STAFF DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Issue August 2021

Review Date July 2022

Originator Peter Reason

Head of Quality

Location of Policy BIZ-Sharepoint/Intranet/Policies &

Procedures/Quality
 CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Identifying Development Needs

• Identifying Individual Needs

• Identifying Team Needs
• Identifying Stakeholder Needs
• Identifying College Needs
• Planning and Prioritising to meet Needs
• Budgeting

3. Development Priorities for 2018-2022

• Cross-college Priorities
• Teaching and Learning Priorities

4. Evaluation of Staff Development Activities

Appendix 1 –The Staff Development Process

Appendix 2 – Types of Staff Development Activity

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 Section 1 - Introduction

Strategy Extension and Covid

This strategy is reviewed annually. It was strategy was initially written to cover the
period up to the end of the 2020. However, in responding to the needs of the pandemic,
there have been two major changes to the strategy:

1. The objectives and priorities have been carried over to end of July 2022. This is
to ensure that a new strategy is developed in a timely manner and also to ensure
it takes account of post-Covid professional development needs
2. The emphasis of staff training has focussed strongly on the development of digital
skills and confidence to support hybrid and blended delivery. This has meant that
the initial digital learning objectives have been exceeded, but other objectives
have been delayed.

The college’s Strategic Plan emphasises the vital role played by its staff. It recognises
the importance of ensuring that the college employs the best staff and supports them
to develop their practice through professional learning:

‘To do this, we will continue to invest in our staff, providing training and support
which will allow them not only to develop their skills to meet the challenges of
working in an excellent College, but also in encouraging their innovation and
problem solving skills.’ (Strategic Plan 2020-2024 – An Employer of Choice).

The aim of this strategy is to provide a programme of staff development that supports
the continuous professional development of each member of staff and supports the
college in maintaining a well-trained and effective workforce.

For the purposes of this strategy the definition of staff development is activity that
supports staff to improve their knowledge, skills and professional practice.

The key principles adopted for this strategy are based on the view that effective staff
development should:
• Be owned by each individual member of staff
• Be aspirational
• Ensure up-to-date industry expertise of teachers and assessors is maintained
• Ensure high quality teaching and training performance is maintained

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 • Be based on the college’s identified needs
• Be appropriate to the development needs of each team
• Be appropriate to ensure staff can meet the needs of stakeholders, especially
employers
• Support the individual’s annual performance review objectives
• Be negotiated between the individual and their line manager
• Provide equality of opportunity for training
• Have clear links with current or future practice
• Be planned well
• Have clear outcomes
• Be evaluated to assess the quality of training
• Be reviewed to assess impact on practice
• Support the college’s Strategic Plan

The scope of this strategy includes all staff development activity undertaken by college
staff. It covers the planning, administration and evaluation of staff development for all
functional and learning area staff and college managers.

Staff Development Strategy Objectives:

1. To effectively identify training needs based on individual and team reflection.

2. Improve planning processes to ensure training needs are met.

3. Improve the process for recording internal staff development activity.

4. Develop a digital first ethos for the administration of staff development.

5. Ensure that the staff development budget provides value for money.

6. Improve the evaluation of the impact of staff development activity.

7. Increase opportunities for online learning and development.

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 Section 2 - Identifying Development Needs
An objective of this strategy is to improve the way the college identifies development
needs using its embedded processes, such as strategic planning, quality review and
performance appraisal. Development needs generally fall into three types:

• Individual staff needs

• Team needs
• Stakeholder needs
• College needs

These development needs should be identified through a wide range of college

processes and documentation as summarised in the following schema:

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Identifying Individual Needs

The most effective staff development activity is when an individual sees the direct
relevance of the training to their everyday practice. So, each member of college staff
should be actively encouraged and supported to identify the needs that will enhance
their job specific and personal development aspirations.

The identification of individual needs should begin with self-reflection. This should be
an honest appraisal of current performance to establish areas for development,
alongside consideration of personal aspirations. For all staff engaged in teaching and
learning (such as lecturers, LSAs, trainers and assessors) the reflection process should
include any feedback from teaching or assessing observations as well as feedback from
students, apprentices and employers on the quality of teaching and learning.

Another key opportunity to identify individual training needs should be through the
annual performance appraisal meeting. Reviewing the performance from the previous
year will highlight areas requiring improvement or new developments needed for the
future. The appraisal discussion should also include the identification of training needs
associated with the agreed objectives.

For teaching and training staff, the evaluation of any observation or learner feedback,
should also feed into the appraisal discussion and be used to identify training needs. IN
the appraisal staff and line manager should review the impact of previous objectives
and training to ensure continuous improvement in performance.

In addition to this structured approach to identifying individual training needs the

college should also be responsive to specific needs that may arise though the year.

Identifying Team Needs

The identification of team development needs should also be based on self-reflection.

Using the quality development plans created as part of the college’s annual quality and
planning cycles (including curriculum, learning and functional area reviews and annual
operating plans) leaders and managers should identify any training needs that will
ensure the actions can be completed effectively.

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The process of curriculum and HR planning should also identify training needs. These
may include areas where there is a need to upskill existing staff to adapt or enhance
their skills, as they respond to new or emerging curriculum needs and professional
standards. HR planning may also identify training needs to improve current
performance. Feedback from learners, staff and other stakeholders will also identify
areas where staff training may be required to improve the quality of service provided
by a team.

