OCB PUBLISHING LIMITED

HELM - Health Education Learning Management

HELM is a dedicated, multi-site cloud based, learning management system that can be customised on a client by client basis and integrated with ESR. HELM includes over 200 NHS Trust statutory/mandatory, leadership, prescribing and clinical e-learning modules that are OLM/ESR compliant. Available as individual modules or module 'packs'.

Features

• Fully hosted, customisable, cloud based learning management system
• SCORM 1.2, AICC and xAPI compliant
• Fully compatible with NHS IT infrastructure
• Integrated user management tool and real time reporting functionality
• Cross platform compatible and operating system agnostic
• Fully browser based, no need to install any software
• Deployable across multiple sites simultaneously
• Integrated user communication tools
• Ability to create learning pathways for different job roles
• User support service included as standard

Benefits

• Reduce medical practice errors
• Reduce NHS litigation claims
• Detailed report generation, for example CQC compliance
• National NHS CSTF aligned training materials
• Significant cost saving when compared with classroom training
• Ability to assess, monitor and report learner compliancy
• Continous online evaluation of staff competency
• All training content peer reviewed by NHS staff
• Integration with ESR/OLM

• Education pricing available
• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at nic@ocbmedia.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

159199248700073

Contact

Nicholas Blackwell
07977216640
nic@ocbmedia.com

About your service

• Service categories:

  Applications

  Content workflow and management

  Content services

  • Enterprise Content Management Applications
  • Content Sharing and Collaboration Applications

  Persuasive content management

  • Website Software
  • Digital Asset Management Applications
  • Product Content Management Applications

  Enterprise portals and digital workspaces

  • Multi-Audience Portals
• Multi cloud support: Yes

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Private cloud
• Service constraints: None
• System requirements: HELM is fully compatible with the NHS information technology guidance

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: 4 hours during the working week
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes
• Support levels: HELM setup, customisation support and client support/training is provided free of charge, with a dedicated project manager assigned to each client. HELM user support is included as standard in the annual licence fee as a factor of the number of users.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: The HELM team provide a full configuration service for free that includes both onsite and offsite training as well as the provision of both administrator and user guides.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Data can be extracted in CSV, PDF and HTML 5 formats. The HELM team can also supply data dumps directly from the database(s) if requested for no additional fee, including specific SQL queries. All user data can be encrypted and archived for retrieval for a period of 7 years without fee if requested by the client.
• End-of-contract process: On contract exit user access to the HELM LMS will be restricted on the date of contract expiry and all learning activities must be completed prior to this date and all certificates downloaded. Administrators will continue to have access to the full suite of admin functionality for a period of six months from contract expiry. OCB Publishing will work with any successor supplier under a non disclosure agreement to provide unrestricted access to all database tables for the purposes of data extraction, as well as providing technical advice to assist said supplier with any data migration requirement. Note that this does not extend to OCB Publishing providing an API specifically for this purpose or co-developing an API with the successor supplier. Six months subsequent to contract expiry the HELM LMS will not be accessible by the client or successor suppliers. At the request of the client all existing data can be encrypted and archived for retrieval for a maximum period of 7 years for no additional fee.
• Documentation accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AA

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
  • Other
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: None
• Service interface: No
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: HELM includes APIs for linking to staff rostering tools, for example Active Directory, for the purposes of user validation and single sign on. HELM also includes APIs for linking with CRM tools, for example Microsoft Dynamics. All APIs are developed and maintained internally, with an API customisation service offered to clients if required. HELM also integrates with the NHS Single Sign On service.
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Buyers can customise: Logos, overall style and branding, web addresses, user interface display modes, registration data types and fields, administrator/manager roles & permission and hierarchies, reporting tools and data export, learning pathways as a factor of job type or learning requirements, organisation of content into 'Core' and 'Standard' categories, archiving and retrieval of users/user data. Customisation options are restricted to client admin.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: HELM is scaled according to demand in one of two ways: Horizontal scaling - adding more server nodes. Vertical scaling - increasing server resources. Server resource usage is monitored and as demand increases more resources are allocated accordingly.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: As a learning management system, HELM provides the full range of user analytics and service metrics as standard. These include, but are not limited to: user activity reports, learning progression reports, assessment metrics, multi-site activity reports, global module performance and scoring and completion status. Metrics are provided at user, cohort, job, site and regional levels.
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request
• Resource tagging: Yes
• FOCUS resource tagging: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• Government security clearance: Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
• User control over data storage and processing locations: No
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 4.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CHECK service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v4.0
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
  • Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: Covered by Amazon's security policies, which are compliant with ISO 27001. Internally, OCB Publishing is compliant with the Cyber Essentials scheme. In the rare instances that external storage such as USB sticks or external hard drives are used they are encrypted.
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001
• Data sanitisation type:
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed / Cryptographic Erasure
  • Data Erasure
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation / Secure Erase

