Other Policies and Procedures linked to this policy:  

Aims of the Policy:  

The aim of the staff development policy is to ensure all staff (academic, academic-related  administration, marketing and administrative staff) are encouraged to take part in the training  and development opportunities open to them, both to meet their own career needs and also as  part of the priority setting process which is on-going within the Institute. It is primarily the  responsibility of the individual to identify areas for their own development (training needs),  although this should be in consultation with their centre managers.  

Policy 

Staff development encompasses activities and processes which are intended to have an impact  on individual and organizational learning and, by so doing, to improve the effectiveness and  efficiency of the individual and the Institute in the achievement of its mission.  

1. All staff members are ultimately responsible for their own professional development; they also  have a responsibility to contribute, as appropriate, to the development of others.  

2. The Institute is responsible for supporting and encouraging the development of its staff,  particularly in line with Institute academic practices.  

3. Staff development information and provision will be accessible to all staff employed by the  Institute, including full time and part time staff.  

4. All new staff members are required to undertake a tailor made induction programme.  

5. All new staff members will be subject to a probation period. In most cases this lasts for three  to six months and will involve regular meetings between the individual and their Centre manager  to assess progress, set targets and identify areas where development is needed. 

6. All staff involved in teaching or supporting student learning is appropriately qualified,  supported and developed.  

7. All staff involved in making decisions regarding admissions of students are trained and are  equipped to make the required judgements and competent to undertake their roles and  responsibilities.  

8. Ensures staff who enable students to develop and achieve are appropriately qualified,  competent, up to date and supported.  

9. Enable appropriate staff to obtain and enhance their expertise through appropriate  professional qualifications and continuing professional development. This may include induction  programmes, teaching and learning support courses, staff development programmes and  networking opportunities such as discussion groups.  

10. Institute assess on an annual basis whether staff are properly trained, competent and up to  date.  

11. Feedback from students is used to inform and assess Institute’s approach to developing staff,  and the approach is facilitated by adequate resources.  

12. Staff will also have an annual performance appraisal conducted by the Centre manager. This  will include a review of individual staff training and development needs in relation to the range  of capabilities and skills required to carry out their jobs and to develop their potential.  

Procedures  

1. To ensure that each employee participates in an effective induction programme, which  covers a detailed introduction to the Institute and also relevant health, safety and legal  requirements relating to the individual`s job role, when they join the Institute.  

2. To ensure that all employees are made aware of the Institute’s policies and procedures  and that they take particular note of those policies and procedures which most closely  relate to their job role.  

3. To provide, following induction, appropriate introductory training and support, which  may include mentoring and peer review, to enable new employees to reach their  expected level of performance. 

4. To ensure that appropriate training and briefing is provided for all staff in health, safety  and accident prevention and also in relevant statutory and regulatory requirements. 5. To ensure that all staff are aware of the expectations of the Quality Code and other  relevant external reference points and that they understand how these relate to the  operations of the Institute. 

6. To facilitate, where appropriate, group training and development activities in the context  of work teams so as to improve team cohesion and build stronger teams.

7. Through the performance review process and, in the case of teaching staff, through the  additional use of data derived from teaching observation and student feedback, to identify current and potential individual training needs on the basis of identified need,  effectiveness and fairness. 

8. To make available appropriate resources including a designated training and  development budget. 

9. To encourage all programme leaders to reflect upon their practice and to consider how it  might be amended. 

10. To encourage, and support where appropriate, membership of relevant professional  bodies whose activities and resources may enhance the development of employees. 11. To encourage individual enquiry, research, professional practice and appropriate  scholarly activity, which will benefit both the individual and the Institute. 12. To ensure, as far as practicable, that all learning which takes place through both formal  and informal training and development activities is shared and disseminated in a realistic  and systematic fashion  

Activities  

Induction 

Leicad organizes an induction session for its new staff to orient them with culture of the  Institute. This Induction includes a general introduction to the work of the Institute and  the role of the specific post. Where appropriate it should include a discussion of  development needs and opportunities. An induction pack is given to all participants to  guide induction training.  

Courses  

Where a need is identified, the Institute arranges short courses for staff. Various  development events are organized within the college and staff are made aware of them  by email. Time off is granted for attendance at courses and other development events  and, where appropriate, for taking examinations outside the Institute.  

Leave of absence  

The Institute may authorize leave of absence for staff development purposes at their own  discretion.  

Programme development 

Staff may be released to undertake teaching, learning and curriculum development  activities. This policy recognizes following activities can be considered as the training and  development activities:  

• Performance Appraisal of Staff  

• Peer Review of Academic Staff  

• Student Survey Form/NSS Survey  

• Staff Development Day  

• Writing on the Institute newsletter 

• Formal structured training programmes and seminars  

• Informal learning on the job  

• Mentoring  

• Conference attendance (either as a delegate or to present a paper)  • Job swaps, job rotation and role shadowing  

Skills Audit 

To support staff development and ensure new staff are adequately supported, a skills  audit will be carried out every five years to highlight developmental needs of the staff.  Higher Education Academy (HEA) Membership 

The Institute has membership of the Higher Education Authority. The Institute encourages its staff to gain the Higher Education fellowship, which demonstrates a  personal and institutional commitment to professionalism in learning and teaching in  higher education.  

As a staff of the Institute, the HEF will provide discounted fellowship package to our staff  across four categories. The Institute can help and train its staff so that they can  successfully and effectively demonstrate the relevant fellowship.  

Learning, Teaching, Engagement and Enhancement Conference  To provide opportunities for teaching and professional support staff to come together to  identify or share good practice at a wider Institute level, the Institute will organize a  Learning, Teaching, Engagement and Enhancement Conference once in a year. This  should allow the Institute to devise cross-Institute mechanisms for staff and students to  come together to identify and share good practice to support the enhancement of  learning opportunities.  

Micro-research/Inquiry based learning 

The Institute encourages its students and staff to undertake a relatively small but  systematic investigation (e.g.- research project) and report back to their peers by  presenting their findings. This is intended to encourage students and teaching staff to  develop a deeper understanding of the material they have been researching while also  developing skills that will be useful for their study.  

Budget

Monitoring and Review:  

The effectiveness of the implementation will be monitored through Academic Board. The  Institute will publish reports every November which will be reviewed by the Board of  Governance.