Unit 8622-300 – Manage Personal & Professional Development
Joanne Brickley-Doherty
Learning Outcome 1
1.1 Sources of information for LG Projects:
Source
Industry Reports i.e from the
Local Government Association
Welsh Government
reports/white papers. i.e.
Future Trends Report Wales
(2021)
Online Forums/Discussion
Boards
Blogs/Social Media Platforms
Pros
Can be helpful in
understanding the general
trends affecting specific
professions/fields
Can give information regarding
the social economic trends of a
geographical area which will
enable public sector to prepare
for these changes (i.e. wellbeing, inequalities etc)
Can prove valuable for
providing feedback from other
professional about their
experiences with various
professional development
trends
Usually provides extensive
information regarding the
experience of one individual
Cons
Cannot be relied upon to
provide detailed information
on specific developments
within a profession/field
Scope can often be too wide
and therefore a lot of
information would be deemed
irrelevant for specific personal
development (i.e. covers all
economic, social,
environmental, cultural and
well-being trends throughout
the whole of Wales)
Interpretation of the
information presented in these
forums can be too subjective
and therefore not represent the
wider population
Does not necessarily capture
the experience of the wider
professional population.
Very subjective
Organisational Development
Department (TCBC)
Organisational training allows
the organisation to create,
retain and transfer the
knowledge it has gained
through experience which will
strengthen the organisation as a
whole.
Develops a culture of learning
and/or continued development
Encourages employees to
challenge the status Quo and to
influence future training (make
training specific).
1.2 Market Changes and Changes in Legislation
Market Changes - Brexit
Information is usually
anecdotal as opposed to factual
There is a risk that the learning
is ineffective and/or outdated
as reliant on the
opinions/experiences of
individual people whose
methods may now be outdated.
May hinder staff’s desire to
learn outside the organisation
that could provide new and
more effective learning.
In January 2020 the Welsh Government announced that one of their main agendas was to ensure that
disabled people have access to specialised information including advice and support with changes that
may affect them following the UK leaving the EU.
As a Welsh Government funded project the CfW Project was required to demonstrate that it supports
disabled people to prepare for the potential impacts that Brexit may have on their day to day lives.
The Project was required to:


Provide engagement opportunities tailored around disabled people’s needs
produce information and signposting in accessible formats
As a result of these changes, CfW Staff were offered a training package that consisted of ACE’s
Training (Adverse Childhood Experiences, Deaf Awareness, RNIB’s Sight loss, older people and
complex needs: Training for health and social care professionals, Autism Awareness)
Changes in Legislation – Declaration of Threat to Public Health in Wales Due to Coronavirus
Prior to the Coronavirus Pandemic the work of the CfW Project was to increase the employability of
individuals who are not in employment, education or training and who face complex barriers to
employment. However, as public servants, when the change in legislation occurred on 29th March
2020, our role then became a role to protect and inform the general public. Staff therefore received
training via Teams on providing essential services to the most vulnerable member of the community
i.e. food bank delivery, prescription deliveries, financial inclusion support, digital inclusion and
financial crisis support. Our Health and Safety team provided training on how to adhere to social
distancing measures, hand hygiene, emergency worker protocols etc
1.3 – Personal Development Plan
Please find attached Appendix 1
2.1 – Benefits of Personal Development
1. Self-awareness – understanding your value, personality, needs, habits, emotions strengths and
weaknesses etc. Recognise who you are, where you fit in to an organisation and who you want to
become
2. A sense of direction – personal development will help you to set clear and well-informed goals. It
will enable you to realise what you want to do and eliminate options that might not be as suited to
you.
3. Improved focus and effectiveness – personal and professional development offers clarity. As it
improves prioritisation becomes easier as you have clear objectives and can quickly identify tasks
and resources that help you to achieve these.
4. More motivation – when you have a clear goal it is easier to undertake tasks that help you to get
there where before you may have procrastinated or even put off. You now see the value in these
smaller tasks as they move you toward the ultimate goal.
5. Greater resilience – personal and professional development afford you more skills and attributes
which include those required when tough times are faced. You will become more resilient to deal
with tough times.
6. Motivation – with clear goals and objectives comes the motivation required to actually achieve
them. This is especially true if there is a clear development plan that allows you to track your
progression.
