STAFF DEVELOPMENT POLICY
Policy Statement
- The NCIP recognises that our staff, volunteers and all involved in the work of the National Council of Integrative Psychotherapists are fundamental to our success and stability, and that a strategic, professional approach to staff development will enable us to attract and retain high-calibre staff, with appropriate skills and competencies, to deliver our strategic objectives and to achieve our mission as a professional standards authority accredited organisation and register.
- Staff development refers to all policies, practices, procedures, and guidelines, used to develop the up-to-date knowledge, skills, and competencies of staff, at an individual, team, department, and organisational level, which improve skills and performance to ensure that the NCIP fully complies with quality and all required standards.
- Decisions in staff development will strive to achieve a suitable balance between the individual needs and desires of our employees, the goals of the organisation, and the expectations of our customers, including members of the NCIP at different levels and NCIP-accredited training providers. This balance aims to maximise potential and maintain high standards of quality and professional culture across all levels.
- Some staff development activity, including that subject to statutory regulations, will be mandatory.
- All staff development activities will be conducted with due regard to equality opportunity. Where relevant, this will be reflected in the design, content, and delivery of each activity.
Aims and Objectives
The main aim of the policy is to provide managers and staff with a framework that supports and encourages the development of all staff. This framework aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Providing staff development opportunities which are aligned with strategic direction.
- Providing an appropriately organised corporate induction, undertaken at the earliest opportunity.
- Developing our staff to have the required capability and competencies to fulfil and maintain their current roles and prepare them for career development.
- Encouraging a proactive approach to personal and professional development.
- Ensure that all involved staff have up-to-date knowledge, skills, and requirements for best practice in the areas of competence.
- React in time on all changes caused by the internal and external factors.
Planning and delivering training and development activities.
- There is a shared responsibility for the development of our staff. Primary responsibility for identifying development needs and planning appropriate development rests with each department manager.
To ensure the effectiveness of this policy, staff must embrace the principle of continuous professional development and demonstrate both the ability and insight needed to manage their own professional growth. This includes participating in mandatory and relevant training specific to their roles. Staff are expected to take advantage of the provided development opportunities to maintain updated skills and adapt flexibly to changes.
Provision of staff development activities is arranged through collaboration between Directors, Managers and Team Leaders who will deliver support by:
- Providing induction training for new staff.
- Offering training events and meetings to meet training and development needs.
- Circulating information on training and development opportunities.
- Maintaining accurate records of training and development undertaken.
- Providing advice, guidance and/or mentoring about external training provision working with individuals and/or with groups.
- Identifying external and/or internal experts and/or guest speakers to deliver the NCIP-wide training opportunities.
- Evaluating staff development activities to assure and enhance their quality including actively seeking feedback from training events and/or meetings.
Identifying Training Needs
Ongoing Staff development needs may be identified at any point throughout the year, and are most likely to be revealed from the following:
- Managers are expected to actively support the development of their staff, managing performance, providing feedback, and discussing development needs with each of their staff, as appropriate, and as a minimum as part of the review process.
- Where Observations show any needs for additional training or development the IQA will communicate these directly to the department or team and will also feed back to the manager to be fed into the review process.
- The development needs of new staff should be identified in relation to their role. Similarly, the needs of staff moving to a new role internally should be discussed when taking up the new position.
- Within annual planning cycles, decisions are informed by management observations and requests, outcomes from staff opinion surveys, and evaluations of feedback from current programmes.
- Additional staff development needs within the NCIP can be identified through collaboration between departments and teams. For instance, by sharing identified needs, departments or teams can implement the necessary CPD training to respond effectively to both internal and external changes.
Competence
The NCIP provides staff with current requirements and will utilise this as evidence towards staff development. This covers both department/team specific competencies and role competencies development. Below are some examples of how we can provide support for staff, and these may change according to department/team and role requirements.
- Networking – staff attends network events provided by awarding bodies and other recognised industry specialists.
- Team/Department placements – staff update knowledge and skills through working with our teams and departments to ensure they have up to date understanding of their roles, work, practices, and plans.
- Mandatory training and/or development – staff are provided with up-to-date industry good practice. This takes place either by providing internal or external consultants to deliver in house training, attending external good practice forums, external and internal webinars, and skills-based events or through more formal routes such as recognised industry.
- Assessment plans are designed to mirror the skills and knowledge necessary to meet set standards. The NCIP uses these plans to benchmark the required skills and knowledge for both staff and volunteers’ skills and career though self-learning and peer cooperation.
- Staff are observed regularly as part of the quality process (within IQA and IQA Strategy) to identify areas for development – whether in delivery or subject knowledge. Where areas for improvement are identified these are discussed at monthly reviews and CPD plans are put in place.
- Progression – staff can progress through various roles and will be supported to gain formal qualifications to enable this.
- Self-development – all staff is encouraged to develop their knowledge.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Feedback from participants following all staff development events will be regularly reviewed and content modified, as appropriate, by a responsible department or team leader or director.
- Department managers and team leaders also have a responsibility for monitoring the effectiveness of staff development, through the appraisal process.
- Directors will ensure that development aligns with the NCIP’s objectives and needs by monitoring progress.
Staff Development Procedure
Management
NCIP core management staff are tasked with ensuring compliance with industry requirements by staying current and interacting with partners and industry experts through relevant events, meetings, webinars, and conferences organized by specialists and industry bodies. Their responsibilities also include assessing staff caseloads, monitoring changes in compliance regulations, fostering staff development, overcoming barriers, and more.
The NCIP also values working with consultant individuals and volunteers who are also included in the Staff Competency Framework.
The NCIP’s strategy to enable staff to develop and grow is accomplished by:
- Performance reviews.
- Formal appraisals.
- Staff achievements and contribution to quality and efficacy.
Team leaders follow the below procedure (stages) for all staff and volunteers using the relevant documentation to record progress:
Induction
Before finalising an appointment, the department manager or team leader will consult with the responsible Director to gather and discuss information regarding the probationary period, monthly supervision, staff competency checklist, role description, and peer feedback.
The meeting to discuss the appointment with the staff member will occur within the last month of their probationary period. By this time, the staff member, having received monthly supervisions, should be fully aware of their progress, so nothing discussed should come as a surprise.
Should any concerns arise about the progress of the new staff member during their probationary period, the department manager or team leader will address these with the responsible Director to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to support and provide every opportunity for the staff member to improve.
Monthly supervision
Department managers and team leaders will conduct monthly supervisions with all staff members (or as needed), utilising relevant evidence specific to each staff role, as outlined in the job description and competencies. These supervisions will be collaborative efforts between the staff member and their manager or leader, with clear mutual understanding of expectations.
Annual Appraisal
The Directors will keep the Self-Assessment Report (SAR) current through contributions from all staff. They will also clearly communicate the strategic direction of the NCIP to all staff responsible for executing operations consistent with their roles, ensuring the NCIP's strategy is effectively implemented. The strategy may occasionally adapt in response to industry developments (external factors), with updates communicated during supervision and team meetings throughout the year. The NCIP is committed to maintaining a highly skilled workforce and will continue to offer developmental opportunities to all staff.
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