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: HELM includes a data export function as standard.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• Data import formats: CSV

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: HELM is provided on the assumption of 99.9% guaranteed availability within a calendar month. If HELM is unavailable to this level then client accounts are credited as follows: Equal to or greater then 99.0% but less than 99.9% - 10% credit Less than 99.0% - 25% credit.
• Approach to resilience: HELM uses AWS servers: https://aws.amazon.com/security/ If there is a problem with the database server, we can restore it to any point in the last 30 days, to the nearest 5 minutes. For additional resilience we can, if requested by the client, use multiple database servers in a similar way that we use multiple web server nodes.
• Outage reporting: Alerts are configured in AWS Cloudfront to alert of periods of high resource demand. Pingdom is used to alert when the platform is down.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication: Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Server management interface is accessible only by HELM developers, and they only have access to what directly concerns them. In software, all access is controlled using the default WordPress mechanisms i.e. roles and capabilities. Support channels are usually handled by our clients, but in rare cases where clients use our Jira installation they connect via their Atlassian accounts. Clients are only able to view projects which they are associated with.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: No
• Security governance approach: HELM complies with the HSCIC Information Governance Toolkit Level 2 requirements.
• Information security policies and processes: We use an internally derived information security policy at present which adheres to basic best practices. We are investigating becoming compliant with ISO 27001 or a similar standard.
• Software Security Code of Practice: Yes

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: All code is version-controlled through Git. All database changes are able to be rolled back through backups if necessary.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Server vulnerabilities are patched through Ubuntu’s apt repositories. WordPress and associated plugins are kept updated via auto update process. Critical patches are deployed on release day, non-critical patches are assessed and deployed within a week. We get information on potential threats from various industry blogs as well as WordPress vendors who focus on security such as WordFence and iThemes.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: Amazon Cloudwatch monitoring to monitor availability. iThemes Security, WordPress Security Audit Log and our own audit logging for identifying compromises. On discovering a compromise our actions and speed in taking them would depend on its severity. In critical cases such as where a server could be hijacked, the server would be suspended immediately until a patch could be deployed.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: We use Jira internally and open it to clients when they don’t have a solution of their own, but this is rare. Most of our clients already have incident management processes and include is in theirs. In all cases the service being used is Zendesk.
• Post-quantum cryptography secure: Yes

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Pricing

• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: Free trials can be provided for both users and administrators on a separate trial instance. In both cases the trial provides full access to all elements of HELM for a 1 month period, which can be extended on request.

Discount percentage by annual call-off contract value (excluding VAT)

• Less than £250,000: 0%
• Between £250,000 and £500,000: 0%
• Between £500,001 and £1,000,000: 0%
• Between £1,000,001 and £2,500,000: 0%
• Between £2,500,001 and £5,000,000: 0%
• Over £5,000,001: 0%

Non-mandatory Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: No
• ISO 28000:2022 certification: No
• ISO 9001 certification: No
• Quality management systems (QMS): No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Certificate Number: 95fbaaa7-3775-4538-b636-4c9716f97558
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Cyber Essentials Alternative: None of the criteria
• Other security certifications: No

Social value

• Section B - Commitment for Future: Delivery:

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 1: Fair work: That offers fair wages and good working conditions. Help people get a job, stay in work, and progress in their careers, with good employment opportunities across the country. Notes: Where there is a large proportion of labour costs in the contract, commercial teams should consider MAC in Outcome 1 as a priority

