All activity pertaining to staff development feeds into NDC’s overall HR Strategy and is regularly monitored by the Staffing Committee and the Staff Development Advisory Group.
NDC Training and Human Resources Division
- Mission Statement
- Purpose of the policy
- Statement of commitment
- Introduction
- Context of staff development
- Equality
- Involvement in staff development
- Role of the individual
- Role of associations/partners
- Role of CPPD
- Quality Assurance
- Resourcing this policy
- Requesting staff development
- Further information
1. Mission Statement
NDC is committed to encouraging, supporting and delivering training and development for all staff (including external consultants) and assist each department to meet the organisation’s objectives. It’s objectives thereby assisting NDC to remain competitive and deliver highly effective behaviour training and coaching within the public sector and corporate market.
2. Purpose of the policy
The purpose of this policy is to outline in broad terms the commitment of NDC to staff development and to indicate the roles that different parties play in the delivery of staff development, particularly the Centre for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) team.
3. Statement of commitment
NDC is committed to the provision of staff development for all staff working on NDC projects. Only development that is deemed to be entirely work-related and which will be to the benefit of the department or organisation will be supported by central staffing funds.
4. Introduction
The key purpose of staff development is to facilitate personal and professional development enabling individuals and groups to achieve their full potential and contribute to the provision of excellent training and coaching within the New Directions coaching, environment .
The CPPD Committee is, through the Training and HR Committee, responsible for advising NDC on the policy and procedures for staff development and for monitoring the implementation of these and the consequent activities. Staff development policy, procedures and activity contribute to NDC’s quality assurance in the fields of training, research and coaching.
5. Context of staff development
NDC’s achievements are based largely on the contribution, commitment, and achievements of members of its staff, working as individuals and in teams.
Staff development includes any activity which contributes to the enhancement of their knowledge, skills, competence, or working practices, e.g. courses, development programmes, shadowing, vocational training, behaviour training, structured staff development activities, attendance at meetings and conferences, secondments, development of educational materials, licensed practitioner training, forums, research groups, curriculum enhancement and active involvement with professional bodies.
Staff development is a key contributor to the success of individuals and ultimately to the success of NDC as a whole. This is important for NDC in maintaining and enhancing its national and international reputation in training and research and in ensuring good management within the organisation.
6. Equality
There will be equality of access to staff development opportunities for all NDC staff. No member of staff will be treated less favourably on the grounds of sex (including gender reassignment), marital or parental status, race, ethnic or national origin, colour, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or age.
7. Involvement in staff development
The following have a role in staff development:
- individuals
- department managers
- CPPD team
- Consultants
- Managing Director
- Directors
8. Role of the individual
When individuals are appointed to a new role, an assessment of their skills and the duties that they are to perform will lead naturally to the identification of their needs for training and staff development. In addition, development needs may be identified in a variety of ways, e.g. by skills audit, by peer review and feedback, by appraisal, by feedback from others including students, and by reflection on current practice.
Individual members of staff are encouraged to take responsibility for their own professional and career development, guided by mentors and other colleagues as appropriate. All are invited to take advantage of departmental, and centrally-provided opportunities for staff development, according to the demands of their particular role.
9. Role of Associations/Partners
Organisations for whom we have successfully tendered for are given input into the training and development of staff working on their projects to ensure that all staff directly involved receive appropriate advice and support towards identifying their development needs through the appraisal process and by other means, and to ensure that staff then engage in development activities, as appropriate, to address these needs, when necessary being released from their duties to attend.
A Staff Development Co-ordinator will be appointed to each project to provide advice, support and information in conjunction with members of the CPPD team. The Staff Development Co-ordinator will be a key point of contact between the NDC, the organisation and Staff Development.
10. Role of CPPD
The CPPD team is responsible for the following:
- establishing centrally organised staff development activities
- liaising with other providers of staff development within associations or partner services
- developing partnerships with relevant bodies and sections
- communicating information regarding staff development opportunities via paper and electric formats
- delivering and offering guidance on local staff development initiatives
- assist managers to be responsible for identifying staff needs and development
- working with individuals to meet development needs
- supporting Committees dealing with staff development policy and procedures
- contributing to and implementing the staff development elements of current NDC strategies, including the Human Resources Strategy and the Coaching and Training Strategy
- reporting on and monitoring staff development activity
- designating mentors and shadowing activities
- providing appropriate licenses to consultants to deliver behaviour training and ensuring that those licenses are updated annually
- monitoring the minimum number of days training per candidate per year
- ensuring that key staff and directors carry out a set number of CPPD hours per year
- Offer a comprehensive management and development programme to all its staff
- assessing the quality of its provision
One of the specific ways in which individuals can gain access to staff development activities is by the public programme, which will appear on NDC’s website.
