Purpose:
This advanced programme develops participants’ capability to use Human Factors and systems-based investigation methods to lead high-quality patient safety investigations and learning responses in healthcare settings. It goes beyond introductory PSIRF training by equipping participants with a broader range of methods drawn from safety-critical industries and adapted for healthcare. The course strengthens capability not only in understanding how incidents happen, but also in designing stronger safety actions, supporting improvement, and contributing to safer system design. It is relevant to both reactive learning and proactive redesign of pathways, services, technologies, and work systems.
Why this course matters to organisations
This course is designed for organisations seeking to build deeper internal capability for complex investigations, learning response quality assurance, and thematic or cross-cutting learning. It supports competence and capacity under PSIRF, improves the quality of outputs, and strengthens the connection between investigation practice, governance, and measurable improvement.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
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Use advanced Human Factors and systems-based methods to lead or support high-quality investigations and learning responses
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Apply tools such as SEIPS, task analysis, thematic analysis, and systems mapping to understand how work as done and system conditions shape safety
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Distinguish between superficial recommendations and stronger safety actions
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Design investigation outputs that are more aligned with PSIRF principles and sustainable improvement
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Engage more effectively and compassionately with patients, families, carers, and staff
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Analyse patterns across incidents, complaints, risks, and service changes
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Produce clearer, higher-quality findings and support the quality assurance of reports
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Bridge investigation practice, Human Factors expertise, and quality improvement to enable practical change
Format and duration
Available as face-to-face, virtual, or blended learning. The standard offer is an intensive three-day masterclass, with the option to extend into a multi-session applied programme with workplace follow-up.
Tailoring and follow-up
Pre-course discovery can be used to tailor the programme around local PSIRF priorities, common safety themes, anonymised incidents, digital safety issues, or service redesign challenges. Optional follow-up can include report review, action plan review, applied coaching, and support for embedding learning into governance and improvement processes. Participants receive a certificate of completion and are offered a 30-minute post-course support call.
Intended audience
Suitable for clinical and non-clinical staff who lead, support, commission, review, or oversee patient safety investigations and learning responses. Typical participants may include patient safety specialists, investigation leads, governance and risk leads, quality improvement leads, senior clinicians, matrons, service managers, divisional governance teams, educators, and digital or informatics leads involved in safety-critical system design. Participants are strongly recommended to have completed introductory patient safety and PSIRF learning beforehand.
Topics covered
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Safety-I, Safety-II, resilience, and the systems approach to patient safety
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SEIPS and socio-technical systems thinking
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Human Factors in service design, technology, and care delivery
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Safety-critical, hierarchical, cognitive, and applied task analysis
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Human reliability, performance variability, and error mechanisms in context
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AcciMap and systems-based contributory factor analysis
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Thematic analysis for recurring risks, incident clusters, and wider safety themes
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Human-computer interaction and digital safety issues
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Compassionate engagement with patients, carers, families, and staff
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Psychological safety, just culture, reporting culture, civility, and speaking up
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After Action Reviews and structured reflective learning methods
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Swarm huddles and rapid multidisciplinary learning responses
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Hierarchy of controls and stronger versus weaker safety actions
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Action evaluation, implementation considerations, and unintended consequences
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Translating learning into improvement and safer system design
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Report quality and learning response quality assurance
PSIRF Investigation Masterclass
Advanced course for experienced staff leading complex investigations, thematic reviews, and higher-level learning responses.