STAFF DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE AUGUST 2011 Author: George Hotchkiss, Assistant Principal, Enterprise & Organisational Development Impact Assessment Date: September 2011 Date: August 2011
Contents Introduction... 2 Aims... 2 Development Themes... 2 Budget... 2 Approaches to Development... 3 Informal Staff Development... 4 Leadership and Management Development... 4 Succession Planning... 4 Teaching Qualifications and Professional Development Awards... 5 Reporting... 6 Review... 6 Appendix 1: Staff Development Procedure... 7 Appendix 2: PDA/TQ(FE) Articulation Routes... 8 1
Introduction The College is committed to supporting the highest standard of quality delivery to our learners and customers to ensure that staff is equipped to provide an up-to-date and effective learning and teaching experience and an excellent standard of customer services. The College s Staff Development Policy exists to continuously develop high quality professional staff in order to deliver the best possible services for all our customers and to support realisation of the Corporate Plan. The Staff Development Policy has been informed by and developed from the Organisational Development Strategy. The policy sets out how the College will address staff development. Aims The aims of the Staff Development Policy are to: Embed workforce skills development and planning as a key Quality function. Develop a proactive approach to staff development at both a team and individual level. Develop effectiveness and efficiency at team and individual levels. Ensure that the College realises excellence across service delivery. Development Themes The following themes will be developed: Learner retention and attainment. Learner involvement, engagement and partnership. Realisation of experiences of Curriculum for Excellence. ICT utilisation and blended learning in the curriculum. Promotion of equality and diversity. Effectiveness, efficiency and professionalism in all services. Highest possible customer services. Health & Safety. Continuous quality improvement and enhancement. Budget Staff Development Expenditure Staff development expenditure and budget control will be held by the Quality Manager. Decisions of expenditure and priorities will be informed by: 2
Requirements to realise the College Corporate Plan and Strategic developments. Annual priorities agreed with the management team. External drivers and legislative requirements. An ethos of measureable continuous quality improvement and enhancement. All spending will be made in line with College finance procedures, particularly the Travel and Subsistence Policy. Approaches to Development Team Development Teams and managers will identify development and quality enhancement needs through self-evaluation. These development needs will be expressed as SMART targets to ensure progress can be measured. Managers will have responsibility for and oversight of this work. Team development needs may be addressed through team development days/events or other activities. The College schedules team development days at intervals throughout the year. Managers will coordinate and facilitate activities on these days in conjunction with the Quality Manager/Staff Development & Quality Officer to ensure that teams realise targets from self-evaluation. The Quality office will book external trainers/facilitators and will support managers in the coordination, delivery and evaluation of Team Development days. Teams and managers are encouraged to develop service standards to facilitate objective measurement of activities. Managers will report on progress quarterly and annually to SMT and annually to the College Board of Governors, via the Quality Office. Whole College Development Days The College schedules whole College staff development days at intervals throughout the year. The content of these days will be informed by a strategic overview of development needs held by the Quality Manager who will consult on content with the management team. Individual Staff Development Managers will meet with staff on an annual basis to discuss and review progress against individual Staff Development plans. This meeting must be documented on the form Staff Development 1 (see Appendix 1) and forwarded to Quality for central recording. 3
On an ongoing basis, members of staff will request approval for individual learning and training opportunities from Managers through discussion and e- communication. The intention is to construct staff development which is: Positive. Forward thinking. Balanced between team development needs and individuals interests. Pro-active (rather than deficiency orientated). Where managers have concerns about the effectiveness of the work of a member of staff this may be discussed in context of staff development or in relation to performance improvement. On-line Staff Development Some aspects of staff development are most effectively addressed through e- learning. This method of development will be offered where; It represents best value for money. Access and availability issues are overcome. This form of presentation supports development of an e-learning literate workforce. Informal Staff Development The College recognises that informal development is valuable and can only be undertaken with a commitment of time and other agreed expenses, which will be provided where possible. The following list provides examples of informal professional development: Representing the College on an external group. Visiting colleagues in another College to share best practice. Shadowing colleagues internally or externally. Attending network meetings. Leading and contributing to professional dialogue events. Team teaching. Discussion with internal colleagues. Leadership and Management Development The College recognises that further education is an ever-changing environment. The College will support staff who have the potential and aspiration for career development. Succession Planning The College recognises that the demography of its staff presents it with succession planning challenges throughout the coming decade. To help 4
