Purpose:
This practical one-day course introduces the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) and what it means for day-to-day practice in organisations. It helps participants understand the principles behind PSIRF, the move from investigation and blame towards proportionate systems-based learning, and the role of just and restorative approaches in responding to patient safety events. Participants also explore key learning methods such as swarms and After Action Reviews (AARs), with a focus on turning insight into meaningful improvement.
Why this course matters to organisations
This course supports local PSIRF implementation by giving staff a clear understanding of what good incident response looks like in practice. It helps organisations develop more consistent, learning-focused approaches to patient safety events, improve staff confidence in PSIRF processes, and strengthen links between learning, staff support, and improvement.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
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Describe the purpose and core principles of PSIRF
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Explain what PSIRF means for responding to patient safety incidents
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Use a systems lens to explore what happened and why, focusing on learning rather than blame
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Apply practical learning methods such as swarms and AARs
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Understand the basics of just and restorative approaches
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Contribute to the design of stronger, more proportionate improvement actions
Format and duration
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Duration: 1 day / 6 hours
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Delivery: Face-to-face or live online workshop with short exercises and case studies
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CPD: Equivalent to 6 CPD points.
Tailoring and follow-up
Training can be tailored to local governance arrangements, service context, and the organisation’s stage of PSIRF implementation. Participants receive a certificate of completion and are offered a 30-minute post-session support call.
Intended audience
Suitable for clinical and non-clinical staff who are involved in patient safety learning and improvement. It works well for multidisciplinary groups including ward and service teams, matrons, charge nurses, clinical leaders, patient safety specialists, governance and risk teams, quality improvement leads, and staff who contribute to or facilitate learning responses under PSIRF.
Topics covered
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Overview of PSIRF, including its principles and what good practice looks like
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Proportionate learning responses in healthcare settings
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Systems thinking for patient safety, including Safety-I and Safety-II
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Just culture and learning culture
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Restorative approaches and support for staff following harm
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Practical learning methods, including swarms and After Action Reviews
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Turning learning into action using the hierarchy of controls
PSIRF Fundamentals
Introductory PSIRF course for multidisciplinary staff who need to understand the framework and contribute well to learning responses.