Access Learning — eLearning Release Notes — September 2026

This month's release spans employment rights, AI literacy, cyber security, and Irish compliance — covering everything from the Employment Rights Act 2025 to the EU AI Act. Every course is built to production standard and ready to assign.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

**Bundle:** Employment Rights Bundle

**Catalogue:** Governance, Risk and Compliance

The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a strengthened preventive duty on employers. This course is aligned to the new Act and is ready to assign now — before the Act comes into force on 1 October 2026.

It covers the legal definition of sexual harassment, third-party and bystander obligations, and the steps managers and employees must take under the new legislation. Two dramatised scenarios bring the law to life in realistic workplace settings.

**SME:** Fiona Martin, Co-founding Director & Head of Employment, Martin Searle Solicitors

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify conduct that meets the legal definition of sexual harassment under the Equality Act 2010 and ERA 2025

- Explain obligations when witnessing harassment from a third party or as a bystander

- Apply the correct reporting and support procedures within their organisation

1 course

Title: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Managers and Employees

**Bundle:** Employment Rights

**Catalogue:** Governance, Risk and Compliance Catalogue

Refreshed for the Employment Rights Act 2025, this dual-audience course covers the legal definition of sexual harassment, third-party and bystander obligations, and the new preventive duty on employers. Includes an SME video from Fiona Martin of Martin Searle Solicitors and two dramatised scenarios.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify conduct that meets the legal definition of sexual harassment under the Equality Act 2010 and ERA 2025

- Explain obligations when witnessing harassment from a third party or as a bystander

- Apply the correct reporting and support procedures within their organisation

**SME / Expert:** Fiona Martin, Martin Searle Solicitors

**CPD Hours:** 30 mins

**Duration:** 28–32 min | 3 modules | Audience: All staff + managers

---

---

Title: Demystifying AI

**Bundle:** AI Ethical Compliance

Cuts through the hype to explain what AI actually is, why it can sound confident while being wrong, and what to check before trusting AI output. Ideal as a first step for any employee beginning their AI learning journey.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Recognise what AI is and is not, cutting through common misconceptions

- Understand why AI can sound confident yet produce incorrect information

- Know what to check before trusting or acting on AI-generated output

**SME / Expert:** Jim James, Entrepreneur & Podcast Host

**CPD Hours:** 20 mins

**Duration:** ~20 min | Audience: All staff

---

Title: AI and Prompt Engineering

**Bundle:** AI Ethical Compliance

Teaches a structured five-step framework (Context, Role, Task, Format, Check) for writing clear, effective AI prompts. Covers how to distinguish AI output that is usable as-is from output that needs verification, and how to refine responses through follow-up prompts. Aligned to EU AI Act Article 4 (AI literacy).

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Apply a structured framework to write clear prompts for workplace tasks

- Distinguish AI output that is usable as-is from output requiring verification

- Refine an AI response through follow-up prompts

**SME / Expert:** Jim James, Entrepreneur & Podcast Host

**CPD Hours:** 30 mins

**Duration:** ~32 min | Audience: All staff

---

Title: AI Strategist

**Bundle:** AI Ethical Compliance

Designed for directors and senior leaders who need to move beyond AI hype and make decisions that deliver measurable return. Covers global regulatory approaches, a practical framework for evaluating AI opportunities against business outcomes, and the leadership traps that derail AI strategy.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Recognise how AI regulation differs globally and what this means for their organisation

- Apply a practical framework to evaluate AI opportunities against real business outcomes

- Identify leadership traps that derail AI strategy and the role of their own AI use in adoption

**SME / Expert:** Jim James, Entrepreneur & Podcast Host

**CPD Hours:** 20 mins

**Duration:** ~20 min | Audience: Directors / C-suite

---

Title: AI and Wellbeing

**Bundle:** AI Ethical Compliance

Explores how AI tools can support employee wellbeing — not just productivity. Covers the six factors of workplace wellbeing, how AI fits into each, and practical prompts employees can use for in-the-moment support. Aligned to WHO 2022 guidance on psychological wellbeing.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Explain the six factors of workplace wellbeing and where AI can support each

- Identify appropriate uses of AI tools for in-the-moment wellbeing support

- Apply practical AI prompts to manage workload, focus, and task avoidance

**SME / Expert:** Erica Farmer, AI & Future Skills Specialist

**CPD Hours:** 20 mins

**Duration:** ~20 min | Audience: All staff

---

Title: AI Cyber and Data Risks

**Bundle:** AI Ethical Compliance

Covers the new cyber attack surfaces that AI tools introduce — AI-enabled phishing, shadow AI, and prompt injection — as well as the data protection risks of AI vendors and third-party services. Practical steps for protecting company data and IP when using AI tools. Aligned to UK GDPR and NCSC guidance.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Recognise how AI tools introduce new cyber attack surfaces

