Learning and Development Policy June 2011

CONTROL RECORD
Title / Learning and Development
Reference / 54
Purpose / To update the L&D policy in place to better reflect NHSSL&D requirements
Audience / All NHSS staff
Issue / Issue date / 19.5.11
Version / 2.0 / Date / 19.5.11
Status / Revised ( based on old PCT policy) / Review / March 2013.
Owner / HR ( L&D) Claire Fretwell / Christine Joy
Author / Updated by Claire Fretwell
Assisted in the Development of the document / Alison Hales, Christine Joy
Superseded Documents / No
Main Changes from previous versions / Promotes E learning, Supports PDR process, change in priorities 1 to 4, explains NHSS LBR
Associated Documents / PDR, Essential ( Statutory and Mandatory) and Induction policies
Groups Consulted / Senior Mgt team
NHSS staff
HR
Approved by / Governance Committee / Date / 19/5/11
Ratified by / Board / Date / 7/6/11
Date
Target audience / All NHSS staff
Distribution list / All NHSS staff
Method / Intranet  Other  eg Team brief
Archived / Date / Location
Access / Open

Learning and Development Policy

The current versions of all policies can be accessed at the NHS Sheffield Intranet Site at

Date of Issue – 7th June 2011

VERSION CONTROL
Version / Date / Author / Status / Comment
2.0 / April 2011 / Claire Fretwell / Review March 2013

This policy / service has been reviewed in accordance with Equalities Legislation on race, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, faith and belief.

Learning and Development Policy

Contents

1 Introduction

5

2 Purpose

Scope

Definitions

Responsibilities

Identifying Learning and Development Needs

Meeting Learning and Development Needs

Maximising the Benefits of Learning and Development

Resourcing Learning and Development

Funding and Leave to Support Learning and Development

Making an Application

Appeals

Evaluation of Learning and Development

Interaction with Other Policies and Procedures

Equality and Diversity Statement

Monitoring and Review

Appendix 1 – Learning and Development Processes and Procedures

Appendix 2 – Guidance Checklists

Appendix 3 – Implementation Plan

1. Introduction

NHS Sheffield recognises that the learning and development of all its employees is fundamental in supporting the achievement of organisational objectives.

The HR / Learning and Development Team are committed to providing a high quality service which meets the needs of all employees to develop their skills and knowledge whilst supporting the organisation’s objectives.

2. Purpose

To provide a fair, equitable and consistent approach to access to learning and development of NHS Sheffield employees whilst prioritising the needs of the organisation.

Staff applying to access learning and development must follow the specified procedures, be compliant with the statutory and mandatory training requirements for their post, and have had a performance and development review meeting with their line manager during the preceding 12 months.

3. Scope

The document is relevant to all NHS Sheffield staff.

4. Definitions

Learning and Development Study Leave: The agreed allocation of time during the employee’s contractual hours to carry out a Learning and Development activity.

Learning and Development Financial Support: The allocation of any NHS financial support, to carry out a Learning and Development activity.

NHS Sheffield Senior Management Team: The Group has decision-making authority for NHS Sheffield’s learning and development.

Membership comprises:

Deputy Director of Finance

Deputy Director of Performance

Deputy Director of Public Health

Deputy Director of Standards and Engagement

Deputy Director of Strategy

Facilities Manager

PEC Business Manager

Principal Human Resources Manager

General Manager Continuing Health Care

Learning and Development Team: Employees of the HR Department.

Employee: A person who appears on the NHS Sheffield payroll.

5. Responsibilities

5.1. The Organisation is responsible for ensuring that:

The policy is implemented and regularly reviewed.
The policy supports the delivery of the Business Plan.
Organisational learning and development priorities are identified on an annual basis.
Learning and development opportunities are appropriately resourced

5.2. The NHS Sheffield HR/Learning and Development Team is responsible for:

Managing the learning and development budget for business wide learning and development interventions
Assisting Business Managers in the prioritisation of individual and organisational learning needs.
Collating Learning Needs Analysis information from the PDP’s ( post PDR) and communicating it to appropriate decision making groups
Supporting the identification of available alternative funding sources.
Providing details of external learning and development providers where necessary.
Commissioning internal and external learning and development activities.
Advising on alternative learning and development interventions where cost constraints are a factor.

Monitoring attendance at training and the evaluation of training
Liaising with and considering information and advice from the employee and their manager.

5.3. Directorate and Business Area Heads/Leads are responsible for:

After taking into account the needs of the directorate or business area, summarising all the learning needs, including costs, from their directorate or business area in the annual learning needs analysis (and quarterly update) provided by the Learning and Development department.
Prioritising the learning needs to ensure that requests that support the delivery of the business plan are clearly identified as separate from those which are of benefit to the individual for career progression.
Ensuring E-Learning is promoted as a first instance to meet training needs.
Forwarding the learning needs to the HRassistant annually and update each quarter.

