University of London Central Academic Bodies and Activities
STAFF DEVELOPMENT POLICY
October 2011
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1.0
Background
The University’s Strategic Plan 2009-2014 had the following five Aims:
Aim 1: To maintain and enhance the academic excellence of the federal University
Aim 2: To deliver highly effective services to Colleges, offering excellent value for money
Aim 3: To ensure the financial sustainability of all University operations
Aim 4: To fulfil the regional, national and international roles of the University
Aim 5: Create and retain a workforce with the necessary ethos, working practices and
competences to deliver the University’s Strategic Plan
In order to achieve Aim 5, one of the University’s Objectives is “continue to provide excellent
training and development in order to improve the effectiveness of University staff”.
1.1
The University will ensure all individuals will be given opportunities to advance their
learning including access to both training and development to enable them to perform
effectively in their jobs and to develop and progress according to their abilities.
1.2
Staff development includes all forms of development activity including personal
study, e-learning, presenting conference papers, sabbaticals, research and publication,
cross-institutional or external working groups, process review/improvement teams, peer
observation, scholarship, exhibitions, consultancy, internal/external courses, workshops,
seminars, away-days, work shadowing, coaching, mentoring, secondments,
leadership/management development, planned experience, networks, membership of
professional bodies.
1.3
All staff development activities will be conducted in accordance with the University’s
Equal Opportunities Policy.
1.4
The University is subject to a number of statutory requirements and it must ensure
that staff are trained to perform legally, in the best interests of themselves, others and the
University. Certain staff development activities are therefore mandatory.
1.5 Individual staff have a responsibility for keeping themselves informed about
developments in their own field or area of work, and the University encourages staff to be
active in their pursuit of professional development.
1.6 Staff should give thought to their own training and development needs and career
aspirations and be prepared to invest time and energy in realising these.
2.0
Senior Managers
2.1 Senior managers should agree with managers the allocation of resources and will take
into account staff numbers, perceived needs and contingencies.
2.2
Senior managers should support and guide managers in their decision-making re:
allocation of resources at individual / team level; appropriate choices for staff development;
and evaluating the effectiveness of staff development in their team.
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2.3
Senior managers will also ensure that managers can perform effectively by allowing
time for them to carry out their staff development duties and by ensuring support and
guidance for appropriate management development.
3.0
Managers’ Responsibility
3.1
All staff involved in the appraisal and development of others must undertake
appropriate training for this role, provided by the Staff Development Unit.
3.2
From May 2010 onwards the University is introducing a performance management
framework and competency model for all staff. There will be commercial and customer
service competencies included in the standard list. All Job Descriptions will be updated with
competencies and all staff will be appraised against competencies in the 2009/10 appraisal
review. Further details about the process and training available are on the SDU website
here: http://www.london.ac.uk/123.html.
3.3
Managers must evaluate the effectiveness of staff development at individual and
team level against a set of criteria agreed with their senior manager, and plan for next year’s
staff development resourcing.
4.0
Individual Responsibility
4.1
All staff should be encouraged to think in terms of continuous professional
development.
4.2
Existing competencies must be maintained, knowledge and expertise broadened and
deepened and continuous updating must take place if the individual is to continue to perform
his or her role effectively as circumstances change.
4.3
Development will vary according to where the individual is employed, their role and
the stage of their career, and can range from updating/broadening of knowledge and skills to
reflection on experience and preparation for changing roles.
4.4
The individual’s development should be facilitated through regular appraisals and
interim discussions, usually with their team leader or line manager, to create and update an
individual development plan based upon agreed development objectives, resources
available and evaluation.
4.5
Responsibility for obtaining information/guidance on development activity and for
sharing any subsequent outcomes that may benefit others is shared between the staff
member and their manager.
5.0
Implementation
5.1
A staff development budget will be held by the Manager of the SD Unit on an annual
funding basis and advice given to Managers on an appropriate level of staff development (as
a rule of thumb, 3-5 days a year may be appropriate). Funding will be used to meet
development criteria identified at formal and informal appraisal meetings and will be
supportive of the University’s strategic objectives.
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5.2
Staff will receive support and guidance by their line manager in conjunction with
guidance and advice from Staff Development Unit.
5.3
The SD Unit will publish the training courses and programmes on offer for the
University’s staff in a range of areas and subjects. Further events may be added and the
programme expanded in response to demand. For example, we will schedule additional
courses in response to specific requirements, for a particular team or to be open to all staff.
5.4
When allocating places on the in-house programme, priority will be given to those
staff who have identified the particular development need as part of their appraisal and their
Personal Development Plan (PDP) has been sent to us.