2.2 – Explanation of Development Actions
1. STEPs Facilitator Training
The STEPs programme is an internationally-recognised course aimed at improving and enriching
people's lives. It offers learners the opportunity to take a fresh look at their current way of life; enables
them to see how much they are truly capable of achieving and offers them the tools to make positive
change. It is hoped that by raising the self-esteem of participants of the course, they will also raise
their aspirations and motivation to gain employment
In order for the CfW Project to deliver the course staff first need to attend the course as a participant
and then complete the specialist facilitator course that is offered only by training providers approved
by The Pacific Institute who own the rights to the programme.
I first identified an organisation that welcomed me as a participant (Genesis Project TCBC) and then
identified the approved training provider in our local area – Dare Training Ltd in Aberdare. The
participant training will take place over 5 days and the facilitator training will take 3 days.
There was no cost to attend the course as a participant but the facilitator training costs £400 which has
been funded by the Project.
2. Deaf Awareness Training
This has been identified as an online course, taking place on the ZOOM platform. The training is free
of charge and offered by the RNID. Contact was made with the Senior Services Co-ordinator who do
offer face to face training but at their location in Peterborough. It was therefore decided that the
online offer would be the most preferred.
3. ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
This is a one day course that is offered in person. To access the course a venue was sourced and a
training provider that specialised in this form of training (NSM Training & Consultancy). Our
organisation had used this training company previously and the costs were competitive. Costs were
funded by the Project.
4. GDPR Training
This training is organisational training and offered using an internal training platform managed by
TCBC’s Organisational Development Team. It is an online course that can be accessed independently
by staff so can be completed whenever the staff member is ready to complete. It can be returned to
once started so can be attempted over a number of occasions.
5. Safeguarding Training
As in the previous analysis, this training is compulsory for all staff at TCBC and offered in the same
manner. Completion therefore is done using the online platform and managed by the staff member.
6. Connect 5 Well-being Training
This training is only offered by the local Health Board and is provided using the media of TEAMs.
Attendance is for 3 hours and there is no cost associated with the training.
7. ILM Level 4 Diploma in Leadership and Management
The need for this training was identified when I started to take on more and more line management
responsibility. Although a manager within the organisation for some time I had never gained a
recognised qualification for this. When I brought this training need to my line manager she was
supportive of me applying for the apprenticeship being offered through our Organisational
Development team. My application was successful and I am currently undertaking this training using
a blended learning approach i.e. one:one mentoring with my assessor and online workshops through
the medium of TEAMs.
2.3 – Skills Gap Analysis
Please find attached Appendix 2
2.4 – Agree a PDP
Please find attached Appendix 3
3.1 – Explain how to apply SMART Objectives
I have produced a Personal Development Plan (PDP) as a tool to help me reflect on my own
performance and achievements and to plan for my career development.
This Personal Development Plan will help me to:




Evaluate and recognise my own strengths and weaknesses
Be more effective in monitoring my progress
Take responsibility for my own personal development
Identify learning opportunities that might be available.
I have development my PDP with clear goals and measurable outcomes and id so using the SMART
principles:
They are specific – my goals set out in concrete terms what is to be achieved i.e. STEPs Facilitator
Training – need to take the specific steps to do this
They are measurable – all my goal are quantitatively measures so that I know exactly when it has or
will be achieved
They are achievable – although some are ambitious (i.e. ILM), STEPs facilitator, they are still
achievable assuming the resources available and the timescale
They are Results Orientated - they describe a specific end result that is of value to both the the
Project and organisation i.e. STEPs will help the Project to achieve it’s engagement targets and also
outcomes, but will also aid Staff Development for other staff members.
They are all time Bound - a time limit has been set in each case in which Imust achieve the result.
3.2 Provide Feedback From a Variety of Sources
Please see Appendices: 4 (feedback received from Welsh Government)
4a – 4c (One to One appraisals from Line Manager)
1.3 – Appendix 1
Personal Development plan Jo Brickley-Doherty
Training &
Development
required
What resources would you How will this benefit you and your
need to access to complete organisation?
this training?
Priority
H/M/L
STEPs Facilitator
Training
Job shadow other facilitator.