In addition to the public programme, the CPPD team also organises and/or delivers tailored courses for institutions; individual development; licensed consultancy activities; development for young people; NEETS and Employability.
11. Quality Assurance
The CPPD team will evaluate its provision by verbal feedback, questionnaire, feedback from others and self-assessment, and will review practice within the section in areas such as course administration and customer service. An annual report and statistics on the level and type of activity will be submitted to the CPPD Committee. Regular Quality Reviews of the CPPD team and its activities, including external audit, will be undertaken. This falls in line with the BEQUAL teaching and higher education monitoring and standards.
12. Resourcing this policy
There are a variety of sources of staff development resource within NDC. These include central budgetary provision, extensive library and other public courses.. These resources comprise staff, training rooms and manuals.
The CPPD section currently has a staff team of three. A budget will be allocated from central funds. This will provide resources for a range of activities, including the delivery of the central staff development programme; vocational training; the Young Employees Programme and licensing
13. Requesting Staff Development
- All requests for staff development, including IT training, must be received on forms NDC1 or NDC2 with a justification statement and with a supporting management signature.
- Form NDC1 is to be used for all internal events and external short courses.
- Form NDC2 is to be used for all requests for supported study e.g. professional qualifications
- Requests by email or verbal requests cannot be accepted as formal requests.
- Signatory: Any requests received without an authorising signatory will be returned to the applicant.
- Development events can be requested for individuals, teams and departments where it is deemed appropriate.
- Staff Cover: Where attendance of an individual at an event will require staff cover, Heads of departments are encouraged to speak to the Training and Human resources team team about issues relating to the cover of the staff member whilst away from work. The Staff Development Section will not be able to provide any additional resources for staff cover.
- Charging for staff development: All staff development provision funded by the NDC central programme will be available at no cost to the individual staff member or his/ her department, where this is deemed by the line manager to be for the benefit of the department and the organisation.
- Contracted staff: subject to agreement, may access central provision for a fee, where spare places exist on in-house courses. However, this must be in agreement with their relevant project manager. Licensed training is also available at annual fee.
- Training days: A minimum number of 8 days per person per year is required for staff development and training
- Cancellation: Failure to attend an event or where a staff member has to withdraw or cancel their place (either internal or external) leading to a cost for the organisation, will be investigated by the CPPD team and a charge may be incurred by their department, unless there are exceptional circumstances and or the course has been cancelled within the agreed time-frame stated for each course.
- Funding for accredited courses: All requests for Supported Study for accredited courses must be submitted on form NDC2 with full supporting documentation. Staff are advised that only external accredited courses that are deemed to be work related, and which will enhance the individual’s performance to the benefit of the organisation, will be considered for funding. Managers are required to monitor progression of their staff undertaking accredited courses. Where staff are struggling in their course, managers should approach the staff development section to discuss the need for further assistance. Staff are encouraged to explore at least three different providers of the course they wish to pursue, before requesting funding. These possibilities should be discussed with the line manager or the Staff Development Section, who will be able to advise on the most appropriate course of study.
- Funding for external courses: All requests for short external courses must be made on form NDC1 with full supporting documentation. Full costs must be included on this form and if the request is successful, only these costs will be paid. Any additional costs will have to be met by the individual or the department. Staff are required to select London venues wherever possible. The Staff Development Section will arrange all course bookings, but all travel & accommodation requests, must be arranged by the individual .Staff are requested to travel by the cheapest methods wherever possible. Only travel over and above that usually paid to travel to work will be funded. Full details on travel and accommodation booking are available from the Training and Human Resources department.
14. Further information
A Staff Development Action Plan will list the activities and targets of the CPPD team over the next three years. This action plan will encompass relevant targets from the Human Resources and Training and Coaching Strategies.
April 2013 (revised)