Staff development

Staff development is the way that a provider prepares staff to have the skills and experience necessary to deliver training and meet the needs of learners and employers. Staff at the best providers are "grown" into new or changing job roles. Providers with good staff development benefit from lower staff turnover and absence.

How does your use of staff development compare with that of the most effective provision seen on inspection

The following strengths and areas for improvement have been taken from recent inspection reports across the Ofsted Learning and Skills remit?

Common inspection strengths

• Good development of staff skills and experience
• Good industrial updating of staff
• Particularly effect staff induction and mentoring programme
• Good progression routes for staff
• Comprehensive staff development and appraisal

Common inspection areas for improvement

• Poor approach to staff development
• Insufficient assessment of staff performance
• Inadequate planning of staff training and development
• Inadequate staff induction

If you were given a similar area for improvement bullet at the end of your last inspection, self assessed this area as an area for improvement, or want to work to avoid such areas for improvement, then consider what inspectors judge to be key.

Particularly effective practice identified in inspections includes:

• Writing clear and detailed job descriptions which clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each member of staff /job role.
• Having job descriptions that are "fit for purpose", having been revised in consultation with those who carry them out to include staff development as an integral part. Job descriptions include an ideal set of skills and qualifications that can be worked towards where not already in place. Keeping job descriptions up-to-date as circumstances change, often linked to the annual appraisal cycle.
• Using job descriptions as part of the application and interview process to help "transparency" and fairness. Not asking new staff to do things that they did not "sign up for" at least initially, without consultation.
• Using the job description to inform information used to make judgements in staff appraisal.
• Some providers financially support an element of staff development, such as a vocational evening class, that is unrelated to the job role of the member of staff. The benefit for the provider is in encouraging learning and experiencing different types of teaching.
• Including quality improvement activities as part of staff development and appraisal, particularly observation of training or key training processes (helps to focus staff development for the benefit of learners).
• Job roles and descriptions having progression paths where possible, encouraging staff to develop themselves in order to progress with the provider, rather than having to apply for jobs elsewhere in order to progress.
• Checking that staff in-post continue to be appropriately qualified and experienced, for example, taking newer qualifications or undertaking industrial updating.
• Realising the importance of a thorough induction process for new staff (or those undertaking new roles) so that they are fully prepared for their role. This is not only better for the learners who will interact with these staff but gives confidence in performing the job role. Many providers who have invested in improving staff induction have benefited from improved retention of staff.
• Identifying staff who are particularly good in their job roles who can act as mentors to those undertaking similar job roles for the first time. Being outside of the formal line management structure helps enable dialogue about improving performance and asking questions that might not occur with a line manager. The most effective mentoring systems are for staff entering new job roles at all levels. In one case a college principal was mentored by the principle of another college.
• Identifying best practice in appraisal and implementing it, such as offering all staff appropriate training as an appraiser or an appraisee.
• Carrying out regular staff performance reviews and appraisals, ensuring that they are clearly linked to the achievement of business and personal objectives. Although an annual cycle, having one or more review points during the year (more in the first year of a new job role).
• Demonstrating commitment to staff development by undertaking external testing/accreditation in order to meet national standards.
• Using performance reviews and/or appraisals to forward plan a programme of individual staff development.
• Implementing effective staff development procedures so that staff can develop their skills and make the best possible contribution to the training and development of learners.
• Recording staff training and development activities on personal development plans and as an overall record for the provider in order to show how annual plans have been implemented.
• Working in conjunction with other providers to offer staff training with a particular focus, such as improving learner retention or using technology (ILT) effectively in teaching.
• Sending the most appropriate staff on particular training (those who will use it or help to implement it with others).
• Being flexible, responding to unplanned training opportunities that may arise and be useful.
• Evaluating staff training and development activities in terms of their usefulness and impact on learners.
• Promoting opportunities for skills updating through placements with employers or courses with manufacturers of equipment.
• Clearly showing how strategic objectives are being met through staff development applications being cross-referenced to key strategic objectives.
• Holding "cascade events" so that those who have attended external training can inform others of useful points.
• Including aspects of health and safety to do with a job role. For example, an assessor who travels to the workplace might benefit from defensive driving training or safe lone working courses.
• Having concentrated staff development events. For example many colleges offer a programme of development opportunities at the end of the financial year while work-based providers may "close" to learners over the Christmas period to do the same thing.
• Using staff development to help succession planning should key members of staff, such as internal verifiers or numeracy support tutors, leave.

What could you do next to improve your provision?

• Read inspection reports to identify what the best providers are doing in your particular type of provision or area of learning (also check other types of provision as good practice is usually transferable between inspection contexts - adult and community learning, college, DWP, work-based, etc). As well as looking at providers with ‘outstanding’ aspects or monitoring visit reports with judgements of ‘significant progress’, look at providers who are similar to yourself in terms of remit, size and what they offer – Ofsted inspection reports
• Get a clearer and richer understanding of what you need to do to improve – Learner-centred self-assessment
• Use downloadable quality-improvement resources to develop your staff team and to focus on actions that will help to improve your provision – Actions for quality improvement
• Adopt or adapt the best bits of other providers’ work that inspection has identified as being particularly effective – Ofsted good practice database examples
• Measure just how effective your initial-assessment system is and if your quality-improvement initiatives are working – Data projects
• Develop a blueprint for initial assessment of your learners – Initial assessment and support
• Check whether your self-assessment report is fit for purpose – Self-assessment surgery projects
• Use the guidance developed by Ofsted to know what to expect in order to prepare for inspection, look at the Ofsted inspection handbook for your remit or the inspection toolkit – use the search box if necessary - inspection handbooks and toolkit
• Use the Excellence Gateway as a first ‘port of call’ when researching areas that you would like to improve. As well as the Ofsted-related area, simple word searches will bring you a variety of information about what others in the learning and skills sector are doing to improve their provision. This is particularly useful for any newer areas that you may wish to research.