- Identify security risks of AI vendors and apply data protection principles when using AI

- Take practical steps to protect company data and IP when using AI tools

**CPD Hours:** 15 mins

**Duration:** ~15 min | 2 modules | Audience: All staff

---

Title: Understanding How AI Inherits Bias

**Bundle:** AI Ethical Compliance

Designed for analysts, managers, HR professionals, and content creators who use AI tools day-to-day. Covers where AI bias comes from, how it surfaces in outputs, and a practical check learners can apply before acting on AI-generated content. Aligned to UK Equality Act 2010 and UK GDPR.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Recall the origins of AI bias and why it is not always visible

- Explain how bias surfaces in AI outputs and the risks this creates

- Apply a practical check to identify potential bias before acting on AI-generated content

**CPD Hours:** 10 mins

**Duration:** ~7.5 min | 1 module | Audience: AI tool users

---

Topic Area: CYBER SECURITY AND RESILIENCE

---

Title: Social Media Use and Data Control

**Bundle:** Cyber Security and Resilience

**Catalogue:** Cyber Catalogue

Covers the data protection obligations that apply when employees use social media — personally or professionally. Explains what counts as personal data in a social media context, what must not be shared, and how UK GDPR applies to everyday online activity. Short, scenario-led format.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify what counts as personal data in a social media context

- Explain the data protection risks of personal social media use at work

- Apply UK GDPR obligations to realistic social media scenarios

**CPD Hours:** 15 mins

**Duration:** ~15 min | 1 module | Audience: All staff

---

Title: Insider Threat

**Bundle:** Cyber Security and Resilience

**Catalogue:** Cyber Catalogue

Security risk does not always come from outside. This course helps all staff recognise the behavioural and access signals that indicate insider risk, understand why legitimate access makes this threat different from external attacks, and know when and how to report a concern. Aligned to NCSC guidance and the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify behavioural and access signals that may indicate insider risk

- Explain why legitimate access makes insider risk distinct from external cyber threats

- Respond appropriately when noticing potential insider risk, including reporting procedures

**CPD Hours:** 19 mins

**Duration:** 18–19 min | 2 modules | Audience: All staff

---

Title: Cyber Security: WFH Edition

**Bundle:** Cyber Security and Resilience

**Catalogue:** Cyber Catalogue

Shows how the protections that quietly exist in an office thin out at home, and gives practical habits — from home network security to safe data sharing — that close the gap back up. Built for anyone working remotely or in a hybrid pattern, no technical background required.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify phishing, social engineering, and ransomware threats targeting remote and hybrid workers

- Apply secure network, device, and password practices — including multi-factor authentication — when working outside the office

- Respond appropriately to data handling, AI tool use, and security incidents when working remotely

**CPD Hours:** 17 mins

**Duration:** ~17 min | 2 modules | Audience: All remote & hybrid staff

---

Topic Area: IRELAND COMPLIANCE ESSENTIALS

---

Title: Advanced GDPR / Records Retention (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

Designed for DPOs, compliance leads, legal teams, and managers who make real-time GDPR judgement calls. Covers when a DPIA is required under Article 35, how to apply international transfer safeguards, and where GDPR and the EU AI Act obligations overlap for AI systems processing personal data.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Explain the Article 35 threshold for deciding when a DPIA is required

- Apply appropriate international transfer safeguards to cross-border data flows

- Distinguish where GDPR and EU AI Act obligations overlap for AI systems processing personal data

**SME / Expert:** Lorcan Drysdale, Data Protection Specialist

**CPD Hours:** 30 mins

**Duration:** 30 min | Audience: DPOs / compliance leads

---

Title: Anti-Bribery & Corruption (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

Covers the three corruption offences under the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018, how to distinguish legitimate hospitality from a corrupt advantage, and how to report a concern under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. Designed for all staff across Irish organisations, with no assumed prior legal knowledge.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify corruption offences under the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018

- Distinguish legitimate hospitality from a corrupt gift, advantage, or facilitation payment

- Respond appropriately when encountering or suspecting corruption, including how to report

**CPD Hours:** 27 mins

**Duration:** ~27 min | 2 modules | Audience: All staff (Ireland)

---

Title: Code of Conduct & Ethics (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

