Vision
40.1 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing training and education for staff. BCC is committed to CPD because our aim is to deliver consistent high-quality care and teaching which is highly responsive to all children’s needs. The Company understands that to achieve this the management team constantly needs to:
- Evaluate practice and teaching; and
- where we find it does not meet our high standards;
- provide focussed professional development which impacts on children’s well-being, learning and development.
What is CPD and how does the Company achieve this?
40.2 CPD is a cycle – staff observe or reflect on practice; identify a need; create a training Priority for Improvement on a Professional Development Plan; do the training; evaluate the effectiveness and impact of that training; update the Professional Development Plan which might include a new Priority for Improvement, then observe and reflect again to maintain the cycle of continuous improvement. See Appendix 1.
40.3 Ways to achieve training include attending external courses, reading journals, visiting other settings, mentoring, meetings, peer to peer observations, supervision, discussions and Cascade Training. Appendix 2 is a chart showing all the things that can be considered part of Professional Development. As well as helping staff gain skills and develop their learning, all of these things can also help staff create further Priorities for Improvement as good training and learning experiences inspire you to the next challenge.
40.4 All staff are encouraged and given time for training where appropriate. Each person has a Professional Development Folder where all CPD paperwork must be kept. This folder should be taken to all CPD meetings including appraisals and must be kept at nursery in lockers.
40.5 All staff shall ensure that they receive no less than 10 hours CPD each year, running from September to September. This shall be in addition to training which is necessary for the safe conduct of the job or is required by law. Such training includes First Aid, Fire Warden and Safeguarding training. This will be checked and discussed at appraisals, supervision and other Professional Development meetings.
Professional Development Plan
40.6 All members of staff have a Professional Development Plan (Appendix 4) on which personal areas for development are recorded. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and teaching and set themselves Priorities for Improvement but room leaders, managers, CLs and Senior Managers can also suggest Priorities for Improvement following observation of the person’s practice, teaching, observations and assessment.
40.7 Information from many aspects of professional development will feed into creating the Priorities for Improvement, such as peer to peer observations, feedback from the Manager and CL, supervision and room development plans. Appendix 2 shows what can inspire staff to create their Priorities for Improvement and all of these things are also considered CPD. This creates a continuous cycle of training, improvement and further training goals.
40.8 Professional Development Plans are kept in each person’s Professional Development Folder and should be discussed at appraisals, supervision meetings, mentoring meetings and meetings with managers or room leaders.
40.9 Staff can ask to discuss their development with a manager at any time if they feel they have worked on a Priority for Improvement and wish to add others. Notes of discussions are recorded on the form as well as an evaluation of the impact of that training on children’s well-being, learning and development. When a form is completed, a new one is started and the date noted on the previous form so that there is a continuous flow of development, evaluation and new Priorities for each member of BCC staff. Old forms must be kept in the Professional Development Folder for up to a year to show progression.
40.10 Should the member of staff fail to engage with this Professional Development process or make any progress, the manager or mentor will refer this to the Managing Director who will meet with the member of staff to discuss reasons for this and support them through the process. New Priorities may be written with deadlines given or the member of staff may be invited to a Performance Review Hearing under the Poor Performance Policy (45).
Training Co-ordination
40.11 Professional Development is co-ordinated by the nursery manager. Staff must liaise with the nursery manager to request and organise training, including but not limited to external courses, in accordance with their Priorities for Improvement.
40.12 The Company acknowledge that not all training needs to happen as an external training course, so will be creative in how we help staff achieve training needs identified.
40.13 BCC Cascade Training is held once a year, from 9.30 until 12 on a Saturday morning or from 6 until 7.30pm on a weekday evening. Staff are expected to attend all such sessions unless prior notice is given to the Managing Director. Dates are given in advance and those returning from maternity leave are also expected to attend as they will have been kept informed. Staff will be paid £25 for attending Cascade Training.
40.14 Staff are expected to read Nursery World and other publications to keep them updated with childcare issues. This reading will count towards the 10 hours. To assist with this each Nursery has a subscription and staff can also access Nursery World articles online with a password which is provided to all.
Administration and Payment
40.15 When booking training, consideration must be giving to staffing for that day and training may not be possible if two members of staff are already on holiday or out of nursery.
40.16 Due to the nature of the business, some group training has to be held during evenings or weekends. Staff are expected to attend all group training unless a valid reason is given. The level of attendance will be noted and used to inform salary reviews.
40.17 Time for training carried out during normal working hours, (internal and external) shall be considered as normal working hours and paid as such. Time spent for training outside normal working hours shall not be payable unless otherwise indicated by the Finance Manager prior to attendance.
40.18 Where training (other than Cascade Training) takes place on a Saturday, the rate of pay will be advised in each situation.
40.19 Where training takes place no more than 10 miles from the normal place of work during working hours, no additional payments for travel costs shall be made by BCC. Where the training takes place outside normal working hours, a £12 allowance per session is payable to cover additional costs. For training which takes place more than 10 miles from the normal place of work, the employee shall be entitled to reasonable travel expenses agreed with the Finance Manager prior to incurring the cost.
40.20 Should a course cost more than £70, staff will be asked to sign a Training Fees Agreement whereby costs of training are paid back to BCC on a sliding scale should a member of staff leave within a year of the course.
