Course Quality Assurance

`26/10/2015

SEALS (Standards for Educational Activity and Learning in Scotland)

As many of you know CORAS (Course Organisers Registration & Assurance Scheme) ensured all educational activity promoted through NHS Education for Scotland (NES) met appropriate quality standards. Now that NHS Education for Scotland is a single Scotland-Wide Deanery, we are happy to introduce our new educational quality assurance scheme which will now replace CORAS - SEALS (Standards for Educational Activity and Learning in Scotland)

SEALS (Standards for Educational Activity and Learning in Scotland) aims to ensure that all educational activity promoted through NHS Education for Scotland (NES) meets appropriate quality standards, and makes reference to the standards outlined in the Department of Health Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) and/or the RCGP Curriculum for General Practitioners.

SEALS has been approved by NES as a means of improving the standard of educational events. It is designed to:

• Enable participants to meet their educational needs
• Assist in building Personal Development Plans
• Improve the quality of learning events
• Promote good practice in clinical governance

 

THE BENEFIT OF SEALS

For the participant

• Those taking part in SEALS approved courses are prompted to fully consider their learning needs prior to taking up a learning opportunity

• Participants are encouraged to identify how their participation will impact on their working practice

• SEALS has the ability to map courses and learning opportunities to the KSF and GP Curriculum for ease of inclusion into Personal Development Plans

• Learning needs expressed by individuals are fed to course organisers in advance so that adjustments can be made to the course content to more fully meet the needs of those who plan to attend

• Course facilitators have experience in both their topic area and in the facilitation of learning activities or events

• Those completing all stages of the SEALS process receive certification of their participation

 

For the provider

• Being explicit about the quality expected from learning events drives standards upwards

• The SEALS system enables systematic collation of information about learning events and establishes a clear audit trail

• SEALS facilitates reflective learning and gives evidence for revalidation