A practical look at everyday ethical conduct at work — recognising a conflict of interest, handling gifts and hospitality, and knowing how and where to raise a concern under Irish law. Covers the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 (as amended 2022) and the Companies Act 2014.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify a conflict of interest in a workplace situation, including gifts, hospitality, and use of company information

- Distinguish between a protected disclosure and a personal grievance under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014/2022

- Respond appropriately when encountering a conflict of interest or a concern about wrongdoing

**CPD Hours:** 15 mins

**Duration:** 13–14 min | 2 modules | Audience: All staff (Ireland)

---

Title: Conflicts of Interest & Declarations (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

Helps employees recognise when a personal interest could influence a work decision — and what to do about it. Covers financial interests, personal relationships, outside directorships, and the declaration process. Aligned to the Ethics in Public Office Acts and the Standards in Public Office Act 2001.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify the main types of conflict of interest in an Irish public sector setting

- Explain when and how to declare a conflict before a decision is made

- Apply the correct escalation steps when a conflict cannot be managed independently

**CPD Hours:** 20 mins

**Duration:** ~20 min | Audience: All staff (Ireland)

---

Title: Data Breach Response & Escalation (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

A time-pressured, decision-focused course for incident responders, DPO offices, IT security, and line managers. Covers how to decide whether an incident is notifiable, how the DPC's 72-hour clock actually works, and when individual notification under Article 34 also applies.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Explain the risk-to-individuals test used to decide whether an incident is a notifiable breach

- Apply the correct escalation timeline, including the DPC's 72-hour notification requirement

- Distinguish between breaches requiring DPC notification only and those also requiring individual notification

**SME / Expert:** Lorcan Drysdale, Data Protection Specialist

**CPD Hours:** 30 mins

**Duration:** 30 min | Audience: Incident responders / DPO

---

Title: Data Handling & Breach Awareness (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

A foundational course for all staff who handle personal data as part of everyday work. Covers the habits that keep data safe — email checks, secure printing, device handling — how to recognise a breach (including honest mistakes), and exactly who to tell and how quickly.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Explain the everyday practices that reduce the risk of a personal data breach

- Recognise the signs of a personal data breach, including incidents caused by mistake

- Respond appropriately when discovering or suspecting a breach, including who to tell and how quickly

**CPD Hours:** 30 mins

**Duration:** 30 min | Audience: All staff

---

Title: Environmental Enforcement (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

Built for environmental enforcement officers and regulatory professionals. Covers the practical decisions that sit between a site inspection and a prosecution — what counts as a breach, when to act, and how to build a defensible enforcement record.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify what constitutes an environmental breach requiring enforcement action

- Apply the correct statutory sequence for handling an enforcement case

- Recognise when to escalate to legal action and how to document decisions defensibly

**CPD Hours:** 15 mins

**Duration:** ~15 min | Audience: Enforcement officers

---

Title: FOI Awareness & Records Management (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

Covers what counts as a record under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (Ireland), the correct handling process and statutory timeframes, and how to distinguish disclosable information from information that requires exemption review. Designed for public sector and regulated roles.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify records and communications within the scope of FOI, including informal digital communications

- Apply the correct handling process and statutory timeframes for FOI requests

- Distinguish disclosable information from information requiring exemption review

**CPD Hours:** 18 mins

**Duration:** ~18 min | Audience: Public sector

---

Title: Fraud & Corruption Awareness (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

Covers the core fraud and corruption offences under Irish law, how to distinguish legitimate business activity from conduct that meets the legal threshold for fraud or corruption, and how to respond when fraud or corruption is identified or suspected. Aligned to the Criminal Justice (Theft & Fraud Offences) Act 2001 and the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify core fraud and corruption offences using realistic Irish workplace situations

- Distinguish legitimate business activity from conduct meeting the legal threshold for fraud or corruption

- Respond appropriately when identifying or suspecting fraud or corruption

**CPD Hours:** 15 mins

**Duration:** ~15 min | 2 modules | Audience: All staff (Ireland)

---

Title: Planning Law & Enforcement (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

Built for planning enforcement officers and local authority staff. Covers what counts as unauthorised development, the statutory enforcement sequence under the Planning and Development Act 2000, the seven-year immunity rule, and when to escalate to a section 160 High Court injunction.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify what counts as unauthorised development and recognise exempted development

- Follow the correct statutory sequence for handling a planning enforcement complaint

- Apply statutory time limits and recognise when the seven-year immunity rule applies

**CPD Hours:** 30 mins

**Duration:** ~20 min | Assessment: 15 questions | Audience: Planning officers

---

Title: Public Procurement Compliance (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