Evaluation of Training, Impacts and Next Steps
40.21 After attending or completing training courses, or visits to other nurseries, including BCC nurseries, staff will have a review meeting with the nursery manager. The member of staff and manager will complete a Training Evaluation Form or Visits Feedback Form to help us evaluate which courses and trainers are inspirational and to help staff identify if they need to add Priorities for Improvement to their own, their room or the nursery Development Plans. Staff will also discuss how they will cascade to other staff what they have learnt. Staff should use an “Inspired by my Training” sheet to capture/brainstorm ideas they wish to retain and share.
40.22 When attending an external course, staff should take these forms with them to fill out on the day of their course while the information is fresh. These evaluation sheets should be discussed with the manager before they are filed in the individual’s Professional Development Folder. If Inspired by my Training sheets are put on display they must be filed in an individual’s Professional Development Folder when taken down. Through discussions with the manager, staff should organise to cascade what they have learnt, to their room team, at staff meetings, or at group Cascade Training, as appropriate.
40.23 Through evaluating their training each person must reflect on whether they have achieved any Priorities for Improvement on their Professional Development Plans or have discovered other Priorities that they would like to work towards. They can discuss this with managers, mentors or CL’s as appropriate. See below.
Appraisals
An appraisal is a formal performance related review to evaluate the individual’s strengths and areas for development and individual performance against agreed objectives over an agreed period of time.
40.24 All staff have an annual appraisal. To prepare for this staff fill in an Appraisal Form, the contents of which are discussed during the meeting. (folder 1.4.4). The nursery manager will fill in a Spot Check document which will be discuss at the appraisal.
40.25 Long term targets and areas for improvement will be agreed at the appraisal and noted on each person’s Professional Development Plan as Priorities for Improvement. Priorities for Improvement are continuously monitored and updated as per Clause 40.8. However, if considered necessary, some will be monitored and updated by the Managing Director throughout the year through a series of follow up meetings, the first date of which will be decided at the appraisal.
40.26 Appraisal material is kept in a secure and confidential environment; documents are scanned to the confidential HR folder. The member of staff keeps the original of their Appraisal Form in their Professional Development Folder.
40.27 Staff are informed that their performance appraisal is part of their annual salary review.
Spot Checks
40.28 Managers, room leaders and senior managers can carry out a “spot check” (folder 1.4.1) as a way to ensure policies are being followed. Any issues discovered must be discussed with the person and Priorities for Improvement can be added to their Professional Development Plan. Issues can also be added to Room Development or Nursery Development Plans. All paperwork should be filed in the person’s Professional Development Folder.
Peer to Peer Observations
40.29 Peer to peer observations are used to help with development. They may be used to help a person achieve a Priority for Improvement noted on their Professional Development Plan or just to help staff share good practice and ideas. Mentors should use peer to peer observations during the probation period.
40.30 Where someone needs to develop an area of practice, they may be asked to observe another member of staff who is strong in that area. This will hopefully enable the member of staff to see how to improve.
40.31 Comments are noted on a form (folder 1.4.1) after the observation has finished, and should be shared between the observer and observee, and then with the person’s mentor and/or nursery manager and Managing Director as necessary. Documents are filed in the person’s Professional Development Folder and scanned to the HR folder.
40.32 Suggestions for Peer to Peer Observations can come from appraisals, mentors, CLs, managers, senior managers and individuals themselves. The aim is to match a person’s practice needs with another’s practice strengths for the benefit of both individuals as well as the nursery, children and staff team.
Working at other BCC Nurseries
40.33 The Company believe there can be benefit in working in other BCC nurseries. Practitioners can gain different perspectives and new ideas. Staff may be asked to observe practice at another BCC nursery as part of a peer to peer observation.
40.34 If a member of staff attends another BCC setting they will receive a £10 travel allowance for each day worked at a BCC nursery other than that named as their main place of work in the contract of employment. A day means a shift of more than two hours. If a member of staff is working at another BCC setting for more than 2 weeks, they will be paid for the extra travel by additional mileage or additional public transport costs. These will be submitted to the payroll department.
Reflective Practice
40.35 All staff are encouraged to constantly reflect on their practice and evaluate how they can improve, as individuals and as a team. This is part of the Company’s self-evaluation process and ties in with the Professional Development Plan as above. The Company encourages staff (as individuals and a team) to use the Ofsted Descriptors to assist with self-evaluation and documents are available to guide this. Please see the Self-Evaluation Policy in the Policies Handbook.
40.36 Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and if possible, solves any issues themselves. If any issues are affecting their work, staff can request supervision.
Working with assessors and trainers
40.37 If a member of staff is undertaking training or qualifications outside the setting, managers, CLs and mentors, as appropriate, must be proactive in feeding back any concerns about the person’s practice to trainers and assessors who visit the setting to observe the student/practitioner. This should be done consistently each visit, not left until the person is nearing qualification or sign off. Any forms must be filled in reflecting an honest professional opinion and feedback must also be given in an honest professional way, remembering that the Company is always mindful of whether a person is a “suitable person” under the EYFS and whether they demonstrate the standards expected of a Bristol Childcare practitioner.