GOV.UK's First E-Learning by Anton DrachukGOV.UK's First E-Learning by Anton Drachuk

GOV.UK's First E-Learning

Anton Drachuk

Project Manager

Researcher

Miro

Jira

GOV.UK's first e-learning

Co-created and led the research, design and management of the first e-learning service on GOV.UK.

3.1 Million+

Total Completions

~50%

Workforce Coverage

WCAG 2.1

Accessibility

£0 (Free)

Cost to User

Objective & Strategy

The mission was to move beyond 'box-ticking' to measurable competency across Education, Health, and Local Authorities. We aimed to standardize the 'Notice, Check, Share' safeguarding framework through a free, accessible, and evidence-led digital service. This required a deep understanding of user groups across diverse sectors, acknowledging their unique internal/external relationships and regional contexts.

The Challenge

Anton’s Leadership Role

Research & Synthesis

Landscape & Benchmarking

National Scale Digital Transformation

The Home Office Prevent duty training represents a landmark shift in public sector e-learning. As of March 2026, the service has surpassed 3.1 million course completions, effectively establishing itself as the national "gold standard" for safeguarding knowledge.

1. Evidence-Led Design Process

Our research strategy was designed to exceed GDS standards, focusing on deep user understanding across diverse sectors (Education, Health, Local Authorities, and others).

Phase 1: Generative & Usability Research

Observed Interviews: Conducted 100 qualitative usability sessions (20 per round/course) with frontline workers to understand sector-specific contexts.

Persona Development: Captured detailed scenarios, pain points, and needs for each sector. We identified that while needs vary by region, core themes like "Notice, Check, Share" are universal.

Synthesis Process: Used Miro for clustering feedback, observations, and measures. We cross-analyzed this with survey and analytics data to turn insights into actionable recommendations for the JIRA backlog.

Phase 2: Scaling via Closed Beta Testing (CBT)

End-to-End Validation: Conducted 2 rounds of end-to-end research ahead of CBT to validate the service as a whole.

CBT Rounds: Executed 4 rounds of testing with increasingly larger samples, reaching over 1,200 total testers.

Analytics-Led Iteration: Built a full analytics setup in Google DataStudio. We used quant data as a starting point, cross-analyzing it with sentiment analysis from over 1,000 survey responses and follow-up interviews.

2. Strategic Impact & Outcomes

The service has become a critical enabler for the entire safeguarding ecosystem.

Market Penetration: Reaching 3.1 million completions against a 6.2 million workforce represents ~50% total coverage.

Landscape Authority: Our review of 14 alternative platforms confirmed that the Home Office service is viewed as the "source of truth." Other providers now depend on our content to enable their own custom versions of the training.

Referral Quality: Increased training reach correlates with a record high of 8,778 referrals in 2024/25, demonstrating that the training effectively empowers staff to act.

3. Leadership & Art Direction

Beyond service design and research, I managed the project lifecycle and creative direction.

Product Management: Overseeing budgets, sprint planning (JIRA/Trello), and onboarding new PMs.

Creative Direction: I art-directed and co-produced all video content. This included having the "final cut" on video editing to ensure the narrative was aligned with user needs and accessibility requirements.

4. Why This Matters

This project demonstrates how usability and accessibility can drive national-scale compliance. By solving for device-agnostic access and evidence-based content, we've saved time for millions of busy professionals—teachers, nurses, and doctors—allowing them to focus on their primary roles while staying compliant with the law.