Training and Development Policy

Overview

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill considers it appropriate to base training and development opportunities on the requirements of the organisation, its operations within its legal and regulatory context and its community ethos. Therefore, decisions about investment in co-worker training and development will always be made having regard to the needs of the business and its cultural ethos as well as the needs of the individual co-worker.

This policy applies to all Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill co-workers. ‘Co-worker’ refers to anybody engaged in work at Tigh a’Chomainn Camphill. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill may also where appropriate offer relevant development opportunities to freelance and independent contractors working with the organisation.

The main aims of this policy are to:

• ensure that co-workers are supported and enabled to meet the changing demands of the organisation and its residents so that the organisation achieves its strategic objectives

• ensure that co-workers develop an appreciation of the ethos and cultural life of the community which underpin the organisation

• facilitate co-worker development by supporting co-workers to broaden, deepen and enhance their existing skill base

• provide a working environment where continuous learning and development take place that help co-workers to gain more enjoyment from their roles, increase interest, motivation and enhance co-worker retention

Procedures

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill is committed to ensuring that all co-workers 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 ways that fit with the organisation’s development to meet its strategic objectives and community responsibilities.

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) will annually review its level of investment in co-worker training and development to ensure that both adequate resources are being provided and training is delivering a benefit to both the co-workers and the organisation.

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill aims to ensure that:

• each co-worker understands what their role involves

• each co-worker develops into their role as appropriate, to enable them to achieve their work objectives

• each co-worker understands the values underpinning the community and its role as a Camphill

• co-workers are prepared and equipped to deal with changes in legislation, regulation and organisational objectives

Outcomes

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill believes that effective training and development benefits the individual and the organisation as a whole and contributes to the achievement of the Guiding Vision Statement.

These benefits include:

• professional development

• high standards of practice

• increased interest motivation and job satisfaction for co-workers

• sharing of ideas and dissemination of good practice

• building strong and effective teams

• effective management and implementation of change

• greater understanding and appreciation of factors affecting work performance

• greater understanding of Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill’s business and its role as a Camphill community

The foundations for training and development at Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill

Training and development at Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill is defined as any activity designed to help individuals become more effective in their role by improving, updating or refining their knowledge and skills. It encompasses a range of activities including, for example, involvement in various projects, attendance at training courses, conferences or seminars, visits to other organisations, work shadowing, online study, formal study, coaching and mentoring.

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill believes that training and development is a continuous ongoing process (Continuous Professional Development, CPD). There is an expectation that co-workers will keep abreast of developments within their own area of work.

The responsibility for identifying training and development needs and carrying out agreed training and development activity is shared between the senior Service Managers (Day Workshop or Care and Support), Ethos, Values and Training Manager and the co-worker. This would normally take place at the annual review for the co-worker. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill will encourage and support appropriate training and development. Reasonable time and financial support may be allocated.

Ethos, Values and Training Managers are responsible for providing support and guidance in relation to the training and development of those reporting to them, particularly in relation to induction and CPD. They will support the identification of training and development needs and making sure that appropriate action is taken as a result.

Each co-worker is expected and encouraged to take ownership and responsibility for their professional and personal development in relation to their work, within the framework of support provided by Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill. This includes analysing their own skills, aptitudes and potential development needs, as well as having a positive attitude and proactive approach to organisational development and community needs.

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill will monitor and evaluate training and development to review, improve and identify provision across the community. All co-workers are expected to participate in the evaluation of training and development.

Types of Training and Development Activity

There are many different types of activity that contribute to an individual’s development and co-workers are encouraged to consider the range of opportunities available to them and to be proactive in identifying them with their Ethos, Values and Training Manager.

Some activities are undertaken with the specific aim of enhancing skills and/or imparting information. Examples of these include attending a training course, on-line training, undertaking a qualification, distance learning, attending a meeting, conference or seminar and reading, shadowing others and mentoring.

During the course of normal working and community activities potential opportunities for development may arise. Examples of these include being involved in a project where new skills or knowledge are acquired or discussing how to deal with a particular problem with a colleague. In these situations, learning can be greater where the opportunity is identified in advance, identifying the generic skills or general principles that will be developed and considering how they may be applied in other similar situations. Potential learning also arises in reflective practice, which Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill encourages, providing development opportunities which are also important to recognise and share. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill has an office based resource library for co-workers to access.

