Finding an online compliance training course is easy but finding the right one takes a bit more work. Here are 5 things to check before you commit to a course.
Check It Covers Your Specific Regulations
Most compliance courses on the market are generic and deal with broad workplace conduct. This type of content is unlikely to meet the needs of the FCA, HSE or ICO when it comes to industry specific rules and compliance requirements. Make sure that the provider can tell you exactly which regulatory framework the course is based on. If not, the course is unlikely to meet your business’s needs.
Find Out Who Keeps It Current
The rules change. The Elearning Compliance Training course that was written two years ago will be out of date. Ask the provider how often they review the content of the course and what will prompt a change. Is it a change in the rules, an update from a regulator or an annual ‘sweep’ for out of date information. If no one is responsible for keeping the content of the Elearning Compliance Training up to date then the course will go out of date without you knowing.
Look for Real Assessment, Not Just Click-Through
Many online compliance training courses will allow users to click through to complete the course and acknowledge that they have read and understood the information. However, this does not necessarily mean that the user has gained meaningful understanding of the subject matter. For example, the ICO states what data protection training for staff must show, and this is that staff have gained meaningful understanding of how to keep individuals’ staff data protected. Online compliance training courses should include scored questions that test the user’s application of the information learned as well as their ability to recall facts and data. The user should be required to pass these questions in order to receive a certificate at the end of the course.
Confirm the Records Are Auditable
Many providers of Elearning Compliance Training will mention the ability to report on compliance training in their sales material. However, it is only when you drill down to find out what this reporting actually contains that the reality can hit home. We have found that a number of providers list ‘reporting’ as a feature without realising the full implications of what it actually means. In reality you will need to be able to download a report that includes the date and time at which each user completed the training, individual scores for each user and the ability to export all of this data in a format that can be accepted by your insurer or regulator. It is always a good idea to ask to see a sample report before purchasing any Elearning Compliance Training.
Check Whether Content Can Be Tailored
Some Elearning Compliance Training is produced for the generic workplace. But a course produced for generic workplaces is not going to deal with the particular policies, job roles and scenarios that make up your workplace and your industry. Ask if modules can be tailored to include your procedures, your job roles, your scenarios.
If you just check out these 5 areas to ensure you are purchasing compliance Elearning courses correctly then you can avoid the heartache of purchasing based on price alone.