5.4. Line Managers are responsible for ensuring that:

Direct reports receive an annual Performance Development Review (PDR) and as a minimum a 6 monthly review.
Direct reports maintain compliance with statutory and mandatory training requirements.
Personal learning and development needs are identified for each direct report.
Individuals are advised on the policy principles/guidance in response to their learning and development request.
Personal Development Plans (PDP) are regularly reviewed and are sent to HR assistant on an annual basis (May) via the generic L&D email address.
Learning and development needs are regularly reviewed and appropriate interventions identified on PDPs are implemented.
Appropriate learning and development opportunities are communicated to staff.
Learning and development is planned with minimum disruption to service delivery, using E learning as a first response to meet training need.
They agree appropriate study leave with the employee in consultation with the course tutor

(Using the Activity Application Form)

Direct reports share their learning with colleagues and other teams where appropriate.
A fair and consistent approach is applied across all direct reports.

5.5. Individuals are responsible for:

Taking ownership for their learning and development.
Making the most of learning and development opportunities.
Managing their attendance at training and mandatory and statutory compliance.
Ensuring user name and password collected to begin use of the e - learning packages.

Working towards the achievement of their PDP.
Agreeing study leave and their financial support contract through the Activity Application Process.
Attending approved and booked learning and development events
Applying their learning and sharing knowledge with others.
Providing the Learning and Development Team with a copy of any certificates which are received as a result of a learning and development intervention.

Identifying Learning and Development Needs

6.1. Performance and Development Review and Learning Needs Analysis (LNA)

All staff will undertake an annual PDR which includes the identification of any learning and development needs in agreement with their line manager/appraiser. All identified learning and development needs are recorded in a PDP. The Annual PDP (April/May) is then sent to HR assistant for collation to direct the LNA.

Refer to the Performance and Development Review Policy

A PDP should cover the learning and development needs of the individual in relation to:

Mandatory, statutory and legislative requirements.
Any new skills/knowledge to reflect changes in the current role requirements.
The delivery of performance objectives specific to the individual, team, department and/or service.
The knowledge and skills required to deliver the organisational business objectives.
The knowledge and skills to support a career development move either laterally or to a more senior role (not within the first twelve months in a post)

The Line Manager/reviewer and the reviewee are required to carefully consider the time required to attend identified learning and development interventions before deciding whether or not they can be fully or partially accommodated, as time away from the business is a significant cost to the organisation.

It is understood that once a PDP has been agreed additional learning and development needs may be identified throughout the course of the year. In these circumstances once any additions have been agreed by the line manager/reviewer and the reviewee, they can be added to the Directorate or Business areas Learning Needs Analysis (LNA). Updated learning needs analyses are forwarded to the HR Assistant quarterly, who will update the LNA as required.

6.2. Learning and Development Priorities

6.2.1. Priority One

Essential learning and development which is the statutory and mandatory requirements employees are required to demonstrate compliance to for their post, upon joining NHSS and periodically throughout their employment.

Refer to - Essential (Statutory and Mandatory) Learning and Development Policy

6.2.2. Priority Two

Learning and development needs required to deliver do the job role, as outlined in the job description.

Applicants will have successfully achieved their essential (Statutory and Mandatory) learning and development (priority one) requirements of their post prior to the submission of a priority two application.

6.2.3. Priority Three

Learning and development required to support the planned development of a service, or department identified in the business plan and/or strategy.

The application process will be via written justification to the Senior Management Team (NHS Sheffield) by the Head of Service/Department. A business case will need to be written and submitted to support such training.

Priority will be given to ensure Achieving Balanced Health and transition of commissioning is supported.

6.2.4. Priority Four

Learning and development needs to support career progression. If a staff member wished to take Career Development opportunities, they must agree on the PDP (as part of the PDR process) with their Line Manager.

Where funding is needed either through LBR/CPD credits or through L&D funding the application for such funding must be made before hand.

(See Activity Application Process)

6.2.5. Trade Union Development for Representatives

Learning and development required for the role of trade union representative.

Applicants will have successfully achieved their essential Learning and Development (priority one) requirements of their post prior to submission.

Meeting Learning and Development Needs

When identifying the options to meet a learning and development need consideration should be given to:

The overall benefits to the organisation and the individual.
The individual’s preferred learning style.
The appropriate learning intervention - for example: observation, coaching, secondments, project participation, attending a learning and development event, e-learning, self study, formal qualification. PLEASE be reminded E Learning is the chosen method in the first instance.
The implications – allocation of any funding support and/or none funding support and the impact upon service delivery.