Drawing on the expertise and experience of others provides potential learning opportunities for development. Where possible, development activities will draw on the knowledge and skills of existing Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill co-workers. These opportunities have the advantage of allowing advice, guidance and on-the-job training to be given in a way that is directly applicable to the work or community context and highly relevant to co-workers. Various people may be involved in supporting the development of others; in particular, a person’s Ethos, Values and Training Manager and immediate colleagues, networking with wider community contacts or the wider support of residents’ families and carers. Development by these means may take many forms, including, for example, one-to-one discussions, demonstrations, team meetings, the community meeting and residents’ reviews.

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill is committed to sharing the learning and lessons gained by co-workers throughout relevant teams, for example; by giving time in team meetings to share core lessons from training.

A more comprehensive list of development opportunities is provided in Appendix 1 to support identification of CPD for those who need formally to record their PRTL (Post Registration Training and Learning) with the SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council). Guidance on the requirements and evidencing for PRLT for those on the social services worker register is provided in Appendix 2

Equal Opportunities

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill recognises the importance and value of its co-workers and aspires to be a supportive and fair employer. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill is committed to providing good working conditions in a professional organisation within a community. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill is committed to ensuring equality of learning opportunities and will uphold its Equal Opportunities Policy in relation to training and development and no co-worker will be excluded from learning on the grounds identified in the policy. Part time and fixed term co-workers will have equal access to relevant training, learning and development opportunities appropriate to their role. For further information, please see the Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill Equal Opportunities Policy.

Responsibility for training co-workers responsibilities

 

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill believes that co-worker development is most effective when individuals take a proactive responsibility for identifying any opportunities for self-development which will enhance work performance through increased skills and knowledge.

This includes co-workers taking an active role in planning their own professional and personal development, undertaking agreed development activities, and evaluating the effectiveness of these. If co-workers undertake non-core training that is paid for by Tigh a’Chomainn Camphill, they are expected to provide a written account and presentation to colleagues and the community.

Learning needs and opportunities will also be identified together with the Senior Service Managers (Day Workshop or Care and Support), Ethos, Values and Training Manager through support and supervision sessions and annual reviews and through internal assessments to meet both organisational and community needs. Performance management is an ongoing communication process, which involves both Ethos, values and training managers and co-workers in

• identifying and describing essential tasks and relating them to the dynamically delegated objectives of Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill

• developing realistic and appropriate performance standards

• giving and receiving feedback about performance

• participating in constructive support, supervision and annual reviews

• planning learning and development opportunities to sustain, improve or build on co-workers work performance

Regular communication between co-workers and Ethos, values and training manager facilitates this process.

Where training and development occurs outside of a co-worker’s contractual hours at Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill, co-workers will be paid at their contractual salary rate.

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill expects all co-workers to also take a proactive approach to maintaining their fitness to practice, ensuring their mandatory training is in date and furthering organisational wide learning and development. Where mandatory training to remain fit to practice occurs outside of a co-worker’s contractual hours at Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill, co-workers will be paid at their contractual salary rate.

Your Ethos, values and training manager and the administrator responsible for training records should be notified of all learning undertaken, for inclusion in a central record. All training, whether internal or external must be evaluated and co-workers must ensure they fill in the appropriate evaluation form following training. See Appendix 3.

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill expects that all co-workers will take responsibility for maintaining their own PRLT record with the SSSC.

Should you be unfit to attend any training booked for you, you should alert your Ethos, Values and Training Manager when you realise that you are not fit to attend training by phoning the Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill office. If this occurs on the day of training you should phone between 8.45am and 9am in line with the Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill Absence Management Policy for Employed Co-workers. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill will notify the training providers on your behalf. Should you leave a training course before its completion you will need to inform your Ethos, Values and Training Manager immediately. This will be recorded as a sick day or as a half sick day, depending on when you need to leave. Failure to attend training required to ensure your fitness to practice will be reviewed by the SLT and may lead to suspension.

Where mandatory training is not undertaken in a timely fashion there will be a formal review of fitness to practice which will involve members of the SLT who will consider whether the matter is one of capability or disciplinary which may result in further action being taken in line with Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill’s Disciplinary Policy. This does not indicate a lack of trust in co-workers; but in the interests of both parties should be seen as protective towards Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill as an organisation and to the co-worker concerned. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill needs to manage competence in its contractual obligations within the regulatory framework and due regard to the co-worker. As such co-workers will be treated as individuals, and with respect and consideration in relation to the issue of fitness to practice.

