Training and development policy
Status: Version 1.0
Date: February 2023
Introduction
Stourport-on-Severn Town Council employs 8 members of staff and are committed to:
- Ensuring all employees have the skills, knowledge and attitudes appropriate to their roles and responsibilities within the Council;
- Endeavoring to provide employees with the skills, knowledge and promote positive attitudes consistent with the future demands of the Council;
- Regularly reviewing individual development and training needs as part of appraisal.
- Ensuring that all employees have access to training and development opportunities regardless of their personal circumstances;
- Encouraging all employees to make appropriate use of development and training opportunities;
- Providing resources which will facilitate these commitments;
- Empowering employees to take ownership of their own development, with support from their manage
Equality Statement
This procedure will not discriminate, either directly or indirectly, on the grounds of any of the protected characteristics as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.
Officers involved in any part of this policy must comply with equality, diversity and inclusion principles and ensure any decisions relating to training and development should be made fairly and consistently, and equality of opportunity should be provided for all employees.
Training and Development Initiatives
The Council provides a range of training and development opportunities for employees which fall into the following categories:
- Enhancement of skills for an employee’s current role
These include internal and external courses providing technical training and specialist training relating to the skills that employees require for their job. This also includes continuing professional development (CPD).
- Professional qualifications
These include qualifications required for certain professions. Training under this category will include an agreement to repay costs incurred if the employee leaves the authority within a specified time period.
- Leadership and Management Programmes
These include internal and external courses on leadership and management development.
- Health and Safety Training
Training requirements are identified and form part of a 12 month rolling programme.
Roles and Responsibilities
Both managers and employees have a responsibility for the implementation of training and development initiatives.
Manager’s role:
- Encourage and enable employees to undertake appropriate training and development opportunities;
- Empower employees to take ownership of their own development;
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of learning for employees who have undergone training and development;
- Support employees with the implementation of the skills that they have gained through training;
- Encourage knowledge sharin
Employee’s role:
- Take ownership of their own development;
- Take up relevant training and development opportunities;
- Implement the skills and knowledge gained through training;
- Make the most of any training and development sessions;
- Approach all training and development opportunities provided with a positive attitud
Record of Training
Upon completion of a training course/programme a record will be kept on the employee’s personnel file.
Employee training records will be held and destroyed in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and any Council policy which derives from that Act.
Evaluating Training and Results
Critical to the success of planning and delivering training and development activities is monitoring resources and measuring the outcomes.
Upon completion of training employees will be asked to complete an evaluation which will be used to evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of training.
Training and Development Plan
Training needs will be collated, analysed and an annual training and development plan will be developed and rolled out.
Financial Assistance
The council will ensure that training for staff is adequately covered as a training item in the annual budget and that membership fees for associated organisations are also included.
Any requests from staff to attend training must be made to the Town Clerk and each request will be considered on an individual basis and the benefits to the individual’s development needs, alongside the council’s objectives.
Staff attending training courses can expect the following to be paid:
➢ The course fee
➢ Any examination fees
➢ Associated membership fees
➢ Travel expenses
This policy will be reviewed annually from adoption date.