The details such as venue, time and duration taking into account individual circumstances and working patterns.

Where an internal learning and development intervention is being planned, internal expertise will be used to deliver/facilitate where available. When an external provider is being commissioned where possible this will be in conjunction with internal staff. Both parties will work together to tailor the intervention to ensure its fit with the organisational context whilst effectively meeting the needs of the participants.

Maximising the Benefits of Learning and Development

The Organisation recognises that personal development is most effective if individuals:

Understand why they are undertaking the development activity and how it links to personal, team and/or organisational objectives.
Understand the nature of the development need and have the opportunity to discuss with their line manager.
Are clear what is expected of them in terms of their participation and once having undertaken the development activity.
Are allowed the appropriate time required to undertake the development activity.
Know how the skills and knowledge they achieve can be applied to their work.
Have the support required to apply their new skills and knowledge to their role/workplace and remove any barriers to allow for effective implementation.
Can evaluate the effectiveness of the development activity undertaken and identify any further actions which may be needed to consolidate learning and/or develop their skills.
Are able to share what they have learnt with colleagues.

Resourcing Learning and Development

For learning and development opportunities to be most effective they need to be adequately resourced in terms of any financial support and/or any allocation of support other than direct funding.

In some cases it proves to be more cost effective to centrally commission a learning and development intervention. As such the HR/Learning and Development function hold a centralised training budget which is used for the development of internal programmes that meet organisational needs and affect a significant proportion of staff such as:

Mandatory and statutory training.
Resourcing management interventions and development needs.
Any internal programme identified by the HR/Learning and Development functionthrough the analysis of the Learning Needs Analysis as being a requirement.
Where the skills and knowledge gained from undertaking a qualification or a course would prove valuable but the qualification itself or attending the external course isn’t a requirement of the role.

There may be occasions when available resources are limited and as a result it will be necessary to prioritise learning and development needs. On these occasions, Directorate and Business Area Leads will be responsible for analysing and summarising the needs of their service along with the Senior Management Team, which identify organisational priorities. Directorate and Business Leads and the Senior Management Team, will then be responsible for sharing the identified priorities within the directorate / business areas and with the HR/Learning and Developmentfunction.

Refer to Section 6 – Identifying Learning and Development Needs as a guide to support the identification of the different priorities.

Where an individual request or programme cannot be funded Learning and Development will give a reason why in the email response to the applicant. The line manager will be responsible for giving feedback to support this decision and discuss possible alternatives for meeting the learning and development need.

Funding and Leave to Support Learning and Development

10.1. Internally Delivered Learning and Development

In many cases it is likely that learning and development needs can be met internally and therefore the full costs will be covered.

10.2. Externally Delivered Learning and Development

There may be occasions when an individual wishes to attend an external course of study which is deemed to be of value to the individual’s role. Where the course leads to a qualification the individual would be required to pay a proportion of the financial costs. There may also be occasions when a learning and development request is considered not to be a high priority for the role, especially when resources may be limited. On these occasions a lesser amount may be offered and the individual given the choice whether or not to accept the employer contribution and contribute the rest of the funding.

Where a programme is partially funded by the individual the options for payment are:

The external learning and development provider to invoice NHSS for the agreed percentage of funding and the individual will pay their proportion to the provider as a lump sum or by monthly instalments.
The external learning and development provider to invoice NHSS for the full amount and the individual will pay their proportion to NHSS by monthly instalments automatically deducted from salary.
The individual can pay the external learning and development provider the full amount and claim back the agreed percentage from NHSS.

Additional expenses incurred such as food, travel and accommodation cannot be claimed from the Learning and Development budgets. Travel and accommodation may, if approved by the relevant budget holder, be claimed from Directorate / Business area budgets using a travel expense claim form in the usual way. If not approved, applicants may be required to fund these expenses themselves.

10.3. Recruitment Learning and Development Costs

Where an individual has been recruited without the essentially required knowledge and skills, the recruiting manager will be responsible for meeting any financial costs that may be incurred.

10.4. Capital Equipment Learning and Development Costs

Where learning and development is required to enable staff to use equipment purchased via the capital bids process, the service area will be responsible for meeting the financial costs that may be incurred.

10.5. New Service Specification Learning and Development Costs

Where a new service has been specified and the tender won, the new service area will be responsible for meeting the financial costs plus any staff resource costs to support the service area development.

10.6. Continuous Professional Development

Learning and development for the sole purpose of an individual’s continuous professional development (CPD) in order to maintain their professional registration will not be supported by the organisation. (PREVIOUSLY LBR)

10.7. Level of Financial / Non Financial Support

10.7.1. Priority 1 applications will be funded 100%.

Learning and Development Policy June 2011

Page

1

Introduction

5

2

Purpose