear language and animation to make the complex simple. 

In just 30 minutes your employees can learn about the main provisions of Part 2 of RIPA including the different types of covert surveillance, the serious crime test and the authorisation process. It also covers how RIPA applies to social media monitoring and how to handle the product of surveillance having regard to data protection. All this at a time and in a place of your employees’ choosing. (See the full contents here.) 

Steve Morris said: 

“Ibrahim and I have over 40 years of experience in training and advising local authorities on covert surveillance and RIPA. We have used this experience, as well as the latest guidance from the Home Office and IPCO, to produce an online training course which is engaging, interactive and fun.” 

With full admin controls, RIPA Essentials will help you to build a RIPA compliance culture in your organisation and develop a workforce that is able to identify and address privacy risks when conducting surveillance. The course is specifically designed for local authority investigators including trading standards officers, environmental health officers, licensing officers, auditors and legal advisers.  

You can watch a demo of RIPA Essentials here. Prices start from as little as £69 plus vat per user. For a bespoke quote please get in touch. 

RIPA Essentials follows the successful launch of GDPR Essentials which has been used by our clients to train thousands of staff in the public and private sector.

Act Now welcomes Susan Wolf to the team

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Susan Wolf has over ten years experience teaching information rights practitioners on the LLM Information Rights Law & Practice at Northumbria University. She has also presented workshops on the FOIA, the EIR, and access to EU information in Germany, Czech Republic and throughout the UK. Susan developed the Postgraduate Certificate in Data Protection Law & Information Governance at Northumbria University.

Susan is the author of the Law Society’s Environmental Information: A Practical Guideand contributed to the Law Society’s Information Sharing Handbook. She has also published articles on various aspects of the EIR and Access to EU Documentation. Susan has also published textbooks on European Union and Environmental Law.

Susan worked for Newcastle City Council for ten years advising on access to EU funding and worked closely with the EU institutions. She is also a trustee of a national charity, leading on information governance and implementation of the GDPR. Susan has undertaken contract research, consultancy and training for public sector organisations.

Ibrahim Hasan said, “Susan’s experience shines through. With her many years teaching practitioners at University and work within the public sector, she will be an excellent addition to the growing Act Now team. With all this experience we believe we are even better placed to fulfil all your organisations information governance needs. Be sure to look out for Susan’s workshops in our course programme.”

GDPR is coming but don’t panic!

GDPR General Data Protection Regulation

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)will come into force in 3 weeks time. 25thMay though is not a cliff edge; nor is it doomsday when the Information Commissioner will start wielding her 20million Euro (fine) stick!

In December, the Commissioner addressed some of the myths being peddled about GDPR:

“I‘ve even heard comparisons between the GDPR and the preparations for the Y2K Millennium Bug…

In the run up to 25 May 2018 there have been anxieties too, albeit on a less apocalyptic level. Things like we’ll be making early examples of organisations for minor breaches or reaching for large fines straight-away and that the new legislation is an unnecessary burden on organisations.

I want to reassure those that have GDPR preparations in train that there’s no need for a Y2K level of fear…”

There are a number of steps that you should be doing to prepare for GDPR. Remember, failure to have completed these tasks by 25th May will not lead to a 20 million Euro fine. However, to quote the commissioner at the ICO Conference this year, “It’s important that we all understand there is no deadline. 25th May is not the end. It is the beginning.”

  1. Raising awareness about GDPR at all levels. Our GDPR e learning course is ideal for frontline staff.
  2. Carrying out a data audit and reviewing how you address records management and information risk in your organisation.
  3. Reviewing information security polices and procedures in the light of the GDPR’s more stringent security obligations particularly breach notification.
  4. Revising privacy polices in the light of the GDPR’s more prescriptive transparency requirements. See our policy
  5. Writing polices and procedures to deal with new and revised Data Subject rights such as Data Portability and Subject Access.
  6. Considering whether you need a Data Protection Officer and if so who is going to do the job. Our GDPR certificate course is ideal for new DPOs.

Done everything? Have a go at the ICO’s GDPR Self Assessment Toolkit. Read the Commissioners full speech here.

Please get in touch if Act Now can help with your GDPR preparations. We provide audits, health checks and can offer a gap analysis, all followed by a step by step action plan!

 

Information Rights Expert joins Act Now GDPR Team

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Act Now Training is pleased to announce that Scott Sammons has joined its team of consultants.

Scott is an experienced information governance practitioner having worked in both the public and private sector for 10 years, most recently as the GDPR implementation lead for Essex County Council. With certificates in Data Protection and Freedom of Information, his experience and expertise makes him a great addition to our team.

Scott’s GDPR experience includes:

  • Implementation of GDPR in a local authority
  • ROPA deployment
  • Information Mapping & risk assessment
  • Consent & Marketing workshops
  • GDPR awareness sessions for the private sector

Currently Scott also volunteers for the IRMS. The IRMS is one of the leading professional bodies for those that work in information governance and information management.

Scott contributes frequently to guidance and awareness of information related matters via blogging as well as volunteering for the IRMS running events and developing materials for information professionals.

Scott said :

“I am really pleased to be joining the Act Now team. I hope to assist in delivering Act Now’s range of information rights courses as well as developing new ones. My public and private sector experience will I believe stand me in good stead to assist Act Now’s clients with their information rights workload.”

