Education & Training

St Catherine’s Hospice believes training and development is the key to successful palliative care.  We recognise the personal skills and knowledge that each employee brings to the organisation and have a commitment to fostering professional development as well as satisfying the requirements of the Health Care Commission and Investors in People. 

In order to meet current and future needs of the organisation, St Catherine’s will ensure provision of opportunities for employees to gain the necessary skills and knowledge they require for the adequate and safe performance of their tasks and duties.  The organisation recognises the importance of maintaining a committed and competent workforce and will, so far as is possible, encourage employees to progress within the organisation and to achieve their full potential.

Definitions

Mandatory Training:  Led by external legislation (Health and Safety etc).
Compulsory Training: Led by Hospice Policies and as determined for each department.
Other Training: Identified by employee/line manager through appraisal to enhance job performance or skills.

Activities

The hospice will: 
 

• provide appropriate systems and methods for identifying training needs
• provide appropriate systematic training and/or related education to enable all employees to reach the required job performance standards
• provide additional training/education for selected employees’ enhancement of job role for future job change or promotion
• ensure necessary training/instruction for mandatory/compulsory training purposes and will ensure appropriate notice period is given for staff to make arrangements to attend.
• ensure the regular evaluation and review of all training activities so as to make sure that necessary standards have been achieved and to support the improvement of training methods.
• If applicable, will provide appropriate resources and time for staff to maintain and up-date their level of competences as required by their professional body.

Hospice Responsibilities

The chief executive has overall responsibility for training within the organisation.

It is, however, the individual responsibility of every Head of Department to ensure that the training needs of their staff are analysed and met within established priorities and budgets .  The co-ordination and administration of training activities is the responsibility of the HR (IIP) and Education Department.

Training records

All training activities will be recorded in the personal training file.

Training evaluation

At the end of any training activity, managers responsible will evaluate the training that has been provided in respect of its delivery, achievement of training objectives and costs.

Employees are expected to evaluate courses/training where appropriate and to cascade relevant information to colleagues through the reqular Feedback Sessions.

Employees Responsibility

All employees will attend Mandatory and Compulsory Training applicable to their area.

If applicable, employees have a personal responsibility to comply with the requirements for maintaining and updating their professional knowledge and clinical competences as regulated by their professional body.

Funding

Mandatory, compulsory and any identified need for other training (for an employee to perform or enhance their job role), will be funded by the hospice, or funding sourced from external grants, and the appropriate study time/leave given.

In the case of Education requiring substantial time commitment or funding (e.g. Degree) there will be a requirement to enter into a study support contract.  This will be fully discussed with the employee and agreed before any amendment to contract or study support contract is applied.