address this, the College will support its staff to take greater responsibility for their own professional development and career progression either within the College environment or elsewhere. Staff are encouraged to seek and request opportunities to extend their roles and spheres of responsibility (e.g. by taking on additional responsibilities or defined areas of project management) in preparation for applying for promoted posts. Teaching Qualifications and Professional Development Awards Professional Development Awards (PDAs) The College will support staff undertaking Professional Development Awards in initial teacher training. It is a condition in the offer of employment that all new teaching staff complete the Advanced Diploma: Teaching in Further Education: An Introduction within the first year of employment where staff teach more than 6 hours per week. If a new member of staff holds a recognised teaching qualification there is no requirement to undertake this award although this may still be useful if it is their first experience of teaching in Further Education. Teaching Qualification (Further Education) TQ(FE) The College is committed to supporting staff through a professional development process to gain an initial teaching qualification. The College uses the University of Dundee one-year distance-learning programme, supported by an internal mentor system, for staff to achieve the postemployment TQ(FE). All permanent lecturing staff are expected to undertake the TQ(FE), unless they already hold an equivalent teaching qualification (Appendix 1). Post-TQ Development The College has an on-going commitment to improving the learner and customer experience. In line with this, it has adopted a policy of zero tolerance of under-performance, reinforced by the College s Capability Policy and monitored through a revised and strengthened Staff Development Review process. A key part of this approach will be the insistence that all curriculum delivery staff undertake post-tq development. This will ensure that the professional practice and knowledge base of colleagues is continuously upgraded. Assessor & Verifier Units The College will support staff undertaking Assessor and Verifier units where these are appropriate to their area of work. 5
Reporting Planning and Reporting The Quality Manager will produce an annual Staff Development Plan for SMT approval and report against realisation of this quarterly to SMT and annually to the College Board of Governors. Review The policy is reviewed on an annual basis. 6
Staff Development Procedure All individual staff development activities should be logged using a Staff Development Application (SDApp) form. The SDApp is completed by the member of staff wishing the development, signed by their line manager and submitted to Quality for final approval. Team development will be recorded by the manager direct with Quality. Staff are required provide an evaluation of all staff development and data for impact analysis. Procedure for Individual Development Please do not make bookings to attend development without following this procedure. Make an application for the event using the Staff Development Application form (SDApp) which is located on Serengeti under Learning and Teaching/QLT/Continuing Professional Development. Travel using public transport and accommodation must be organised by Quality via the College travel agency. In this case, a trip authorisation form should also be completed which is located on Serengeti. Complete the SDApp and Trip Authorisation (where required) in full. Assemble with appropriate booking forms or other paperwork. Submit to Manager for authorisation. If the development event is outwith Scotland, then the SDApp will require to be authorised by the Principal, as well as the manager. Where a trip authorisation form is required, this must also be signed by the assistant Principal Finance and Resources. Manager to pass the authorised SDApp (and trip authorisation form if required) to Quality for approval by the Staff Development & Quality Officer or Quality Manager. For development costing greater than 750, you will also require to complete a Learning Agreement. Quality will process this, as well as any institutional or organisational paperwork agreeing College sponsorship of development. Quality will raise a valid PECOS requisition for the development event fee and book the required number of places on the course/event. Quality will confirm your course/event booking and forward evaluation and impact paperwork. Mileage and non-mileage expense claims should be submitted to Quality after the development event for authorising and coding. 7
Learning Agreement Staff undertaking a programme of study which either costs more than 750, or has a duration of greater than six months, will be required to sign an agreement with the College detailing the conditions of the support provided. In particular, the College may at its own discretion insist on the repayment of any fees, where the applicant leaves the development programme prior to its completion, or ceases to be an employee of the College. This is detailed in the Learning Agreement form. Payment of Professional Memberships Where it is a requirement of the post, the College may pay studying memberships on behalf of staff, where this is part of the costs of undertaking a professional qualification. After the qualification has been achieved, the responsibility for professional membership reverts to the individual. Appeals In the case of disagreement on staff development between members of staff and their line manager, staff can appeal to the Quality Manager who will investigate the situation. The Quality Manager s decision is final. 8
Appendix 2: Staff Development Review and Development Plan Documentation Staff Development Review and Development Plan 2011-2012 Name: Centre/Service: Organisational and Team Staff Development Priorities(from Corporate Plan, Team Operating Plan and Team Self-Evaluation): General Review for the year 2010/11 (by reviewer) Comments (by reviewee)- Developmental Targets Jointly Agreed: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Comments: Signatures: Reviewee: Reviewer: Date: Date: 9
Appendix 2: PDA/TQ(FE) Articulation Routes Start Do you have a Comms/English level 6 (Higher) qualification?* You should study Comm lvl 6, Comm 4 or H English You should study Numeracy lvl 5 or Maths lvl 5 Do you have a Numeracy/Maths level 5 (Int2) qualification?* Do you have an IT level 4 (Int1) qualification?* You should study IT lvl 4 Do you already have the Advanced PDA Teaching in FE? (G86D 18) You should study EITHER: the Advanced PDA - Introduction to Teaching in FE (DV5X 36 & DV5V 36) OR the Advanced PDA Teaching in FE (G86D 18) - Consult with Staff Development Officer (PA F13) Do you have the Advanced PDA - Introduction to Teaching in FE? (DV5X 36 & DV5V 36) or equivalent Do you have a degree? You should study the Postgraduate TQFE with Credit Top-Up (you will be credited with your classroom observation for Module 1) Do you have a degree? You should study the Ordinary TQFE with Credit Top-Up (will require a 1000-word essay only for Module 1) You should study the Ordinary TQFE with Credit Top-Up (you will be credited with your classroom observation for Module 1) You should study the Postgraduate TQFE with Credit Top-Up (will require a 1500-word essay only for Module 1) * If If you are unsure of your previous qualifications then ask for clarification at the Staff Development Officer (PA F13) NOTE: TQFE requires a MINIMUM of 120 hours timetabled class contact. 10