East Durham College - Staff Training And Development Policy

POLICY TITLE: Staff Training And Development 
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 1.19
GROUPING POLICY: Human Resources
AUTHOR / REVISOR / OWNER: HR Director   
DATE OF CURRENT VERSION: October 2026

This policy applies to all staff at the College.

It is recognised that the success of the College depends on all staff whatever their role having the relevant skills, knowledge, and competencies.

The College aims is to develop a strong, vibrant teaching and learning culture that inspires our students and staff.  This policy is integral to meeting this aim.

The College recognised that its staff are fundamental to its success.  A strategic, professional approach to staff development helps the College to attract and retain high-calibre staff with the skills and competencies necessary to deliver its objectives.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Aims and Objectives
3. General Principles
4. Identification of Needs
5. Responsibilities
   1. Human Resources
   2. College Management Group
   3. Line Managers
   4. Individuals
   5. Quality

1. Introduction

Staff development embraces all forms of development activity including personal study, e-learning, internal or external courses, workshops, work shadowing and planned experiences.  We will aim to support individuals through a variety of means within the prevailing budgetary provision and identified business need.

Development activities which have no direct relevance to the individual’s role or objectives of the College are not within the remit of this policy.

2. Aims and Objectives

The main aim of this policy is to provide managers and staff with a framework that supports and encourages the development of all staff in line with the delivery of the College’s Strategic Aims and Departmental Aims and Objectives as agreed by the College Leadership Group.  The objectives of the policy are as follows:

• Staff development provided by the College is informed by its strategic targets and operational requirements, taking into account the needs of the individuals and where possible the career aspirations of staff as well as the success of their departments.
• Departments work alongside the HR Department to develop a co-ordinated approach to planning staff development, maximising the use of available resources.
• Leaders and Managers are provided with the skills, knowledge and competencies they need to work in partnership with their staff to support their continuous development.
• All staff are supported and encouraged to acquire and develop the relevant knowledge, skills and competencies to enhance their performance in their current role and, where they are involved in succession planning, for their next role within the College.
• To provide the appropriate support to our teaching staff to ensure excellence in teaching and learning.
• An appropriate balance is created between the desire for individual staff members to maximise their potential and for the College to obtain a return on its investment in staff development.
• All staff receive an appropriately organised Induction.  Please see the Induction Policy for further information.
• Staff develop the skills to respond effectively to internal and external demands.
• There are appropriate controls in place to enable staff to be trained at the levels appropriate to their role, in order to ensure the College is compliant with respect to its legal obligations.

3. General Principles

The College shows commitment to the development of its staff through encouraging an environment conducive to learning and development.  All staff development activities will be conducted in accordance with the Colleges EDI Policy.  As such all staff have equitable access to staff development opportunities, appropriate to their role and aligned to their objectives.

In order to gain the most benefit, the College’s staff development processes need to be closely aligned to other planning and review cycles including staff induction and probation, the College’s Performance Appraisal Review and the annual planning cycle.

Funding and/or study leave for the purpose of staff development must be approved by the department Director and appropriate member of the College Leadership Group. 

Directors and Line Managers are expected to encourage and support all staff (regardless of job role, grade and work patterns) to take advantage of internal and external staff development opportunities relevant to their identified development needs.  It is the College’s expectation that all departments participate in appropriate staff development activity.

The College also recognises that, for its Training and Development Policy to be effective, staff must take responsibility for their own development.  In addition to undertaking mandatory and relevant training, they are expected to engage in the development opportunities provided to enable them to keep their skills updated and respond flexibly to change.

4. Identification of Needs

Staff development needs are identified in a number of ways:

• Managers are expected to discuss staff development needs with each of their staff at least annually as part of the Performance and Appraisal Review Process.
• The needs of staff new to the College should be identified in accordance with the Probation Policy at the regular review meetings.
• The needs of staff transferring to a new role within the College should also be identified in accordance with the Probation Policy through the regular review meetings.
• Through the needs identified by departments during their annual planning cycle.
• Teaching and Learning Observations and requests.
• Actions arising from the Staff Survey
• Evaluation of feedback from current programmes.
• Informal and Formal Performance and Capability Processes 

Staff development needs may be identified throughout the year; the planning processes will retain flexibility for agreement of additional development needs as they become necessary.