Senior Leadership Team

Senior Leadership Team are responsible for delivering the community agreed vision, values, business plan and annual targets for Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill and to ensuring that appropriate skills exist within the organisation to deliver these. They have a responsibility to maintain an awareness of the care sector and legislative policy environment and ensure that co-workers are suitably qualified to carry out their roles within this framework. Likewise, they are responsible for ensuring that the ethos and cultural life of the community which underpin the organisation are developed, strengthened and maintained; and sufficient resources are available to ensure co-workers have access to training and development of a quality which upholds the vision and values of a Camphill Community. The SLT carries the leadership role in agreeing training and development in this organisational setting. The SLT ensures that training provides effective responses to any management of legislative changes essential to generating and maintaining revenue at Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill and to monitor the impact of such training for co-workers on organisational change.

The co-ordination of learning and development is the responsibility of the Ethos, Values and Training Manager (EVTM). They will ensure that an evaluation of learning activities is undertaken annually and will ensure that any identified needs are addressed accordingly. Analysis of the evaluation forms gathered will be undertaken and used with feedback from the Senior Leadership Team with regard to the effectiveness of training and development within the overall evaluation. The evaluation will inform future provision. The EVTM will have responsibility for identifying and sourcing training and development which supports the culture and ethos of the community.

The EVTM will oversee the induction to all aspects of Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill and assist in the developing and delegation of this induction programme with other Senior Leadership Team members. Together they will manage a system of dynamic delegation, where much decision making is passed to the Residential houses, Day Service workplaces, Supported Living and Trading projects. The Senior Leadership Team have responsibility to ensure that any training delegated for completion within specific time frames occurs to a satisfactory level. They will manage an e-learning programme which will allow co-workers to take responsibility for ensuring their own fitness to practice. They will use the annual Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill Community Training days to ensure that training and development identified with the SLT meets the organisations requirements both legislatively and culturally.

The Senior Leadership Team are responsible for carrying out annual reviews with co-workers where training and development records will be discussed and potential new training identified.

Senior Leadership Team and Trustees

The Senior Leadership Team is responsible for ensuring Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill fulfils its strategic objectives and statutory and contractual obligations and the community agreed guiding vision and for ensuring the skills exist within the organisation to deliver these. The SLT has responsibility for support, supervision and annual reviews for the Senior Leadership Team, where training and development is discussed and potential training identified, to support the delivery of strategic and cultural objectives and to enable them to complete CPD required by their relevant professional bodies.

The Senior Leadership Team is responsible for ensuring there are sufficient skills in Health and Social Care Management, Finance, Human Resources and IT to meet business needs and to ensure the quality of service provision and relevant regulatory awareness. The SLT will ensure a consistency of allocation in the training budget and ensure appropriate resources are allocated by the Finance Task Force to the budget.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for agreeing the learning and development budget on an annual basis – where finances are available a minimum of 1% of annual budget will be allocated to this, to ensure that resources are always in place to facilitate the highest quality service to members and to meet charity regulations.

Trustees have a responsibility to attend appropriate training in order for them to perform their legal duties.

Budget

The budget for training and development is set on an annual basis and managed by the Finance Officer, Ethos, Values and Training Manager and the SLT. They will manage the training budget, the programme of training and the centralised records. They will be responsible for sourcing and recommending potential training and development solutions to meet the community’s strategic needs and for ensuring that resources are made available for this purpose. They will ensure that sufficient resources are set aside to support the cultural needs of the community and the ethos and values which underpin it. All training and development courses, irrespective of financial cost and staffing implications, need to be agreed with the EVTM prior to booking.

Where individuals access developmental training for their role they may be required to enter into a sponsorship agreement to support such training. See Appendix 5.

Core Learning

An effective induction process is important for settling new co-workers into Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill and for ensuring a smooth transition of those who move to roles in other areas of the community. It involves both ensuring that the person has the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their role effectively, and familiarising them with the community and the detail of the work that they will be performing. The Ethos, Values and Training Manager is responsible for monitoring the progress of the new co-worker, and for ensuring that any development needs are identified and met.

All new co-workers receive induction; including an introduction to all policies for the organisation and the ethos of the organisation. This is an essential part of co-worker learning and development, and integration into Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill. Aspects of this learning will be delivered through e-training.

Following induction there are specific areas of learning which are essential for all co-workers. Core learning may therefore cover the following areas

• Training relating to the enhancement of skills for a co-worker’s current role. This can include internal and external courses providing specialist training relating to skills required for their role.

