SHARE@UCL sharing knowledge - sharing experiences
1.
This Job Shadowing (JS) pilot scheme is part of the SHARE@UCL AUA awarded project. This scheme is largely based on the Outside Insight Work Shadowing scheme already introduced in eight London universities (East London, Goldsmiths, Greenwich, Imperial, Institute of
Education, Middlesex, Roehampton and Westminster) which are taking part in the first stage of a Job Shadowing initiative.
Purpose of initiative
The aim of SHARE@UCL JS is to pilot this scheme in our Division and Faculty in order to establish whether such an initiative is successful and can be introduced to the wider UCL community. If such a scheme is well received within UCL, a proposal for joining the larger
Outside Insight scheme will also be considered.
The SHARE@UCL JS initiative is aimed at Support staff only.
Definition of job shadowing
Job shadowing entails spending time with and observing the work of another member of staff in a department or role of interest in order to gain insight into work in that area.
Job Shadowing can take place within UCL or in any other Higher Education Institution within or outside the UK.
Inter-institution job shadowing provides practical career and professional development in a way that allows staff to have a wider appreciation of, share and bring back knowledge of work practices from other Universities.
Benefits of participating in SHARE@UCL- JS
 refreshed perspective and greater insight into other roles, departments, ways of working and institutions
 cost effective career and professional development
 staff can take ownership of their own development
 both parties (person doing the shadowing and the person being shadowed) and their institution benefit from sharing knowledge and good practice
 staff have the opportunity to reflect on their own work practices and possibly highlight areas for change
 Enables observation of others doing a similar role (eg., Induction)
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Cristina Gardini, Divisional HR & CPD Team Manager, Psychology and Language Sciences (PaLS) c.gardini@ucl.ac.uk
ext. 24203

SHARE@UCL sharing knowledge - sharing experiences
 enhances career progression – spending time with a manager at next level up (for example) will give a deeper understanding of the skills, knowledge and experience required for that role
 enhances knowledge and experience of different roles (e.g. helping career development)
 allows staff to compare leadership styles, procedures and systems, organisational structure and raise awareness of what is working well and what could work better
 excellent networking tool
 breaks down barriers and develops relationships between other departments and institutions
 broadens horizons of both the host department/institution and the visitor.
Eligibility
 The JS pilot scheme at SHARE@UCL is intended to provide work shadowing opportunities to Support staff within the Division of Psychology and Language Science/Faculty of Brain
Sciences at UCL.
 ‘Support staff’ is a generic title intended to mean those members of staff considered to be part of the overall support structure within UCL and not engaged in academic job roles (teaching, research, academic leadership).
 Staff must have passed their probationary period before applying to shadow someone or to be shadowed and must obtain their line managers’ agreement for them to participate.
Partners
Partners for this pilot scheme are being approached within the Faculty of Brain Sciences, the larger School of Life and Medical Science, the wider UCL, other London Universities, UK
Universities as well as other European Universities.
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Matching procedures
 The designated representative in the division will organise the availability, duration and location of work shadowing opportunities and reserves the right to review these factors at any stage to ensure the success of the initiative.
 Proposals for matching of roles will be made by the designated representative in the hosting institution together with the person doing the shadowing and the person being shadowed and with the involvement of their respective line managers.
 Whilst it may be possible to accommodate the wish of a person to do shadowing in a particular department/division/institute within UCL or other university – the emphasis is on choosing roles and not on choosing institutions.
 The process will be application driven in that once an application is received for consideration, a match will be made or a search for a suitable work shadowing opportunity will be carried out by the designated representative.
 The designated representative will give their best efforts to provide work shadowing opportunities for both the person doing the shadowing and the person being shadowed within UCL and other institutions but cannot guarantee to do so.
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Cristina Gardini, Divisional HR & CPD Team Manager, Psychology and Language Sciences (PaLS) c.gardini@ucl.ac.uk
ext. 24203

