Good management involves assessing and planning for the training of individual staff, says assessor Meg Jones
We would all agree in principle that training is a vital tool in maintaining standards. The problem comes in implementing a training programme that will ensure equity for each member of staff, add to the overall skills base, give value for money and allow staffing ratios to be maintained while it takes place. It also needs planning, as an ad hoc allocation of limited training resources, given on the basis of first-come-first-served, is inefficient and can mean the less assertive members of staff lose out each time.
Entitlement and priority
By devising a training plan you will:
- increase your awareness of individual training needs,
- have a firmer idea of budget implications and commitment,
- show members of staff the value you place on them and on training, and
- offer a fairer, transparent method of allocating limited resources.
Each setting should work out an agreed training entitlement - that is, the minimum amount of paid time each member of staff is entitled to take off for training. The amount of time will depend on the commitment to training and the practicalities involved. For example, two hours a month is equivalent to about three days per year but, of course, you could offer more if circumstances allow.
How the entitlement is taken will depend on circumstances. It could be three days towards a longer course, with the rest being taken in the staff member's own time, in work time, or after hours with time off in lieu.
Training options
- External and internal. Be aware of all the training options available to you before starting to meet staff and drawing up your training plan. Study any training guides produced by your Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. Find out what is being offered by local colleges and training agencies. Contact the Childcare Information Service in your area.
- In-house/in-service training. If a specific skill or knowledge has been identified as a training need, decide whether it can be offered in-house. Could a member of staff with a sufficiently high level of skill lead a session? In-house training is cost- effective, and can be presented at a time to suit your service. Alternatively, investigate buying in local expertise for a training session, as it can be very specific to your needs.
- Coaching. Working alongside a more experienced member of staff can be an effective method of gaining competence, if it is mutually agreed, if specific time is set aside for it and if there is regular feedback and evaluation.
- Work experience. Arrange for staff to work in another setting. If, for example, you are intending to offer after-school care, your extra support staff could spend time in another setting to gain first-hand experience of this kind of work and seek out advice on running a similar service.
- Shadowing. To gain insight into the demands of a job, particularly at management level, it is useful to 'shadow' a person already doing the job, either in your setting or another. Set aside time, perhaps a complete week, when your staff member attends all meetings, sits in on management tasks, and accompanies the other person on visits.
- Job swap. Arrangements could be made for two people to swap jobs for a few weeks or months. This incurs no added costs and gives each person time to become familiar with and contribute to the other's role. The two can share experiences, bring new perspectives to each other's roles and gain insights into other aspects of childcare.
- Short courses/conferences/seminars. Some staff may be able to glean important new knowledge or awareness from short, intensive courses.
- Medium or longer courses. Consider traditional courses run by through colleges or training agencies.
Annual training meeting
Meet privately with each member of staff, including any ancillary staff for whom you have responsibility, to discuss their training needs.
Before the meeting, consider the future training needs of the setting. Has anyone left or is anyone leaving whose departure creates a skills gap? Are there plans for new provision requiring additional skills? Is motivation falling? Do you need more qualified staff? How can you meet personal development needs?
- Start by reviewing the training received over the past year. Talk through the person's strengths, and allow them to talk freely to you and identify any gaps in their training.
Consider the meeting as an assessment exercise only. Do not make promises, as you may use up your budget and time allocation on the first two members of staff that you see, leaving the rest with no chance of any training, a situation that will only produce resentment.
- Identify what aspects of training should be given priority within the next six months, in the next year and what 'would be good to have if we can manage it'.
- Record the outcome of the meeting as an individual training plan.
The training plan
Next comes the juggling act. It is the manager's role, in light of the outcome of the training meetings, to prioritise the requirements of the setting against personal development, within available time and budget restraints. Here is where you need to be resourceful and innovative and consider by what methods the training identified could be achieved.
- Draw up a plan with everyone's name on it. Beside each name write in the training needs identified, the chosen option for delivering them, the training priority, and direct and indirect costs. Such a plan will help you see your commitment for the following year and estimate the costs and time.
- Review the plan every six months and revise it if need be to take account of any changes in staff or in priorities.
Management responsibility for training does not end with the plan. The plan becomes the tool through which you can now set up the relevant training according to the needs you have identified.