• Training leading to a professional or academic qualification. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill encourages co-workers to pursue CPD and where appropriate to gain further qualifications

• Management training, including supervisory skills and leadership development programmes.

• Training related to the ethos and values which underpin the organisation and meet the needs of the community.

• Refresher training to ensure fitness to practice and update learning to meet legislative and insurance requirements.

Planned Training

New training initiatives will be planned as an overall community strategy by the SLT and as a result of the training review and analysis. In addition Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill is committed to reviewing training so that relevant training and development is provided for skills in specific areas, where work procedures have changed or where new legislative standards are introduced.

Development needs may be identified at several levels: those that apply to groups as a whole, those at team level and those which apply to a particular individual (or group of individuals). Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill is committed to providing four whole Community Training Days and training needs for these days will be identified by the SLT as part of the planning and budgetary process and prioritised.

At team level information is gathered from a variety of sources to identify training and development needs common to a group of co-workers. As above, responsibility for this lies with Ethos, Values and Training Managers, in consultation with Senior Leadership Team. Sources of information used for this purpose are likely to include discussions with Ethos, Values and Training Managers and co-workers – both formal and informal and team plans with regard to existing priorities.

At an individual level, support and supervision or one to one discussions between co-workers and their Ethos, Values and Training Manager is the main vehicle for recognising and planning their training and development needs. Ethos, Values and Training Managers are responsible for ensuring that individuals’ training needs are followed through.

Access to training

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill provides high quality care for people with disabilities. Any co-workers absence from normal activities as a result of training must be negotiated carefully in order to minimise impact on the service. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill is a charity, and all employees must ensure that resources – including time and salary – are always aimed at providing the best high quality service possible for our members. The extent to which a training and development activity can be supported by Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill will depend on a number of factors including:

• The relevance of the training to achieving the strategic plan

• Financial costs

• Hidden costs – including, for example, the amount of work time required to complete the training

• Any additional cover required and the impact on colleagues

• The amount of development support that it is reasonable for any one co-worker to undertake in a given period

• Availability of funds in the training and development budget

• Parity with similar applications to support training

• Participation in Community Training Days for co-workers is dependent on organisational needs

Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill has supported a range of development courses from time to time, according to its financial position, which relate primarily to co-workers individual wish to undertake training in their own time. Training must be applied for in writing to the EVTM no less than six weeks before the first day of the requested training period. Receipt of the request will be given within one week. The SLT will decide whether it will support such training within 30 days of the date acknowledging receipt. If further time is needed, the SLT will explain the reasons why. Complex questions to consider around finances, covering work load and consistency of service may mean that extra time is required to reach a decision. In the event of a training request being refused, clear reasons for the decision will be explained to the employee in a written response from the SLT. Where co-workers access developmental training of this kind they may be required to enter into a sponsorship agreement to support such training.

Evaluating Training

Training and development activities will be evaluated, in respect of their effectiveness from both Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill and co-workers perspective by the SLT annually. A central co-worker record will be maintained with regard to the training and development of individual co-workers. Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill uses this information to track patterns of training identify any gaps. The SLT are responsible for actively encouraging training and development as a means to enable Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill to meet its business objectives.

Training records

Training records will be held confidentially, both electronically on a central log and on your personnel file and access restricted to the SLT and Ethos, Values and Training Managers who have responsibility for your support and supervision. All records are kept in line with the Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill Policy on Management of Employed and Short Term Co-worker Records.

Please note: prospective employers may ask for verification of this information in reference requests and if Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill was to provide a reference for co-workers, information on your training during your employment here may be passed on.

Review

This policy will be reviewed and updated by Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill as required in line with best practice and current legislation

References

• Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill Equal Opportunities Policy

• Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill Policy on Management of Employed and Short Term Co-worker Records

• Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill Absence Management Policy for Employed Co-workers

• Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill’s Disciplinary Policy

Appendices

Appendix 1 – List of Development Opportunities (Needs to be developed)

Appendix 2 – Requirements and Evidencing Guidance for PRLT (Needs to be developed)

Appendix 3 – Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill Training Evaluation (Needs to be developed)

Appendix 4 – Co-worker Training Records

All co-worker training is recorded on a central log as well as in individual co-worker personnel files. All records are kept in line with the Tigh a'Chomainn Camphill Policy on Management of Employed and Short Term Co-worker Records.

Appendix 5 – Sponsorship Agreement

Where co-workers access developmental training for their role they may be required to enter into a sponsorship agreement to support such training.