5. Responsibilities

There is a shared responsibility for the development of staff at the College, which is summarised below.  It is recognised that there will be differences between departments as to how these responsibilities are fulfilled.

1. Human Resources

The Human Resources Department are responsible for:

• Effective staff development provision, from clarifying the need, to design and selecting methods, through to the delivery and evaluation of interventions.
• Providing all line managers and those involved in the identification and prioritisation of staff development activities with the relevant support.
• Providing an advisory service to Directors, Line Managers, and staff within the College.
• Maintaining effective partnerships with departments and other staff development providers to ensure individual and team objectives are supported by appropriate development activities.
• Offering guidance on external provision of staff development interventions.
• Ensuring such activities are conducted in accordance with the College’s Equality and Diversity Policy.
• Providing the mechanisms to ensure accurate training records are maintained.
• In the instance of an individual course exceeding a limit of £600, approval from College Leadership Group is required.
• Evaluating staff development activities in order to assure and enhance their quality.
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and impact of staff development.
• Reporting to the Board of Governors on matters relating to staff development.

2. College Management Group

The College Management Group are responsible for:

• Demonstrating appropriate behaviours, especially commitment to excellence and continuous development.
• Identifying needs for development of their staff arising from internal and external change at Department and College Levels.
• Liaising with the HR Department regarding the provision of appropriate development interventions.
• Ensuring training and development opportunities are supported in accordance with the EDI Policy.
• To communicate their academic years training plan to Human Resources in a timely fashion to ensure planning and preparation can take place. - October Half term is best practice.

3. Line Managers

Line Managers are responsible for:

• Ensuring that individuals have the opportunity at regular intervals, to discuss their Staff Development needs.
• Giving staff constructive, honest, and timely feedback on their performance.
• Identifying individual and team development needs which will enable individuals or groups to respond effectively to internal and external changes.
• Establishing priorities taking into account individual, departmental and College priorities and making appropriate provision to meet them within resources available.
• Identifying appropriate opportunities for staff development.  Support with this can be obtained from Human Resources
• Recognising and taking into account that disadvantaged groups may require particular encouragement, or positive action training initiative.
• Briefing and de-briefing staff who participate in staff development activities, to facilitate effective consolidation of their learning and where appropriate supporting the dissemination of the training more widely. For example, through team meetings.
• Ensuring equal opportunities in access to staff development is in accordance with the College’s Equality and Diversity Policy.

4. Individuals

Individuals are responsible for:

• Reflecting at regular intervals upon their performance in their current jobs and future career aspirations and identifying their appropriate development needs.
• Discussing with their Line Manager during their Performance Appraisal Review with a view to establishing priorities in relation to their personal, departmental or College objectives.
• Taking full advantage of staff development opportunities.
• Applying newly developed knowledge and skills to their work and the development of their careers, including dissemination of appropriate training where applicable.
• Accepting the terms of which the training is offered.  For example, the college reserves the right to reclaim the value of the course costs if you do not remain within the employment of the college for an agreed period of time (depending on the cost of the course). Full details will be outlined within your approval notification from Human Resources.

5. Quality

• Arrange and deliver curriculum specific training to all teaching staff
• Support, mentor and coach new staff with a particular focus to staff who are new to teaching
• Support CPD delivery throughout the year and on specific CPD days and events as designated in the acedemic calendar
• Through collaboration with other departments and directors deliver focused CPD in relation to specific areas and need and skills gaps as identifed by manager or through the PAR process.
• Ensuring training and development opportunities are supported in accordance with the EDI Policy.
• To communicate their academic years training plan to Human Resources in a timely fashion to ensure planning and preparation can take place. - October Half term is best practice.
• Evaluating staff development activities in order to assure and enhance their quality.
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and impact of staff development.

• Induction Procedure
• Probation Policy
• Equality and Diversity Policy
• CPD Strategy
• Teaching and Learning Strategy