Taking place over a number of dates in early 2027, these training courses support Scotland's information governance community. The Information Governance Training Academy delivers high-quality professional development for practitioners across Scotland's public, private and third sectors.
Our courses combine current legislation, best practice, and practical experience to equip delegates with the knowledge and skills needed to manage information confidently, responsibly and effectively. They combine Scottish legal and regulatory requirements with practical guidance and discussion of the challenges Scottish organisations face in applying information governance in practice. Real-world examples are woven through each training course.
All our courses provide practical, specialist training specificially for organisations working within Scotland's information governance environment and are delivered with a practical understanding of the balance between risk and available resources.
Attendance at these training courses is limited to 30 delegates.
Delegates will receive a comprehensive course handbook before each training course, providing a useful reference guide to support learning during the course and afterwards
Professional development and training records
The training courses provide structured professional development, and organisations can determine how participation in the training should be recorded within their own professional development and training programmes. Delegates will receive a certificate of completion for their training records.
This training provides an accessible introduction for non information governance specialists to the key business drivers for information governance, including legal and regulatory compliance, organisational accountability, risk management, business delivery, transparency, cyber security, records management and responsible information sharing. How do those drivers affect organisational decisions and why does effective information governance matter?
Click here to find out more and book your place for 12th January 2027.
Click here to find out more and book your place for 20th April 2027.
This training helps delegates design and maintain effective records management arrangements across paper, email, shared drives, line-of-business systems and Microsoft 365. It covers retention, classification, metadata, disposal, preservation, access and information lifecycle management, enabling organisations to move beyond policy statements to practical controls, clear responsibilities and defensible decisions about what to keep, where to keep it and when to dispose of it.
Click here to find out more and book your place for 14th January 2027.
Click here to find out more and book your place for 10th June 2027.
This training focuses on applying data protection law in busy operational environments, covering lawful bases, transparency, data minimisation, special category data, information sharing, DPIAs, breaches and rights requests. It will help delegates identify and manage everyday data protection risks, know when to seek advice or escalate issues, and build confidence in balancing compliance with practical business needs, particularly when handling sensitive, multi-agency or complex information.
Click here to find out more and book your place 26th January 2027.
Click here to find out more and book your place 4th May 2027.
This training provides a clear process for managing and responding to subject access requests under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, covering search planning, information retrieval, third-party information, redaction, exemptions and complex disclosures. It will help delegates manage SARs confidently and document decisions effectively, particularly where records are sensitive, dispersed across systems, or mixed with other people’s information.
Click here to find out more and book your place for 28th January 2027.
Click here to find out more and book your place for 6th May 2027.
This training provides a grounding in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, covering how requests should be recognised, logged, assessed and answered, as well as exemptions, public interest tests, timescales, vexatious or repeated requests and reviews. Delegates will also understand how FOISA interacts with the Environmental Information Regulations, data protection and records management, helping them provide lawful, consistent and defensible responses.
Click here to find out more and book your place for 2nd February 2027.
Click here to find out more and book your place for 8th June 2027.
This training explores how governance, compliance, records management, security and information architecture controls can be applied within Microsoft 365 to meet legal and regulatory obligations. Delegates will gain a clearer understanding of ownership, permissions, Teams and SharePoint structures, retention, sensitivity, auditability, external sharing and user behaviour risks, helping organisations move from unmanaged use of Microsoft 365 towards a structured governance model with clear roles, policies and controls.
Click here to find out more and book your place 9th February 2027.
Click here to find out more and book your place 27th May 2027.
This training will provide a practical deep dive for practitioners who are responsible for developing, implementing or managing the delivery of an effective information governance framework, including policy, process, people, roles, accountability, assurance and continuous improvement. It will look at how to assess organisational needs, map information assets and translate legal, regulatory and business requirements into proportionate governance arrangements and also examine how to design, coordinate and embed joined-up governance arrangements across services, systems and teams, and to oversee others involved in delivering those arrangements.
Click here to find out more and book your place 23rd February 2027.
Click here to find out more and book your place 22nd April 2027.
This training provides an accessible overview of AI, generative AI and Microsoft Copilot, exploring their capabilities, opportunities and governance risks. Delegates will consider the information governance, security, records management, transparency, procurement and assurance issues that should be addressed before adoption, enabling senior leaders and governance teams to assess readiness, risk, policy, training needs and organisational controls with greater confidence.