SHARE@UCL sharing knowledge - sharing experiences
Programme
 Definition of content boundaries – includes what work is able to be observed, what documents and information can be shared, which parts of the building can be accessed by the person doing the shadowing and who they can interact with as part of the visit, what they can and cannot expect from the arrangement etc.
 The person doing the shadowing and the person being shadowed will need to communicate prior to the actual visit to define a programme that can take place within the particular content boundaries and which addresses the objectives and areas of interest of the person doing the shadowing and any areas of mutual benefit to both parties (See Code of Practice 1)
 It is up to the person doing the shadowing and the person being shadowed to work out and agree the programme for the particular visit between them – using the Code of
Practice and the SHARE@UCL Guidelines and Procedures for reference. This can then be incorporated into the Share@UCL JS Programme document.
 The Share@UCL JS Programme document will contain a written record of the objective of the visit and areas of interest, will highlight the specific confidentiality and other issues
(content boundaries), state the agreed duration and dates of the visit and what is to be covered during the visit.
Management during and after visit
 Partner departments or institutions and their representatives (including designated representatives, line managers and persons wishing to do the shadowing) will abide by the SHARE@UCL JS Code of Practice and these guidelines.
 The person doing the shadowing will be guided at all times by the person they are shadowing during their visit as to the scope and limitations of what areas and information and people they might have access to (See Code of Practice 2 and 3)
 When on the property of the hosting institution or other UCL departments, the person doing the shadowing should be made aware of health and safety and other requirements and given any other information they might find useful for their visit such as assistance with any access and communication requirements and transportation and car parking arrangements.
 An effective work shadowing opportunity will require reflection time to review the experience and draw conclusions. The persons doing the shadowing and the persons being shadowed and their line managers or members of Staff Development/HRD/HR are responsible for agreeing their own feedback and reporting arrangements within their own institution. However, a copy of the SHARE@UCL JS Evaluation will be required by the Steering Group.
Documentation
 Partner departments or institutions and their representatives (including designated persons, line managers, persons wanting to shadow or be shadowed) will use only the approved documentation provided for application, monitoring and evaluation processes and procedures. Copies of all documentation (except that containing private and confidential reflections on the experience) will be kept by the Steering
Group.
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Cristina Gardini, Divisional HR & CPD Team Manager, Psychology and Language Sciences (PaLS) c.gardini@ucl.ac.uk
ext. 24203

SHARE@UCL sharing knowledge - sharing experiences
Problem resolution
 Designated members of the Steering Group will act as the first port of call for all parties to resolve any day to day issues (for instance in the case of sickness or any other reason for cancellation or postponement of the visit). Members of the Steering
Group will also decide how to go about finding a resolution to any more serious issues relating to this initiative.
Evaluation of the initiative
The SHARE@UCL Project Team (and any external Partners) require access to documentation generated as part of the first stage of the initiative, feedback, qualitative and quantitative data and any other information for the purpose of evaluating and writing up the initiative findings and recommendations for the future (subject to Data Protection, confidentiality etc.)
(See Code of Practice 6).
To ensure that you get the most out of the work shadowing experience please consider the following questions. These will also help you to complete the SHARE@UC JS Application should you chose to proceed with a job shadowing application:
Work shadowing objectives
 What do you want to get out of the experience? For example: specific knowledge, skills and experience
 Are there any specific aspects of the role that you are especially interested in finding out about?
 Do you have any particular questions that you want to find the answers to?
 How will the work shadowing experience fit with your development needs generally?
 How will you use the information you have learnt in your own work?
 What would be the ideal timing and duration of your visit?
What would be your ideal role to shadow?
The ideal role for you to shadow will depend on your specific objectives. The role can be similar to your current role, one working at a higher level or in a completely different area to your present role. Consider your reasons for wishing to shadow a particular role and how this might enhance your current role or your career ambitions.
If you are unsure of a specific role you want to shadow please give a general outline of the skills you wish to develop and/or the areas of work you would like to shadow.
How long would you like to shadow the role for?
Consider how long you will need the work shadowing to be in order for your objectives to be met. The minimum is half a day up to a maximum of three days.
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Cristina Gardini, Divisional HR & CPD Team Manager, Psychology and Language Sciences (PaLS) c.gardini@ucl.ac.uk
ext. 24203