Ibrahim Hasan said:

“I am pleased the Scott has become a part of our growing and wonderful team of vastly experienced trainers. His real-world experience and knowledge of information rights will help us expand our services and deliver even more courses to our client base. We have become well known for the trainers we have with their fantastic skill and experience but also for their ability to deliver a difficult subject for many, in a simple and plain speaking way. ”

Act Now Training is growing rapidly and with over 15 years experience in this sector, we have the grounding to help your organisation with their information rights needs. We offer a full range of training and consultancy services including health checks to gauge your preparedness for GDPR and audits as well offering full certificate courses.

Act Now Recently launched its brand new E-Learning Package specifically aimed at frontline staff. It has been a huge success with hundreds of people having signed up. Click here to find out more!

Our GDPR Practitioner Certificate is proving very popular with those who need to get up to speed with GDPR as well as budding Data Protection Officers.  If you require this or any other course delivered at your premises, tailored to your needs, please get in touch and we would be happy to deliver it for you.

 

 

Act Now Launches New GDPR E-Learning Course

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In December, a nursing auxiliary was fined for accessing a patient’s medical records without a valid legal reason.  In November a charity employee was prosecuted after he sent spreadsheets containing the information of vulnerable clients to his personal email address without the knowledge of his employer, the Rochdale Connections Trust.

Staff are often a key risk area when it comes to data protection compliance. GDPR will replace the DPA on 25th May 2018. Failure to comply with it could lead to fines of up to 20 million Euros or 4% of global annual turnover (which ever is higher).

All staff need to know about how the law will change and how personal data should be handled. But how do employers do this without staff leaving the office or overspending the training budget?

Enter the Act Now GDPR E Learning Course.This new online training course will give staff basic GDPR knowledge in 1 hour. The target audience is frontline staff, both in the public and private sector, and those who handle personal data on a day-to-day basis who need a basic knowledge of how to comply with GDPR in their role. This includes receptionists, clerical workers, school staff, call handlers, healthcare workers, bank staff etc. etc.

The course consists of two modules in which our data protection experts explain the key messages of GDPR in a simple and jargon free way including:

  • The main GDPR obligations and the new Data Subject rights
  • How to keep personal data safe and secure

Each module is accompanied by a multiple-choice quiz containing 10 randomly generated questions based on the contents of the module. The pass mark is 60% on each quiz. A certificate of successful completion is issued to each participant.

In producing these modules we have had regard to the Information Commissioner’s data protection training checklist.

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With the costs from as little as £20 +vat per user for up to 25 users, the Act Now GDPR E Learning Course is the most cost effective GDPR training solution. We can also cater for larger numbers, please get in touch for a personalised quote.

To find out more see our website or Contact Us to arrange a free demo.

And Finally…

  • Our 2018 course programme contains many more GDPR courses including workshops and live webinars.
  • Our GDPR Practitioner Certificate is proving very popular with those who need to get up to speed with GDPR as well as budding Data Protection Officers. Read about the last set of results. Two out of the next Five courses in 2018 are fully booked.
  • If you require tailored GDPR training delivered at your premises, please get in touch.
  • We have sold over 400 copies of our GDPR handbook. We are donating £1 from each sale the DEC Rohingya Crisis Appeal.

Download our e-learning  flyer here

 

GDPR Training Courses in Dubai

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Act Now Training is pleased to announce three forthcoming GDPR training workshops in Dubai (UAE).

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will not just have an impact on Data Controllers and Data Processors in the European Union (EU). It will also apply to organisations in the rest of world that are:

  • processing personal data of individuals living in the EU;
  • offering goods or services to individuals in the EU, even if there is no charge for such goods or services; or
  • engaging in monitoring or profiling activities of individuals in the EU (for example, the use of cookies/behavioural advertising).

Failure to comply with GDPR could lead to massive reputational damage and a fine of up to 20 million Euros or 4% of global annual turnover (whichever is higher).

Our Dubai workshops will examine the legal and practical impact of GDPR on Middle East/GCC based organisations. All the key issues for Data Controllers as well as Data Processors will be discussed including international transfers, contract clauses and guarantees, security and breach notification and when a Data Protection Officer needs to be appointed. Crucially we will discuss how GDPR is a business opportunity rather than a threat. By the end of the workshop delegates will be able to write their own action plan for GDPR compliance.

Ibrahim Hasan, solicitor and Director of Act Now Training, will deliver the first two workshops in Dubai. He said:

“I am really pleased to design and deliver this new GDPR workshop in Dubai. It will add to our growing experience of delivering data protection training abroad. Dubai is the latest addition to our increasing international portfolio. We plan to use it as a platform to showcase our other GDPR courses and consultancy services.”

More details and a course outline here

Our 2018 course programme contains many more GDPR courses and live webinars which are held in locations throughout the UK. Our GDPR Practitioner Certificate is proving very popular with those who need to get up to speed with GDPR as well as budding Data Protection Officers.  If you require these courses delivered at your premises, tailored to your needs, please get in touch.

Finally, we have sold over 350 copies of our GDPR handbook. We are donating £1 from each sale to the  DEC Rohingya Crisis Appeal.

Happy New Year!

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