3.2.5 Training Costs

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Partnership Funding Company ‘Sponsorship’ Scheme
3. Sponsored Higher and/or Further Education
4. Additional Action Points
5. Company Training Programme
6. Venue Facilities/Equipment/Refreshments
7. Additional Factors

1. Introduction

Some of the costs of training that Continuum has to consider are:

• Trainer/facilitator
• Time away from the work place
• Refreshments (if provided)
• Opportunity costs including Staff replacement
• Administration
• Materials (packs etc.)
• Course or other fees
• Travel/Expenses
• Hotel Accommodation
• Venue

The Training & Development Department will be responsible for all costs except the following:

• Delegate travel expenses and parking
• Food and drink if not provided at venue
• Delegate accommodation
• Staff travelling time and absence from work - including Staff cover

2. Partnership Funding Company ‘Sponsorship’ Scheme

In addition to the internal company programme, Staff should have other opportunities to promote their own, and the company’s development via our own ‘sponsored learning’ scheme. To include access to OU degrees including the B ed and degree in SW.

This current scheme is open to all Staff and should be considered in conjunction with their respective line Manager and as part of their CPDP (Continuing Professional Development Plan).

All applications should be considered by a panel of Managers including the training Manager. Decisions focus on whether the request has a mutual benefit to both the individual and the company.

The funding of this scheme reflects the dual investment of each party and is weighted generally towards the number of employees at various levels within the company, with the intention that valuable resources are equitably distributed

This scheme is open to all Staff to consider, in conjunction with their respective line Manager, their individual training and development needs.

The scheme’s focus centres upon where there is a training and development issue that has mutual benefit to both the individual and the company.

Full details and applications are available in the Continuum Training Programme, together with other important statements concerning deferred individual contributions.

We believe it would be unwise and counter-productive to this initiative to provide a list of acceptable/unacceptable courses for individuals to follow.

Individuals, their Line Manager and the Training Department views are to be represented on the application paperwork and assist the process of fine tuning what is and what is not a relevant course to follow from both the individual and the company's perspective.

However, as a form of guidance, the following (though not exhaustive) list may be of some assistance when considering applications:

Qualification	Appropriate Staff
Diploma in Management Studies	Operational Managers, Home Managers, Senior Care Workers
Certificate in Management NVQ Level 5	Home Managers / Head Office Staff
NVQ 4 Managers in Residential Childcare	Home Managers/ Deputy Home Manager
Diploma in Counselling  NVQ Assessors Award	Operations Managers Senior Care/Care Workers Home Managers
NVQ Internal Verifier Award	Senior Care Workers  Home Managers
Diploma in Residential Care	Residential Care Workers
NVQ Level 3 Children and Young People Certificate in Leisure Studies	All Residential Care Workers
NVQ Level 2 Administration NVQ Level 3 Administration NVQ Level 4 Administration Diploma in Business Studies CLAIT/CLAIT plus	Head office administration Staff Head office administration Staff Head office administration Staff Secretarial/Office-based Staff Secretarial/Office-based Staff
Certificate in Personnel Management	Personnel Staff

3. Sponsored Higher and/or Further Education

An additional training programme may be made available to Staff outside of the core training subjects to individuals meeting set criteria and the applicant passing through an appropriate selection process.

For short courses, the candidate will complete a Company Sponsorship Funding Agreement, which will highlight the identified training and which will require the comments and authorisation of their Line Manager.  Documents will then be processed by the Training Department who will ensure that it meets the general requirements of the company as well as the subject requirements of the individual.

The Training Department, together with the Training Manager will also ensure that costing fit within the annual budget.

For more extensive courses, e.g. degrees and long term out of company placements, the selection process will be governed by a three person selection panel.  The selection panel shall consist of the employee’s Line Manager or, if it is felt more appropriate, another senior departmental Manager, a member of the Training Department and a person to be appointed by the Managing Director.

The selection panel will meet with the candidate to ascertain:

• Whether the proposed training meets the overall company development plans.
• Whether the training has been identified within company procedures i.e. appraisal, supervision, personal development plan etc.
• Whether the training is suitable for the candidate and that the candidate has shown in their current work the ability to cope with the academic levels required.
• That the company and, in particular, the Line Manager feels able to make the necessary arrangements to cover any time off required for study/ examination/placements etc.
• The envisaged costings are within the budgetary requirement of the Training Department and are a cost effective way of the candidate achieving the required qualification/knowledge.
• That the course is a recognised course within the field of work.

The Chair of the selection panel will produce a written report which will in turn be put before the Managing Director  for authorisation or, if the decision is not to agree to the funding and placement, for confirmation of that.

The applicant may appeal a refusal directly to the Managing Director if they feel that the process has been unfair but not in cases where it has been refused on the grounds of budgetary requirements.

4. Additional Action Points

One-Off Courses

Access to this facility is via application (see Companies Training Programme). This scheme is for very specialist one-off course/conference/seminars and by the very nature of its speciality, has a restricted financial limit. To accommodate requests requires explicit line management support. This in itself is no guarantee of a successful application.

NVQ training courses

Access to this facility is via application (see Companies Training Programme) and in most cases is dependent upon successful completion of the Continuum Induction.

Reactive Training/Contingency

A scheme to provide additional specialist training, where individuals require additional support for a variety of reasons.

Access to this will be via Managers, who will need to discuss plans/proposals with Operations Managers and Director of Operations with respect to specific training needs and on to the Head of Education & Skills.

5. Company Training Programme

Planned training events encompass a variety of training days ranging from 1-5 days.

Such a model is hoped to assist Managers in planning and managing their respective service resources with well informed, published in advance training plans.  All applicants should discuss their needs with their respective Managers who should ensure effective targeting of training needs.

The monitoring and evaluation of course uptake by area and outcomes will provide a much needed company information/data base to consider future training needs, particularly when planning future needs in conjunction with local funding. 

All core-training courses are at no cost, open to all Staff and volunteers, and provided via a variety of trainers. However, any employee attending training courses at the expense of or in the time of the company will reimburse the company the cost of those courses if they leave within two years after the completion date of such courses. Such reimbursement can be deducted from final salary and accrued holiday pay.

Post Qualifying

Continuing professional development

Qualified Social Workers will need to consider their post qualifying development. Requests to the training section, as normal.

6. Venue Facilities/Equipment/Refreshments

This relates to incurred expenditure to secure local training centres, to minimise costs via travelling time, costs of travel etc. Reasonable provision has been made to cater for food/drink requirements, in order, to prevent unnecessary administration time/costs to reclaim as expenses however there may be occasions where a particular venue charges high prices for refreshments. In these cases attendees will be expected to provide their own refreshments.

7. Additional Factors

Use of Volunteers

It is only fair, proper and appropriate to reciprocate this commitment from volunteers via training opportunities a limited number of places will be set aside for volunteers to participate in training activities on offer from the company.

Internal Trainers

There are many Staff who have expressed an interest in this area.  This is an area where work will be focused to build upon this asset. Staff who are interested in delivering Staff training, should speak to he Training and Development Manager. However, issues of skills, quality and cost-effectiveness, combined with updating of skills and acquisition of knowledge, will all have to be considered whenever internal trainers are used in training programmes.

End