SHARE@UCL sharing knowledge - sharing experiences
Dates of availability for you to do the shadowing (allowing lead in time)
Both the host and you will be busy so please identify a number of dates when you are available to carry out the work shadowing and allow a sufficient lead in time.
Do you have any additional requirements?
E.g. access to the host’s working environment, dietary and communication requirements, working part time, shift work.
Ideally, which of the participating departments or HEIs would you prefer to visit?
You should also think about which departments within UCL or other institutions outside UCL you would like to visit. The SHARE@UCL designated representatives reserve the right to decide when and where visits are available according to the overall picture of the initiative. Priority will be given to finding the most suitable role for you to shadow.
What is the reason for this choice?
It might be that one department or institution is easier for you to get to; or is similar or much larger in size to your own and would offer the type of experience you are looking for.
Although we cannot guarantee to accommodate your choice, there may be times when this is possible. Stating your reasons will also help us to refine the initiative in future.
Main purpose of your current role and/or key tasks
You will need to provide a brief description of your current job role. This will give the host an indication of your background and perhaps how your current role links to theirs.
To help the host organisation and the person being shadowed, be prepared to:
 Communicate what you expect to gain from the work shadowing along with any areas of specific interest or any concerns you may have.
 Understand what the person being shadowed would like to gain from the relationship
– work shadowing is for the mutual benefit of both parties.
 Discuss practicalities in advance of the work shadowing such as transport, dietary and communication requirements, access to buildings etc.
 Mutually agree a date and duration for your work shadowing with your line manager and host.
 Share and agree the programme, which will be designed by your host to meet your objectives for the visit. The programme must be shared and agreed with all parties prior to the visit and set out in the SHARE@UCL JS Programme document.
Would you be willing to have your role shadowed?
The success of the initiative relies on reciprocity between departments and institutions. Please indicate whether you would be happy for someone to shadow your role. There is a separate form SHARE@UCL JS Application to Offer Role to Shadow for those who would like to give an opportunity to someone else to shadow a role at their institution.
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Cristina Gardini, Divisional HR & CPD Team Manager, Psychology and Language Sciences (PaLS) c.gardini@ucl.ac.uk
ext. 24203

SHARE@UCL sharing knowledge - sharing experiences
Line manager’s details
You must obtain your line manager’s agreement for you to participate. We will need to keep a record of their details in case we need to contact them. Your line manager will also need to sign a form to show that they support your request for the work shadowing visit.
Declarations
All participants in the initiative are required to abide by the SHARE@UCL JS Guidelines and by the terms and conditions agreed between your organisation and the host organisation.
Participants also need to complete the required evaluation and consent form to give the
SHARE@UCL designated representatives access to information and data for monitoring and overall evaluation of the pilot initiative. This will form part of a published evaluative report.
(The information given will be treated confidentially, anonymised and adhere to Data
Protection requirements). Participants are asked to acknowledge that accommodation of their preference to visit a particular institution cannot be guaranteed.
A hard copy of the completed, signed, application form should be sent to the SHARE@UCL designated representative within your institution. Contact details to be included.
Agreeing the details of the visit
Once paired, the parties will need to complete a SHARE@UCL JS Programme prior to the visit.
Preparation for this will include:
 Deciding on the objectives of the person doing the shadowing (and the person being shadowed) for the visit
 Agreeing on confidentiality
 Deciding on the length of the visit and dates
 Agreeing programme content and boundaries
Travel Expenses
Any travel expenses incurred will need to be agreed prior to the visit.
Additional Requirements
You may need to identify and discuss these with your host and line manager prior to your visit
– e.g. any IT training, transport arrangements, car parking, an interpreter (sign or language).
Health and Safety
When carrying out the work shadowing you will need to be aware of and adhere to the host institution’s Health and Safety policy.
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Cristina Gardini, Divisional HR & CPD Team Manager, Psychology and Language Sciences (PaLS) c.gardini@ucl.ac.uk
ext. 24203