Please note that if a course requested through the PDP is included in our programme we will
assume that the staff member will attend the in-house course and we will not offer
alternatives unless we are contacted requesting a specific external option.
5.5
All bookings must initially be made through the on-line application form. Applicants
should liaise with their manager prior to registering for a course to ensure that operational
requirements are taken into account. Confirmation of a place on the course will be sent by
the Staff Development Unit about 2 weeks prior to the course. We will however make
contact as soon as possible if there is a problem with the booking. Courses usually take
place in Senate House, or Stewart House, 32 Russell Square.
5.6
Where no cost is indicated, the courses are free to all central University staff as these
are funded either from the central training budget or through HR Strategy funding. Course or
exam fees – where listed – will have to be borne by the self-funding departments and
institutes themselves (TCGUL, ULCC, ULIA, SHLs, ULU) with staff from the support
departments being funded from the central training budget.
5.7
IT training and support to achieve ECDL qualifications is provided in-house at no
charge (apart from examination fees which will be met by Departments).
5.8
Mandatory health and safety and other training (eg induction, recruitment and
selection) will be provided and funded by the Staff Development Unit.
6.0
Time Off To Train
6.1
The Time off to Train procedure meets legislation introduced under The
Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 and Employment Rights Act 1996,
which give employees the right to request time off to train or study and to have this request
considered in accordance with a statutory procedure.
6.2
This procedure augments the existing staff development provisions offered by the
University. It is envisaged that it will be used by staff only in the exceptional circumstance
that they are unable to access and use the resources already available to all staff.
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6.3
Under this procedure staff are entitled to apply to attend accredited programmes
leading to a qualification or unaccredited training to help them develop specific skills relevant
to their job or the University.
6.4
There is no absolute right for employees to take time off for training and no
requirement for the University to pay employees during the time off or to pay for the training
itself.
6.5
Managers may consider meeting such requests from their Department’s budget
where deemed appropriate and where funds are available. Alternatively, managers may
agree to allow staff members to work flexibly to make up time spent training or may consider
a temporary reduction in hours to support unpaid time off to train.
6.6
Full details of the scheme, and how to apply, are available from the SDU.
7.0
Support for Private non-work-related Study
7.1
In assessing individual applications for grants for academic courses, the following
guidelines will normally apply.
7.2
The member of staff concerned must be in the permanent employment of the
University whatever the source of funding of the post; have completed one calendar year of
service at the time of application; and normally have at least one full year to serve before
retirement/contract end.
7.3
The member of staff’s line manager and Head of Department will be consulted on the
application and whether it is the most appropriate development activity for the applicant at
that time. Information will also be sought as to whether there is any reason why a grant
should not be made. Grants will not be made to a member of staff who is the subject of a
current disciplinary warning or investigation.
7.4
Grants of up to 50% will normally be made for the current year and any further years
required to complete the course up to a maximum of four years, subject to continued
employment by the University, but not towards fees paid for years of a course completed
prior to the application for support.
7.5
Grants will not normally be made to a member of staff who has already received
assistance from the Fund for academic courses.
7.6
Applications will normally be considered twice a year (in July and January). Priority
will be given to applicants who wish to acquire their first academic qualification whether it be
a degree, or equivalent diploma, or certificate. Further and higher degrees will then be
considered.
7.7
Study leave is not available for staff in receipt of grants from the Fund.
7.8
Applications must be in writing (to the Director of HR, Ground Floor, Senate House)
setting out clearly the nature of the course, where it is to be taken, the duration, the fees
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payable, the extent to which the member of staff is liable for fees, and details of any other
sources from which financial support has been sought or obtained.
See
https://intranet.london.ac.uk/2232.html. Once approved, the member of staff should enrol
upon the course and obtain a receipt. These should be forwarded to the Staff Development
Manager as soon as they are received. Grants for subsequent years of a course will not be
made if this information is outstanding from a previous year.
8.0
Fee Remission for UoLIA Programmes
8.1
If a permanent member of staff, with more than one year’s service, wishes to enrol on
a University of London International Programme, they will usually receive a remission of 80%
of the standard fees payable to the University.
8.2
We offer this opportunity because, beyond the value of the personal development,
we think it is important that as many of our staff as possible in every part of the organisation
have first-hand experience of what it means and how it feels to be a student of the University
of London.
8.3
The University is committed to helping as many staff as possible to gain academic
qualifications in this way, but will take advice from line managers before awarding grants.
8.4
As there are many different registration dates throughout the year for different
programmes, it will be difficult to specify set submission dates for applications. For
2010/2011, we will accept applications throughout the year and review how this process has
worked at the end of the academic year.
9.0
Support for staff in the Finance and Estates Department
9.1
There is a separate document concerned with the funding and support of staff
undertaking professional financial qualifications.
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