Will allow the delivery of STEPs to be inhouse rather than bought in.
Can support other staff members to
remain motivated and resilient.
Will benefit my own motivation and
resilience.
H
Increase personal knowledge of deaf
conditions and improve ability to support
those suffering from these.
Attend Facilitator Training.
Access funding for training
Timescale
Long
Medium
Short
Short.
Completed
by January
2022
Success criteria
M
Short
Fully completed and
competent by October 2021
M
Short
Fully completed and
competent by March 2021
Fully completed and
competent by January 2022.
Mentoring job shadowing
reading instructions
Deaf Awareness
Training
Undertake appropriate
course
Access funding for training
Attend TEAMs training
Will allow me to reach a specific audience
with specialised support to help meet
Project Targets
Attend relevant course.
ACE’s (Adverse
Childhood
Experiences)
Access funding for training
Will increase personal knowledge of
adverse childhood experiences that will
enable me to support those with
significant barriers to
engagement/employment.
Will allow me to engage more individuals
who need intensive support therefore
helping to meet Project targets and
outcomes.
GDPR Training
Complete compulsory online
in-house training.
Access in-house training
platform
Will provide personal knowledge around
Data Protection and my personal
responsibility regarding this.
H
Short
Fully completed and
competent by August 2020
H
Short
Fully completed and
competent by June 2020
M
Short
Fully completed and
competent by March 2021
Will provide the organisation assurance
that my knowledge is relevant and up-to
date regarding this regulation.
Safeguarding
Training
Complete compulsory online
in-house training.
Access in-house training
platform
Connect 5
Wellbeing
Training
Complete and access online
course
Will provide personal knowledge around
Safeguarding and my personal
responsibility regarding this.
Will provide the organisation assurance
that my knowledge is relevant and up-to
date regarding this regulation.
Will provide personal knowledge and
skills to support both staff members and
Project participants with matters
concerning their personal wellbeing.
Will provide the organisation with
assurance that I can provide mentoring
support to staff.
Will assure organisation that I can
continue to meet Project
targets/outcomes by supporting people
with significant barriers to engagement
and/or employment
Access relevant training
ILM Level 4
Diploma in
Leadership and
Management
Prioritise time-management
in order to complete
successfully
Gain support of line manager
to access apprenticeship.
Will provide personal knowledge, abilities
and technical skills to be an effective
manager.
Accredit my current work with a
nationally recognised qualification.
Will provide assurance to the
organisation that I can assess and
improve my management style and
behaviours.
Will allow me to understand my own role
and function in the overall organisation.
H
Long
Fully completed and
competent by May 2023
Appendix 2
2.3 Skill Gap analysis
A skills gap aims to identify training and development needs by looking at skills, knowledge
and competencies against job specific criteria.
In the beneath example
Lack = full development needs
Need improvement = partial development need
Competent = no development need
This can be broken down into essential skills for job role, knowledge, skills and behaviours
for role, and desirable skills – much like a job description advertising a role would contain
Competency
Category
Verbal
Soft Skills
Communication
Written
Soft Skills
Communication
Data
Entry/Data
Analysis/Data
Management
Progress
Reports
Technical
Skills
Disability
Knowledge
Knowledge
Specialised
Knowledge
Knowledge
Technical
Skills
Description
Ability to speak to
participants effectively and
on their level through
different mediums – in
person, telephone etc
Ability to communicate with
a variety of people using a
number of different
mediums i.e. email, letter,
TEAMs chat etc
Ability to provide
quantitative reports to line
management and Welsh
Government alike
Ability to provide qualitative
reports in the form of
monthly reports and case
studies to line management
and Welsh Government
alike
A working knowledge of
specific disabilities so that
tailored support can be
offered i.e. Autism, Sight
Loss, Hearing Loss, Learning
Difficulties etc
A working knowledge of
specific barriers to
engagement/employment
Lack Need Competent
√
√
√
√
√
√
STEPs
Facilitator
Leadership
Skills
so that tailored support can
be offered i.e. ACE’s,
Connect 5, Domestic
Violence, Financial Crises etc
Training
Fully trained as a STEPs
√
facilitator so that the course
can be offered to
participants and staff alike
Management The knowledge, personal
√
abilities and technical skills
needed to be an effective
manager