Training and Development

• All new staff members undertake our initial 5-7 day induction programme.
• The programme meets the requirements of the Social Care Commitment, Code of Conduct for Carers and the Care Certificate.  You are paid to attend all training programmes - your induction and shadowing pay is £200, paid after your 3-month probationary period. You are also paid to attend on-going training and updates. 
• In addition to learning skills, induction is significant to ensure that you understand the organisational structure, vision, aims, beliefs and values.  You will receive a handbook with copies of relevant policies to guide and support you in your work and are required to sign a declaration to confirm that you have read and understood the policies in question.
• During Induction, a minimum of 8 hours on-the-job training (known as shadowing) is run by a senior member of Staff who will mentor you to practice the skills learned in the classroom.

• Our internal Learning and Development Unit is headed by our Organisational Lead Trainer, whose role is to ensure training is constantly delivered in line with best practice and to pass feedback from Staff directly onto Senior Management.
• We provide on-going mandatory training updates and regular supervisions and spot checks to identify on-going training needs.
• Specialist Training is provided internally by our Learning and Development Team and sourced externally when required.
• Training needs are formally identified on an on-going basis through your CPD (Continued Professional Development) which is discussed during your reviews and one-to-one meetings with line managers. Don't be afraid to ask for more help if you feel you need it. 

During our induction, on-going refreshers and pathway development, we use the following approaches for your training:

• Classroom taught sessions using slides for structure and hand-outs to refer back to. Discussion and debate are actively encouraged to stimulate questioning and further delving into specific subject areas. All classroom-based training is complemented by assessments of learning marked by our Trainer to ensure that you understand what has been taught. This model is used for subjects such as safeguarding and whistleblowing, dementia awareness, infection control and principles of person centred planning.
• Distance learning is used in all of our pathway models giving you the flexibility to work and learn at their own pace but supported via weekly surgery sessions in branch. This makes sure that you don't lose focus and direction with your study. We also use distance learning to further build on the subject of equality and diversity at induction so that you can work towards a level 2 qualification in this important area.
• Practical sessions cover subjects such as safer handling of people, continence promotion (including the correct way to manage incontinence aids, catheters, leg and night bags), medication (including mock completion of medication record charts and scenarios on “what to do if …” ), personal care (including supporting someone to dress following a stroke, bathing in bed, care of commodes).
• Workbook methods accompany all classroom taught sessions. The workbooks are structured around the Skills for Care induction standards and also form part of each of your CPD (Continuing Professional Development).