Click here to find out more and book your place for 25th February 2027.
Click here to find out more and book your place for 22nd June 2027.
Director
RiSiO Solutions Ltd
Rachel Mitchell is an award-winning information governance specialist based in Dundee with over 25 years’ practical experience across data protection, records management and Microsoft 365 governance in all sectors.
Microsoft 365 and AI Training Specialist
Rachel Mitchell
Director
RiSiO Solutions Ltd
Rachel Mitchell is an experienced information governance professional with over 20 years' experience helping organisations manage information effectively, meet regulatory obligations and improve transparency, accountability and decision-making.
As Director of RiSiO Solutions Ltd, Rachel works with public, private and third sector organisations across Scotland and the UK, providing specialist advice on information governance, records management, data protection, freedom of information and Microsoft 365 governance. Her clients include local authorities, NHS bodies, charities, care providers, research organisations and national public bodies.
Rachel is recognised for her practical and proportionate approach, helping organisations translate complex regulatory and governance requirements into solutions that support operational delivery. She has extensive experience leading governance reviews, developing information management frameworks, improving records management maturity, and supporting organisations through digital transformation and change.
A respected trainer and conference speaker, Rachel is known for delivering engaging, practical learning based on real-world experience. Her focus is on helping delegates build confidence, understand risks and obligations, and apply good information governance practices in their day-to-day roles.
Rachel holds an MSc in Information and Records Management and is an Associate Member of the Information and Records Management Society (IRMS), where she also serves on the IRMS Scotland Committee.
Rachel Mitchell is an award-winning information governance specialist based in Dundee with over 25 years’ practical experience across data protection, records management and Microsoft 365 governance in all sectors.
Sara Fennah
Microsoft 365 and AI Training Specialist
Sara Fennah is a highly experienced Microsoft 365 trainer and consultant, recognised as both a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). With a background spanning education, consultancy, technical enablement and user adoption, she combines an authoritative understanding of Microsoft technologies with an engaging, practical training style. She is particularly skilled at translating complex functionality into clear guidance that helps delegates understand not only how Microsoft 365 tools work, but how to use them confidently, appropriately and productively in real-world settings.
Sara has designed and delivered a wide range of Microsoft 365 learning programmes for organisations across different sectors and at varying levels of digital confidence. Her experience includes tailored training on Microsoft 365 Copilot and generative AI, Teams, SharePoint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the wider productivity suite. She develops learning around realistic workplace scenarios, demonstrations and practical exercises, enabling participants to apply new knowledge immediately rather than simply learning product features in isolation. Her delivery can be adapted for general users, super users, information and records management practitioners, system and Team Owners, administrators, governance leads and senior decision-makers.
Alongside end-user training, Sara brings substantial experience of Microsoft 365 governance, adoption and technical assurance. She has supported organisations with Teams and SharePoint ways of working, information architecture, permissions and external collaboration, retention and records management, sensitivity labels, Microsoft Purview, eDiscovery and the practical controls needed to turn policy into sustainable working practice. This combination of technical knowledge and training expertise allows her to bridge the gap between governance requirements, system configuration and user behaviour—an important strength for audiences seeking to manage information effectively while making full use of Microsoft 365.
Sara has particular expertise in Microsoft 365 Copilot and responsible AI adoption. She has authored and delivered bespoke Copilot programmes covering applications including Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint, as well as broader sessions on prompting, productivity, data security, governance and organisational readiness. Her approach places safe and effective use at the centre of the learning, helping delegates recognise both the opportunities and the limits of generative AI. She can explain technical and governance considerations in straightforward language and tailor examples so that participants can explore practical use cases without compromising organisational information.
In partnership with: RiSiO Solutions
RiSiO Solutions Ltd is a Scotland-based information governance consultancy specialising in records management, data protection, freedom of information, Microsoft 365 governance, and information and data strategy.
Working across the public, private and third sectors, RiSiO helps organisations develop practical, proportionate approaches to managing information, meeting compliance obligations, and supporting effective decision-making.
Known for its engaging and pragmatic training style, RiSiO delivers learning that translates governance principles into real-world practice.
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