Fillable Printable Training & Development Policy

Training & Development Policy

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XXXX

Training & Development Policy

1 Purpose and Scope

The xxx is committed to ensuring that all staff and volunteers have access to

learning, development and training opportunities which enable them to be

suitably knowledgeable and skilled to carry out their role within the

organisation, and to develop their talents in any ways that fit with the

organisation’s development to meet its strategic objectives.

2 Aims

The main aims of this policy are to:

• ensure that employees and volunteers are supported and enabled to

meet the changing demands of the organisation and its service users so

that the organisation achieves its strategic objectives

•

facilitate employee/volunteer development and/or personal development

through assisting them to broaden, deepen and thereby further enhance

their existing skill base.

• provide a working environment where continuous learning and

development take place that help staff to gain more enjoyment from their

roles, increase motivation and enhance staff retention

3 Equal Opportunities

The organisation is committed to ensuring equality of learning opportunity,

hence no employee or volunteer will be excluded from learning on the

grounds of gender (including gender reassignment), age, marital status,

disability, racial grounds (race, colour, nationality – including citizenship -

ethnic or national origin), sexual orientation, religion or belief, responsibility for

dependants, trade union membership or employment status. Part time and

fixed term employees will have equal access to learning and development

opportunities appropriate to their post, and volunteers will be given access to

relevant training.

4 Responsibilities

4.1 Employees

xxx believes that employee development is most effective when the individual

employee takes responsibility for identifying any opportunities for self

development which will enhance work performance through increased skills

and knowledge.

Learning needs and opportunities will also be identified through the support,

supervision and appraisal process, and through internal assessments to meet

business need.

We expect all employees to also take a proactive approach to furthering

organisational wide learning and development.

The Chief Executive’s PA should be notified of all learning undertaken for

inclusion in a central log. This should also include top level comments on the

quality and cost effectiveness of training from participants, which is made

available to all staff when considering booking training.

4.2 Line Managers

Line managers are responsible for assisting staff and volunteers to identify

learning needs and for ensuring that they review these with staff on a regular

basis during support and supervision sessions. The employee’s log of

learning should also be discussed at these sessions.

Line managers have a responsibility to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness

of learning for employees who have undergone training and development.

Line managers should seek feedback on any training, including quality and

cost effectiveness. Line managers should then ensure that employees

implement the skills that they have gained through training and ensure that

feedback on training is shared with the organisation via the central log of

learning.

4.3 Chief Executive & Trustees

The co-ordination of the learning and development process is the

responsibility of the Chief Executive. They will, therefore, ensure that

evaluation of learning activities is undertaken annually by liaising with line

managers to ensure that any identified needs are addressed accordingly.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for agreeing the learning and

development budget on an annual basis – a minimum of 1% of annual budget

will be allocated to this. The learning budget is controlled by the Chief

Executive with subsequent allocation monitored with the senior management

team.

Trustees also have a responsibility to attend appropriate training in order for

them to perform their legal duties.

5 Routes to Learning & Development

Options for learning & development may include:

•

On the job learning including learning from other members of staff

via job shadowing, mentoring, in house skill sharing, staff away days etc.

• Secondments and placements/visits to other organisations

• Setting up job development opportunities such as public speaking,

in house presentations at team meetings

• Attending internal or external training days/ workshops

• Attending conferences, forums

• An external course of study

• Web based e learning

• Self-directed study – such as books, manuals, online information

XXX is committed to sharing the learning and lessons gained by staff and

volunteers throughout the organisation. This will be accomplished in a

number of ways:

• Giving time in team meetings to share core lessons from training

•

Networking with partner and same sector organisations and

incorporating their literature, reports and research documents into

office resource libraries.

6 Key Professional and Skills Based Learning

The organisation aims to prioritise learning that focuses on areas which:

• enable us to fulfil our strategic objectives

•

pertain to any organisational statutory/contractual obligations

• are essential in order to generate and maintain income

• enable effective responses and management of legislative changes

•

ensure IT skills meet business need

• are essential to ensure the quality of service provision

•

enable employees to meet their responsibilities in completing

continuous professional development required by relevant professional

bodies

• enable management development in relation to those who have

managerial/supervisory responsibilities

7 Core Learning

There are specific areas of learning which are essential for all employees and

cover a rolling programme of needs which have been identified as part of a

continuous programme of learning and development. Core learning will

therefore cover the following areas:

7.1 Induction

All new employees are given a timely programme of induction including

introduction to all policies for the organisation. This is an essential part of

staff learning and development, and integration into the working environment.

7.2 ICT (Information and Communication Technologies)

It is important that all employees are given opportunities to enhance their ICT

skills base. The organisation is committed to ensuring that all employees

have competent grounding in the use of ICT in the wider context of their

professional roles. Employees are positively encouraged to become familiar

with the extranet, internet, email other electronic facilities and computer

software packages at their disposal. Initial information and training will be

provided on commencement of the role or when any technology changes

occur.

8 Recording, Monitoring & Evaluating Learning

The Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring that a central record of

employee learning is created and maintained, and that all learning and

development activities are monitored and evaluated in terms of suitability,

effectiveness and value for money.

Line Managers have responsibility for reporting on the effectiveness of any

staff development programmes to the Chief Executive at the Senior

Management Team meeting once a year.

9 Performance Management

Performance management is an ongoing communication process, which

involves both the line manager and their employee in:

•

identifying and describing essential job functions and relating them to the

strategic and

operational objectives of the organisation

•

developing realistic and appropriate performance standards

•

giving and receiving feedback about performance

• participating in constructive performance appraisals

•

planning learning and development opportunities to sustain, improve or

build on

employee work performance.

Regular meetings/communications between staff and line manager facilitates

this process.

10 Appraisals

Annual Appraisals are an essential component of XXX’s performance

management framework and are supported by regular support and

supervision sessions between line managers and their employees throughout

the course of the year. The appraisal scheme allows for every employee to

be formally appraised with their line manager through a structured discussion

on work performance over the previous year and which, must also incorporate

the employee’s learning and development needs for the following year.

It is an opportunity to build on strengths and address areas, which require

support, thereby enhancing the potential skill base of the individual employee.

10.1 Supervision and Appraisal process:

The XXX has a culture of effective informal mentoring on an ongoing basis;

this is based around continuous support. The formal aspects to this however

are:

 Supervision sessions are held at a min of 6 week intervals between all

staff and their line managers on an individual basis.

 A full Annual Appraisal is then carried out by line managers through

discussion with each employee on an annual basis.

 A Personal Development Plan for the year is then created.

Forms for the Supervision and Appraisal are available on the Intranet.

Approved date: ...........................................................

Trustee name: XXXXX

Trustee signature: ..........................................................