Identifying Stakeholder Needs

The identification of stakeholder needs is vital as the college responds flexibly and
promptly to the training requirements of employers, through the college’s
apprenticeship provision and bespoke training. Providing a responsive curriculum is also
key to addressing government priorities. It is therefore essential college staff have
access to appropriate and timely training to ensure they can meet these needs.

Professional development priorities will include up-to-date training for teachers and
assessors in their sector priorities and skills. Staff will be supported to gain
professionally relevant qualifications or professional accreditation, as well as engaging
in industrially-relevant placements or visits.

Identifying College Needs

At a cross-college level training needs will be identified through strategic planning and
the annual review of quality. Key priorities will emerge through the Annual Operational
Plan and quality development plans. Cross-college needs will also be identified through
government initiatives and changes in policy or legal obligations.

Some training will relate to the college’s corporate responsibility in areas such as health
and safety, child protection and equality and diversity. In general, training activities in
these areas will be delivered through an e-learning platform.

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Planning and Prioritising to meet Needs

Using these methods for identifying training needs, the college will plan and, where
necessary, prioritise the support given to training activities. The appraisal meeting
provides the best opportunity for each member of staff to identify their training
priorities.

At team level, each manager will identify the priorities for training in their area through
the online Team Staff Development Tool. Through an annual training needs assessment
meeting each manager will work with the Staff Development Team to plan relevant
training. The Staff Development Team will collate these training needs and identify the
key college priorities, which will be agreed by CMT.

Budgeting

While the new approach to identifying and prioritising training needs is embedded the
college will continue with devolving half of the staff development budget. This will
remain on pro-rata basis between the three faculties and GCS Training. This approach
will be reviewed at the end of the academic year.

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 Section 3 – Development Priorities for 2018-2022

Cross-college Priorities

• Developing staff digital skills

• Developing staff literacy and numeracy skills
• Health and Wellbeing for staff
• Developing staff Welsh language skills
• Corporate training (including health and safety, GDPR and data security, child
protection and Prevent, equality and diversity training and the ALN bill)
• Leadership and management training
• Functional area training plans

Teaching and Learning Priorities

• Stretch and challenge

• Embedding digital literacy
• Embedding Skills
• Teaching and assessing on apprenticeship provision
• Teaching on higher education programmes
• Teaching on distance learning programmes
• Embedding Welsh language and culture
• Feedback and target-setting
• Effective links with LSAs
• Mental health awareness
• Curriculum specific training

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 Section 4 – Evaluation of Staff Development Activities
All training activity should be evaluated to ensure it is fit for purpose and provides
value for money. Training should also be evaluated to measure its impact on an
individual or team’s performance.

Initial Evaluation

Following all formal training activity each participant will be asked to complete an
initial evaluation of the quality of training. This will be gathered through a short
online feedback questionnaire. For events delivered internally the presenter(s) will
be able to access a summary of the feedback to support their reflection on the
event. For larger training events or programmes the Staff Development Team will
produce a summary report of the feedback, so that the information on the quality
of internal and external activities can be used to inform future training.

Three-Month Impact Evaluation

In addition to evaluating the quality of staff development activity it is important to

evaluate the impact of the training on an individual’s role and performance. Staff
will therefore evaluate the impact of significant training three months after the
activity. This reflection will be carried out through the individual’s online training
plan and should be used as part of the appraisal discussion. This impact evaluation
will not routinely be carried out for corporate training, but will focus on job specific
training and extended learning and development activity.

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 Appendix 1 – The Staff Development Process

Start by Going to the Staff Development Portal

What would you like to do?

Set up Training Book Training

Locally Arranged Centrally Arranged

External Training Internal Training
Training Training

Click on Tab Click on Tab Click on Tab Click on Tab

Create Local Request Internal Request External Internal Training
Training Training Training Courses

Complete Form Complete Form Complete Form Enrol on Course

Training Arranged by Approval - Line

Carry Out Training Staff Development Corporate Training Individual Training
Manager
Team

Approval - Budget Approval - Line

Confirm Attendees Holder Course Approved Manager

Course Approved Course Approved

Training Arranged by
Staff Development
11 Team
 Appendix 2 – Types of Staff Development Activity

Structured CPD activities:

These activities will make up the majority of training activity. They should be logged
on the College’s staff development system and will appear in each individual’s training
record. Here is a list of some of the types of structured activity that may be used for
staff development.

• Job specific training event

• Online training course
• Industrial placement
• Team training event
• Conference
• Apprenticeships
• Webinar
• Scholarly activity
• Coaching or Mentoring
• Shadowing
• Gaining a professional qualification
• Sharing practice
• Network events

Non-Structured and Self-Directed CPD activities:

Some staff development activities may not take place in formal or structured sessions.
These should be recorded using the Self-Directed CPD tab on the staff development
portal. During an annual appraisal a level of recognition for these activities should be
agreed with the line manager and an appropriate allocation of hours should be added
to each individual’s training record. This type of CPD might include:

• Research
• Networking with employers and others
• Visits
• Informal sharing practice
• Personal development
• Wellbeing events

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EWC Requirements:

Membership of the Education Workforce Council (specifically for lecturers, assessors and
LSAs) places a strong emphasis on CPD. Staff are expected to agree a programme of
CPD with their line manager that supports them to complete at least 30 hours of
meaningful CPD each year. This will be on a pro-rata basis for staff with fractional or
part-time contracts. The college commits to support all staff to achieve this through
making appropriate CPD activities available. The college will also support staff to meet
the EWC requirements by providing a platform to keep records of completed CPD.

Signature:

Person signing off Strategy: Mark Jones, Principal

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