Practical training for anyone running, evaluating, or managing public contracts in Ireland. Covers EU and national procurement rules, the correct tender process principles, and how to respond to compliance risks. Includes the Irish and EU threshold bands and a step-by-step tender sequence.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify the correct procurement procedure by contract value using Irish and EU thresholds

- Apply compliant tender process principles, including advertising, evaluation integrity, and award

- Respond appropriately to procurement compliance risks

**CPD Hours:** 25 mins

**Duration:** 20–25 min | Audience: Public sector / procurement

---

Title: Whistleblowing / Protected Disclosures (Ireland)

**Bundle:** Ireland Compliance Essentials

**Tag:** New Content

Covers what qualifies as a protected disclosure under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 (as amended 2022), the protections available to workers who speak up, and the correct internal reporting steps. Designed for all staff in Irish organisations, including public sector and regulated bodies.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

- Identify what qualifies as a protected disclosure under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014/2022

- Explain the protections available to workers who make a qualifying disclosure

- Apply the correct internal reporting steps when a whistleblowing concern arises

**CPD Hours:** 20 mins

**Duration:** ~20 min | Audience: All staff (Ireland)

---

---

Title: Introduction to AI in the Workplace

**Previously:** Demystifying AI

**Catalogue:** Workplace Skills

**Tag:** Name Change

What's changed?

This title has been renamed to better reflect the nature of AI training in workplaces and how much AI training has moved on. Our titles will continue to evolve and update with the AI trends and requirements that best represent their use in training.

The training, its location in the catalogue, and its content have not changed in any way.

---

Title: Flexible Working Requests

**Previously:** Flexible Requests

**Catalogue:** GRC Catalogue

**Bundle:** Employment Rights Bundle

**Tag:** Name Change

What's changed?

This title has been renamed to allow organisations to be completely clear when aligning with the Employment Rights Act. The full title removes any ambiguity about the subject matter covered.

The training, its location in the catalogue, and its content have not changed in any way.

---

---

AI Capability Programme

**Tag:** New Programme

A self-directed programme built around three pillars — Understanding, Governance, and Application. It combines eLearning, video, and audio, with knowledge checks, reflection points, and a final assessment throughout.

- Three structured pillars: Understanding, Governance, Application

- Blended format: eLearning, video, and audio

- Knowledge checks, reflection points, and a final assessment

- Standalone — not part of an existing catalogue or bundle

---

Health and Safety — October Maintenance

**Tag:** Maintenance Month

October is a Health and Safety maintenance month. Updates will be applied within existing content versions — no new titles will be added and no admin changes are required.

- Updates applied within existing course versions

- No new titles added to the catalogue

- No action required from administrators

---

October 2026 Release

**Tag:** October Release

Details of the October release will be confirmed and shared ahead of the month-end publish date. Watch this space for the full course list and bundle breakdown.

- Full course list to be confirmed

- Bundle and catalogue details to follow

- Release notes will be issued ahead of publish date

---

We apply updates automatically, but there may be some actions for your Administrator to carry out. The answers below cover the most common questions about how new and updated content works in your platform.

**When do the new activities go live, and what do I need to do to get them?**

The new activities go live by the end of the month. If we have archived an existing course and replaced it with a new one, you will automatically see the new version if you are taking the course for the first time. If you are part way through the previous version of the course, you need to complete this first. Next time you take the course you will see the updated version.

**Can I still access and use the archived activities?**

Archived activities will be marked as Retired. This means they are no longer available for use. We do not maintain or update the archived activities.

**My learners have already been allocated the existing activities. What do I need to do?**

Learners can still complete the activities. Once they have completed them, which includes passing the self-test, the updated version will become available.

**Some of the archived activities are in training plans. What do I need to do to remove and replace them with new ones?**

We will update training plans with the new activities. There is nothing for you to do.

**What if one of my learners is currently using the courses?**

If a learner is part-way through a course, they remain on that version until they complete it.

**When you archive the existing content, what happens to our training records and certificates?**

Your training records and certificates remain unchanged.

---

Browse the Access eLearning Roadmap to see upcoming releases, planned updates, and strategic initiatives across all catalogues — so you can plan ahead and have informed conversations with your teams.

Roadmap: https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-gb/campaigns/dlc/roadmaps/access-elearning/

---

**Important notice:** The Access Group and Access Learning content is designed to support training awareness. Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements remains the responsibility of your organisation. This content does not constitute legal advice.

**Roadmap notice:** Our roadmap is a living document and is subject to change. Courses and release dates may be updated without prior notice.

---

Access Learning — eLearning Release Notes — September 2026