    • New or retained jobs on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b, 1c and 1d
    • New apprenticeships on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b
    • Providing opportunities for, and measuring and monitoring of, staff workforce conditions over time, including employee engagement, involvement in decision-making and satisfaction and adapting to any changes in the results, with clear processes for acting on issues identified
    • Plans to engage the contract workforce in deciding the most important workplace issues to address
    • Ensuring new workers are informed of their right to join a trade union
    • Monitoring of employee engagement rates (by protected characteristic) and, where necessary, the development of actions to ensure all voices are heard across the diversity of the workforce
    • Employment contracts that reflect actual hours worked; steps taken to ensure employees understand their contracts and have the ability to review and adjust them if actual hours regularly exceed contracted hours
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about, and feel empowered to, address their physical wellbeing
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about and feel empowered to report and address bullying and harassment
    • Activities to cascade good practice on fair working conditions throughout the supply chain
    • Offer a pay and leave entitlement to all eligible staff who become kinship carers, ideally equivalent to statutory adoption pay and leave
    • Payment of more than the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (as appropriate) to the contract workforce
    • Monitoring and reporting of gender and ethnicity pay gaps and plans to address them where necessary
    • Entitlement to sick pay for the contract workforce, with provision in place for any staff who do not meet the earnings threshold for statutory sick pay, payment of sick pay from day one of absence and payment of staff on the contract workforce who are off sick a replacement income of 100% of their usual earnings for as long as possible
    • Plans for an appropriate income replacement policy for staff who are required to spend time away from work to care for a sick dependent or close relative
    • Understanding of in-work progression issues affecting the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Measures to support in-work progression to help people in the contract workforce, to move into higher paid work by developing new skills relevant to the contract
    • Support for the contract workforce by providing career advice, and providing opportunities for staff working on the contract with in-work progression career development into known skills shortages or high growth areas
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Volunteering opportunities for staff
    • Understanding of the modern slavery risks and issues affecting the market, industry, sector or country (of origin or of source) relevant to the contract, and the workforce in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key subcontractors
    • Measures to identify, mitigate and manage modern slavery risks relating to the contract and how these will be implemented
    • Outline policies and practices to be applied to or put in place for the contract to mitigate and manage modern slavery risks, including: Pre-employment checks, recruitment practices. Workplace conditions, safeguarding plans and processes in place and regular monitoring with relevant groups considered, which may include sampling
    • How these flow down the supply chain and are monitored Illustrative examples include reporting, site visits, audits, etc.
    • How to ensure business decisions re: price/cost, short lead times, payment timescales do not create modern slavery risks in the supply chain
    • How the supplier will work with NGOs, trade unions or other businesses to address modern slavery risk
    • Means of influencing staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders with respect to modern slavery risks relating to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 2: Skills for growth: Supporting growth sectors and addressing skills gaps.

    • Understanding of employment and relevant skills issues, and of the education and training issues relating to the contract. Illustrative examples: demographics, skills shortages, new opportunities in high growth sectors, geographic/local community and skills/employment challenges
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Activities to support relevant sector related skills growth and sustainability in the contract workforce. Illustrative examples: careers talks, curriculum support, literacy support, safety talks and volunteering
    • Delivery of apprenticeships, supported internships and T Level industry placement opportunities (Level 2, 3 and 4+) in relation to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 3: Resilient, innovative and flexible supply chains: Support economic growth through enabling resilient businesses, opportunities for small businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises

    • Understanding of the types of businesses in the market and the level of participation by new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Activities to identify opportunities to open up sub-contracts under the prime contract to a diverse range of businesses, including new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Plans for engaging a diverse range of businesses in engagement activities prior to appointing subcontractors (including activities prior to award of the main contract and during the contract term)
    • Activities that demonstrate a collaborative way to work with a diverse range of businesses as part of the supply chain
    • Advertising of supply chain opportunities openly and to ensure they are accessible to a diverse range of businesses, including advertising all subcontracting opportunities on Contracts Finder
    • Ensuring accessibility to contracting and subcontracting opportunities for disabled business owners and employees
    • Structuring of the supply chain selection process to ensure fairness (e.g. anti-corruption) and encourages participation by a diverse range of businesses, including with regard to new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutual
    • Understanding of local demographics, needs and opportunities for the co-design of the goods, services and works to be delivered under the contract
    • Methods for engaging with different parts of the community (including the education system and charities representing the community) and how communities come together to inform decisions, strategy and projects to leave a positive legacy for future generations
    • Measures to involve local stakeholders and/or users in design (e.g. in the design of services, systems, products or buildings)
    • Plans for positive actions with community groups.
    • Measures for making facilities used in the delivery of the contract available for community groups, education or training
    • Measures to engage users and communities and build relationships to increase community integration build trust and influence how the contract is delivered
    • Plans to respond flexibly and adapt approaches to community engagement and initiatives
    • Support for community-led initiatives relevant to the contract. Illustrative examples: improving transport links; reducing loneliness; helping with English language proficiency; and facilitating social mixing among people with different backgrounds
    • Collaborating with anchor institutions and community groups to make facilities available for education, training or community events

  • Mission: Make Britain a clean energy superpower: To cut bills, create jobs and deliver security with cheaper, zero-carbon electricity by 2030, accelerating to net zero

    Policy Outcome 4: Sustainable procurement practices: Reducing carbon footprints, minimising waste, and promoting the use of clean energy and green technologies.

    • Understanding of opportunities for additional environmental benefits delivery in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Collaborative ways of working with the supply chain to deliver additional environmental benefits in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Delivery of additional environmental benefits through the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Understanding of how to influence staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders through the delivery of the contract to support climate and nature protection and improvement
    • Activities to reconnect people with the environment and increase awareness of ways to protect and enhance it

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 6: Employment and training: For those who face barriers to employment

    • Understanding of employment and skills issues, and of the skills and employment shortages of high growth sectors relating to the contract
    • Creation of employment opportunities particularly for those who face barriers to employment, such as prison leavers, care leavers and/or who are located in deprived areas, and for people in industries with known skills shortages or in high growth sectors
    • Delivery of training schemes and programmes to address any identified skills gaps and under-representation in the workforce for the contract (e.g. prison leavers, care leavers, kinship carers, disabled people)
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort
    • Understanding of the issues affecting the representation of disabled people in the workforce in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Collection of the views and expertise of disabled people and their representative organisations on successfully supporting disabled employees or applicants
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, and retention-focused activities, including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition
    • Introducing transparency to pay and reward processes
    • Offering a range of quality opportunities with routes of progression if appropriate, e.g. T Level industry placements, students supported into higher level apprenticeships.
    • Working conditions which promote an inclusive working environment and promote retention and progression
    • Other measures to provide equality of opportunity for disabled people and those with health conditions into employment, including becoming a Disability Confident employer and inclusion of supported businesses in the contract supply chain
    • Understanding of the issues affecting inequality in employment, skills and pay in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors. Measures to tackle inequality in employment, skills and pay in the contract workforce
    • Inclusive and accessible development practices, including guidance for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 7: Creating a pipeline of opportunities: For the contract workforce, reducing barriers to entry for under-represented groups.

    • Understanding of the issues affecting the development of new skills by target cohort
    • Understanding of the underlying factors affecting improvements to reduce barriers to entry and training schemes for the target cohort(s) related to the contract workforce
    • Other measures to offer development opportunities for the target cohort(s) in the contract workforce
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort
    • Understanding of issues relating to entering the contract workforce
    • Creation of outreach activities to create a pipeline of employees for the future contract delivery
    • Content of the outreach activity is designed to suit the target cohort
    • Advertising, promotional and outreach activities designed to raise awareness of the offer to reach the target cohort

  • Mission: Build an NHS fit for the future: That is there when people need it; with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers; in a fairer Britain, where everyone lives well for longer.

    Policy Outcome 8: Increasing productivity through physical and mental wellbeing: In the supply chain and communities in the relevant area.

    • Understanding of issues relating to health and wellbeing, including physical and mental health, in the contract workforce
    • Understanding barriers to access to health and social care services or employment opportunities e.g. digital inclusion
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, development practices and retention policies that support-focused activities including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing which support people with a disability or health condition
    • Actions to invest in the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the contract workforce

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at nic@ocbmedia.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.