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Independent accreditation by CILIP… gives course participants and their managers reassurance that this is a worthwhile investment of their time as the training will be of a high quality and relevant to their work…
10-Year Health Plan, NHS staff and organisations require expertise from trusted professionals to ensure the quality of information to inform care. They are critical to managing an environment where tacit knowledge is effectively shared and used and where a culture of continual improvement and learning thrives. To do this effectively they need to main- tain and develop their skills and knowledge by completing appropriate, accredited learning.
What is the Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy?
The Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy brings all nationally provided learning and training opportunities under a single umbrella. This is a unique offer of tailored learning opportunities that are highly relevant for the health knowledge and library services workforce not available else- where. There is a rolling annual programme of short courses and other learning opportunities which are free at the point of access for NHS library and knowledge staff in England. All courses are held virtually and offer a consistent learn- ing experience. Courses are delivered by recognised subject matter experts, some of whom are externally commissioned trainers. The Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Acad- emy also draws upon the expertise of colleagues working in health knowledge and library services. Alongside the formally taught courses there are over 20 communities of practice (
https://tinyurl.com/4mzhvwdj) covering a wide range of topics. These provide staff with opportunities for peer-net- working and to learn from colleagues in a supportive, less formal environment. There are also offline opportunities, signposting learning materials via the Learning Zone (https://
library.hee.nhs.uk/learning-academy/learning-zone) and in the professional collection (
https://library.hee.nhs.uk/learning-academy/ learning-academy-library).
A biennial development needs analysis is used to inform the programme of development opportunities and informs annual events such as sessions for new starters and a celebration event to share good practice from across NHS knowledge and library services in England. Additional development needs are identified through other mecha- nisms such as service improvement conversations with knowledge and library services staff and their employers and regular horizon scanning.
In 2025-26 over 60 events were offered to knowledge and library staff, which covered a wide range of topics including, courses enabling staff to develop their literature search- ing skills, including the summarising and synthesising of evidence, sessions on making the best use of the national collection of resources and discovery infrastructure pur- chased by NHS England, and a number of training events to develop skills in priority areas such as knowledge mobilisa- tion, working with researchers, and health literacy. Care is taken to ensure the Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy provides content for staff in all roles. The approach to supporting para-professional staff, including library assistants, was particularly recognised as an area of good practice through the CILIP accreditation process. This has been informed by work to better understand the learn- ing needs and career aspirations of this group. A tailored series of sessions were then delivered in 2025-26 which
June-July 2026 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 17
focused on building capability in customer service, marketing and promotion, and supporting digital literacy. These short courses are complemented by wider development opportunities, including the recent launch of a dedicated library assistant community of practice.
Our accreditation journey
The short course programme is one of the main elements of the Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy and it was first accred- ited by CILIP in 2021 (Gilroy, D. and Day, A. 2022). We were keen to retain this accreditation to ensure recognition for the quality of our short course programme, and relevance to the employment market. All CILIP accredited short courses must meet the following criteria:
1. The relevance of the course to CILIP’s Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB).
2. The training provider provides a high-quality learning experience.
3. The training provider engages with employers to ensure that courses are relevant. 4. Trainers are up to date with current professional practice. 5. Learners are encouraged to engage with CILIP.
Kazky Consultancy, run by Kevin Bolton and Larysa Bolton, were commissioned by CILIP to provide an assessment of the delivery
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