Staff Development, Training and Qualifications (Scotland) Policy

This policy sets out the values, principles and procedures underpinning {{org_field_name}}’s approach to staff training and qualifications in line with the requirements of the national health and care standards, My Support, My Life, in which people using a care service can expect to have confidence in the people providing their care and support “because they are trained, competent and skilled, reflect on their practice and follow their professional and organisational codes” (Standard 3.14 under “Responsive Care and Support”).

Note:

The policy details described below will vary between services and should be adjusted to reflect the service’s approach and procedures, and in relation to the difficulties posed by the Covid-19 restrictions on face-to-face training.

Policy Statement

{{org_field_name}} recognises that its employees represent its greatest asset. By providing opportunities, facilities and financial support for training, it requires all its employees to have the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to perform their jobs to the highest standard.

To this end, the service is committed to functioning as a learning organisation, providing all its employees with the opportunity for training and retraining in accordance with their own needs and those of the service as a whole.

It seeks to provide the highest quality service possible for all the people who use the service, who are expected to be treated with respect, dignity and compassion by a well-trained, highly-motivated and professionally-led staff group aware of its legal, ethical and moral duties.

The service continually strives to achieve its objective of having a full complement of committed, qualified staff who comply with all current regulations and national care standards.

The service is supportive of the registration scheme being developed by the Scottish Social Services Care Council and will make sure all staff are registered by the required dates for their level. It subscribes to the Code of Practice for Social Service Workers, which it uses as a key training tool.

Aims of Staff Development

The service expects its staff to respect people who use the service and be accessible, approachable and comfortable with them, to be good listeners and communicators, reliable and honest, interested, motivated and committed. In addition, they should have the skills and experience necessary for the tasks they are expected to perform, including:

knowledge of people receiving care’s disabilities, impairments and vulnerabilities
specialist skills to meet people’s individual needs, including skills in communication and in dealing with all kinds of behaviour
understanding of the different ways that individuals, particularly those who have difficulties in communicating through speech, can communicate their needs, preferences, complaints and frustrations
understanding of the cultural and religious heritage of each individual
(where relevant) techniques for rehabilitation including treatment and recovery programmes, the promotion of mobility, continence and self-care
appreciation of, and ability to balance, the particular and fluctuating needs of individuals and the needs of all people who use the service

The service is always seeking to recruit and develop a highly trained and qualified workforce to give as high a standard of care to people as possible. It promotes staff training and the ongoing continuing education of its staff at all times and supports requests to gain further qualifications, including SSSC’s “Open Badges” scheme wherever those qualifications fit in with the service’s business and development plans, and are agreed with staff in appraisal and personal learning plans.

Staff Training and Development Programme

The service works to the following principles concerning staff training and development.

Training can be defined as the process of developing staff to an agreed standard of competence so that they have the knowledge and skills to carry out their role and tasks.
A planned programme for the training and development of staff is essential to ensure good practice and the provision of a quality service for individuals.
Without a skilled, committed and well-trained staff team, the service cannot possibly succeed in its aim to provide high-quality care.
A care service staff group is the most significant of its investments in achieving its purpose. Once the service has recruited competent, experienced and qualified staff, it is also essential to keep their skills up to date.
Training should not only motivate staff, but also encourage their co-operation, imagination and personal development. Without being stimulated by new learning, staff can become bored, take shortcuts, lapse into bad habits or feel undervalued and underused.

Induction

The induction training programme has been developed in line with the Scottish Social Services Care Council’s guidance, Preparing for Practice, which recommends that induction follows a structured process by focusing on:

a. values
b. introduction to:
i. care practice
ii. the organisation
iii. the workplace
iv. roles and responsibilities
v. specific social care issues.

Continuing Development

All staff receive appropriate training to equip them to meet the assessed needs of the people who use the service as defined in the personal plan. All training is regularly updated and staff receive refresher training so that their working practices are kept up to date.

Staff are enabled to take part in all the training that is essential to perform their roles effectively and competently. This includes full-time, part-time and temporary staff and staff recruited from overseas. The training is delivered in different ways in line with individuals’ training assessments, which indicate their preferred and most effective ways of learning.

Training is provided to comply with statutory requirements in respect of:

safe working practices to ensure that the health, safety and welfare of individuals and staff are promoted and protected; this includes moving and handling, fire safety, first aid, food hygiene and infection control
protection of vulnerable people
all aspects of abuse and protection of vulnerable people
risk assessments and management of risk
enabling staff to achieve relevant qualifications in health and social care through SVQs at the appropriate levels and to meet post registration continuing development requirements.

In addition, any trainees employed by the service (including all staff under 18) are provided with accredited training relevant to their experience and individual learning and career goals.

Key Features of the Staff Development and Training Programme (Include Where Applicable)

A training noticeboard with the service’s training matrix/planner included on it is situated in the office/staff room. It contains all relevant training information, forthcoming courses and training opportunities are posted. (Or alternative methods of communicating training information such as intranet, emails/bulletins/memos, etc.)
All new members of staff receive induction training to make sure they can carry out their jobs competently and are safe to leave.
All care staff have additional training to update their knowledge and skills and to meet new care needs. This training might be taken on outside courses or on in-house training sessions or through e-Learning; whichever form is most relevant to the learning needs and outcomes sought.
The service will pay for, make a contribution towards or seek external funding for any additional training requested by individual staff fees if the manager agrees that the training concerned fits in with the service’s work or will benefit from it. The exact amount of contribution will be negotiated upon application.
Once an application for a training event has been agreed in principle, the applicant fills in a training request form and submits this to the registered manager/owner.
There is a programme of in-house training events and discussions held [eg every second month] which all available staff can attend, including night care staff. Details of dates and topics are posted on the training noticeboard.
All staff have an annual appraisal in which the outcomes from any training the staff member has had and their future needs are discussed.
All staff have a personal training file which acts as a record of the training they undertake. They should record details of all training sessions that they attend and competences achieved and have these signed off by a responsible person.
The file also contains a personal development plan, which is developed from the person’s supervision sessions and annual appraisal. The personal development plan contains information about any training opportunities that the member of staff seeks to pursue during the next year.
All permanent staff are encouraged to apply to undertake a recognised qualification in health and social care (SVQ) that is relevant to their work and at the appropriate level so that the service can always maintain its required levels of qualified staff.
Staff with specific responsibilities are expected to engage in the training, which is relevant to their roles; especially where the training requires accreditation to establish the competences to carry out the role.

Training Personnel

________________________________ is responsible for the organisation of induction programmes for new staff.
________________________________ is responsible for the planning and organisation of in-house training.
________________________________ is responsible for assessing workplace competencies and training linked to qualifications in health and social care.

Training Needs Assessments

Staff can expect their individual training needs to be discussed in their supervision sessions and annual appraisal.

The service also carries out a training review annually, which is made the responsibility of the training manager/co-ordinator. This takes the form of a questionnaire sent to every member of staff on the training they have received and their recommendations for future training.

This review forms part of the quality assurance strategy. The results from the review are combined with the business plan, with individual staff personal development plans and make a major contribution to the planning of the next annual training programme.

Management Responsibilities

Management ensures that:

adequate, suitably trained and qualified staff are always available
all professional and registered staff are suitably qualified and fully adhere to the standards of their registration
all staff take every reasonable opportunity to maintain and improve their professional knowledge, qualifications and competence.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}

DS195. Staff Development, Training and Qualifications