Guide Dogs

Guide Dogs are working hard to ensure they operate with integrity and in a transparent way, so that the highest levels of behaviour are maintained as well as their hard-won reputation for acting ethically, efficiently and effectively. All staff and volunteers are required to act within the values set out in the ‘By My Side’ Strategy.

That’s why Guide Dogs decided to use innovative digital technology to demonstrate its adherence to the highest possible ethical standards. The charity wants to guarantee that it is compliant in its core legal, safeguarding and health & safety responsibilities, and that everyone involved in the charity will be fully up-to-date with the information they need to make the right decisions at the right time.

Cognito, developed by Intuitive Learning Limited, is an innovative knowledge retention platform that will ensure that training information covered during internal classroom training, or online e- learning, is assessed, reinforced and retained. Initially, topics such as data protection, health and safety, safeguarding and customer care will be included and the charity is reviewing how the system can be used in wider communications. The results will be analysed, and further training offered if needed. Different topics can be introduced with ease offering additional flexibility. The data captured will produce both compliance information and transparency of where improvements
may be needed.

Accessibility of the system is a crucial requirement. Many people with a visual impairment useassistive technology that enables them to access the system and it is important that Cognito can work with screen-reading software, for example. Cognito and Guide Dogs are working together to deliver a system that goes beyond basic accessibility standards to achieve excellence in accessibility.

Samantha Uden, Compliance Manager at Guide Dogs for the Blind