SHARE@UCL sharing knowledge - sharing experiences
Steering group
This pilot scheme is overseen by the SHARE@UCL Project Team. The Team will be making decisions for the initiative regarding the way is promoted and advertised and how it is managed within the Division/Faculty. The Team will also be responsible for its monitoring, reviewing and evaluation.
The SHARE@UCL JS Project Team will hold regular meeting to assess the scheme under the following “Terms of Reference”.
SHARE@UCL JS Project Team Terms of Reference
 To produce and review guidelines, processes and procedures to support the implementation of the SHARE@UCL JS Pilot Scheme.
 To promote the SHARE@UCL JS Pilot Scheme to potential partners within and outside UCL (through media such as Conferences, Staff Development Forum, AUA
 events, Erasmus Staff Mobility Training, etc)
To ensure implementation and accurate reporting of any cost that may incur
 To evaluate the SHARE@UCL JS Pilot Scheme and ensure objectives are achieved and to make necessary amendments to systems/processes in light of the evaluation.
 To evaluate the SHARE@UCL JS Pilot Scheme yearly to ensure objectives continue to be achieved and that the initiative adds value to the development of staff and the institution.
 To provide support to partner members in advising all participants in the initiative.
 To promote good practice in relation to the principles of job shadowing.
Code of Practice
The SHARE@UCL JS pilot scheme is supported by the following 5 codes of practice
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Mutuality – work shadowing is for the mutual benefit of both the person doing the shadowing and the person being shadowed who have agreed to participate in the
SHARE@UCL JS Pilot Scheme.
2.
Trust and openness – work shadowing relies on the sharing of personal knowledge and experience and ways of doing things and therefore relies on a degree of trust and openness which will be reciprocated by those participating in SHARE@UCL JS.
3.
Confidentiality – organisational knowledge and information gained during participation in SHARE@UCL JS, which under any conditions would be deemed to be confidential, will remain confidential between the parties. Furthermore, no information that could be to the detriment of either party will be shared with others.
4.
Partnership – SHARE@UCL JS is aimed at creating and developing partnership with other departments and HEIs, so in effect the person doing the shadowing and person being shadowed will be acting as ambassadors for their departments or institutions.
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Cristina Gardini, Divisional HR & CPD Team Manager, Psychology and Language Sciences (PaLS) c.gardini@ucl.ac.uk
ext. 24203

SHARE@UCL sharing knowledge - sharing experiences
5.
Engagement – staff participating in SHARE@UCL JS will adhere to the guidelines agreed upon by the Partners. The Steering Group is the first port of call when things are not working as expected and every attempt will be made to resolve any issues.
Data Protection Statement
Participants on the scheme will be required to consent to giving the Steering Group access to information and data for monitoring and evaluation purposes. This will be treated confidentially, anonymised and will adhere to the Data Protection requirements as below.
 Your data will be securely held on the server of your university and the organisation you wish to visit - all have in place the security measures required.
 Data you enter into the system will be treated confidentially and with respect. The data will only be disclosed to the other department or organisation you plan to visit as part of the work shadowing scheme.
 Your application data will be retained for up to two years.
 Your department or organisation may choose to make reference to your work
 shadowing experience in their evaluation report and or any publication produced by the Steering Group. However, any information used will be coded and anonymised.
No sensitive personal data will be shared with the 'shadowing' department or university without your explicit permission. We are defining 'sensitive data' as your ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, political beliefs, trade union membership, religious belief and physical or mental health.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality will be treated as a priority. Organisational knowledge and information gained during participation in SHARE@UCL JS, which under any conditions would be deemed to be confidential, will remain confidential between the parties but also no information that could be to the detriment of either party will be shared with others (as in
Code of Practice 3).
1.
Application to be shadowed
2.
Application to shadow
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Evaluation by person being shadowed
4.
Evaluation by person doing shadowing
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Cristina Gardini, Divisional HR & CPD Team Manager, Psychology and Language Sciences (PaLS) c.gardini@ucl.ac.uk
ext. 24203