IIPAdviser - Pre-course Work

Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN peoplepre work

IMPROVING BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

Your task1. ReviewtheCaseStudydocumenttogetherwiththeInvestorsinPeopleStandard.Pleasenotethis

casestudyonlyrelatestotheInvestorsinPeopleStandardandnotthefullframework. Theterm‘seniormanagers’inthecasestudyisusedtodescribetopmanagersintheframework.

2. Yourfirsttaskistoidentifytheindicatortowhichthefindingsoneachpagerelateandwritethenumberintheboxatthetopofthepage.Onceyouhaveidentifiedthecorrectindicator,pleasesortthepagesintotheorderofLevel1oftheInvestorsinPeopleFramework.

3. Youarethenaskedtoworkthrougheachassessorfindingforeachindicator.Youshouldidentifythefollowing:

•Whichevidencerequirementthefindingprovidesevidencefor,ifatall.Pleaserecordagainsteachfindingwhetheritrepresentspositive(+),negative(-)ornoevidence(NE).Intheeventthatafindingmeetspartofanevidencerequirementpleasestillmakeanoteofthis.

•Whethertheindicatorismet. •Theoverallrationaleforyourjudgement.

4. Usetheproformaonpage1torecordyourjudgementoneachevidencerequirement.Acopyofthisproforma,completedwithyourresults,shouldbebroughttotheworkshop

5. Pleasemakeanoteofanyareasofgoodpractice/strengthsandareasfordevelopment.

6. Finally,pleasemakeanoteofanyissues(casestudyrelatedorotherwise)thatyouwishtodiscussattheworkshop.

7. Pleasenotethatforthepurposesofthisexerciseyoushouldassumethatanyquestionsyoumayhavehadhavebeenasked,allavenueshavebeenexploredandnofurtherevidencehascometolight.Inotherwordsthesummarydocumentsdetailalltherelevantevidencefound.

� Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work

Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work �

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesIndicator Evidence

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� Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesBaCkgrouNdBelvedereHomeswasestablishedin1990toprovideservicestoadultswhohavelearningdisabilities.Thesesupportservices(residentialcare,supportedlivingandactivityservices)areprovidedtousersinsmall,unobtrusivehomesorintegratedsettingsinthecommunity.TheservicesaredeliveredbyworkinginclosepartnershipwithanumberofotherinterestedpartiesincludingHousingAssociations,SocialWorkTeams,NHSstaff,relatives/advocatesandneighbours.

Belvedere’smissionstatementstatesthattheorganisationexiststo“meettheuniqueneedsofindividualswithlearningdisabilities,whilemaximisingtheirindependenceandautonomy”.

HavingheardoftheInvestorsinPeopleStandard,theorganisationdecidedthatnowwouldbeagoodtimetoseehowtheymeasuredup.TheChiefExecutivehopedthatanexternalreviewwouldconfirmthattheorganisationdoesindeed“practicewhatitpreaches”.

Atthetimeoftheassessment,thecompanyemployed150peopleoperatingfromeighteenlocationsaroundSheffield.Theseniormanagementteam(SMT)comprisedtheChiefExecutive,threeHeadsofDepartmentfromeachoftheserviceareasplustheHeadofFinanceandtheHeadofHumanResources.Inaddition,theorganisationhas8members(excludingtheChiefExecutive)servingonitsBoardofManagement.

the assessMeNt proCessAttheinitialmeetingwiththeChiefExecutive,itwasagreedthattheoverallpurposeoftheassessmentwouldbetoidentifywhethertheorganisationmeetstheInvestorsinPeopleStandard.ThiswouldinvolveassessingBelvedere’scurrentpracticesagainsttherequirementsofthe10indicatorsoftheStandard.

Inadditiontogaininginformationontheorganisation’ssystemsandprocesses,theassessmentplan,formsofevidenceandthemethodofprovidingfeedbackwerediscussedandagreed.TheorganisationhadchosentoprepareaselfassessmentdocumentwhichdetailedtheSMT’sviewofhowBelvederematcheduptotherequirementsoftheStandard.TheyalsoprovidedtheAssessorwithanumberofkeydocuments.ItwasagreedthattheAssessorwouldreviewthisdocumentationandgatheradditional“relevant”evidenceonsiteasnecessary.

ItwasagreedthatevidencewouldbegainedpredominantlythroughonetooneandgroupinterviewsandalthoughtheAssessorwouldnotobserveanyspecificmeetingsshewould“walkthesite”,asappropriate,inordertogainobservableevidence.

TheAssessorconductedtheinterviewsasplannedandspenttwodaysseeing24employeesfromalllevelswithintheorganisation.

Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work �

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesA Indicator? ER

1 Interviewswithpeopleintheorganisationindicatedthatasignificantamountofworkhasgoneintocreatingaculturewherepeopleenjoycomingtowork,workingwiththeircolleaguesandlearninganddevelopingforthebenefitofthemselvesandtheorganisation.IntervieweeshadnothingbutpraiseforhowtheSMTis‘professionalising’Belvedereandforthemanagementstandardstheseniormanagersaresetting.

2 Asaresult,peoplewereabletoprovidemanyexamplesofhowtheyfeeltheirmanagersareeffectiveinleading,managinganddevelopingthem.Commentsincluded:

•“Ithinksheisverygood.SheisalwaysapproachableandisverysupportivewhenIhaveatrainingneed–shehasreallysupportedmewithmyNVQ”.

•“WhenIwashavingtroublegettingtogripswiththenewcareplanformat,Petesatdownwithmeandwewentthroughittogether”.

•“Tamlaisagoodrolemodelasshealwayslistensandisverygoodatcoachingmethroughanewchallenge”.

•“Patenergisespeoplebymakingthemfeeltheycanmakeadifference”.

3 Interviewswithmanagersindicatedthattheyfeeltheirapproachtomanaginganddevelopingpeopleis‘payingoff’andarenowseeingamuchmoremotivatedworkforcethaninthepast.

4 Theyexplainedthatinadditiontoinductionactivities,appraisalsandsupervisionsandcoachingtheydemonstrateBelvedere’smanagementcompetencies,by“helpingstafftoidentifylearninganddevelopmentopportunities”,“inspiringasharedvisionfortheirparticularhome”,“encouragingstafftoshadowmoreexperiencedcolleaguesandgettingthemtotakeonadditionalresponsibility”,“valuingdiversityandencouragingandleveragingpeople’suniqueabilities”.ExamplesofspecificsupportgivenincludedanelderlyemployeewhohadbeenencouragedbyhismanagertoundertakeadesktoppublishingcourseinordertoproduceBelvedere’sinternalnewsletterandateamleaderwhohadspenttwodaysshadowingotherteamleadersinordertoestablishgoodteammanagement.

5 Intermsofmanagershelpingstafftounderstandwhatthelatteraredoingwellandwhattheyarenotdoingsowell,themonthly1-1supervisionmeetingwhichallstaffhavewiththeirlinemanagerwasseentobeakeyelement.Managersexplainedthatthesemeetingstogetherwiththeannualappraisalallowthem‘quality’timewiththeirstafftoexploreperformanceanddevelopmentissueswhichthedaytoday‘keepintouch’chatsdon’talwaysallowfor.

6 Thissentimentwasechoedbystaff,withintervieweesfeelingthattheyreceivesufficientconstructivefeedbackontheirperformance.Theyexplainedthatthisispartlyasaresultofongoinginformalfeedbackonadaytodaybasisandpartlyasaresultoftheappraisalandsupervisionsystems.Inaddition,peoplealsoreceivedfeedbackfollowingResponsiblePersonVisitsundertakenbytheCareServicesManagerswhichareundertakentosupporttheorganisation’sfocusoncontinuousimprovement.

7 Commentsinsupportof‘feedback’beinganintegralpartofthewayBelvedereoperatesincluded:

•“WhenIfirstjoinedBelvedereIwasabitconcernedaboutthefeedbackthingasIwasn’tusedtosittingdownwithmymanagerandtalkingaboutmyperformance,butnowIthinkit’sgreat.Ialwayslearnsomethingfromthesessions”

•“SometimesIdon’talwayslikewhatIhearbutIknowthatitisusefultoknowwhatotherpeoplehaveobservedaboutyou.Ithelpsyoutochangethewayyouapproachthings”.

•“AsaresultoffeedbackIgotfrommymanagerlastweek,I’vechangedthewaythatIhandleaparticularlydifficultserviceuserandI’mnowgettingabetterresult”.

� Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesB Indicator? ER

1 AkeythemethatkeptcroppingupduringmanyoftheinterviewsrelatedtoBelvederestrivingtobecomemoreprofessionalandfocusedoncontinuousimprovement.Peopleexplainedthattheorganisationtriesveryhardtoimprovethequalityofitsservicesandisalwaysaskingforideas.

Relatedtothis,theSMThasstatedthatitwantstogenerateacultureofinvolvementandempowermentinanefforttocapitaliseonthetalentsofitsentirepeople.Asaresult,ithasintroducedanumberofmechanismstoencouragepeopletotakepartindecisionmakingatalllevels

2 Managersexplainedthattheytrytoengenderasenseofownershipandresponsibilityinpeoplebyencouragingstaffinvolvementindecisionmakinginthefollowingways:

•Operationofaninclusiveapproachtothebusinessplanningprocess.•RepresentationontheJointStaffConsultativeCommittee.•Operationofregularteamandonetoonemeetingswheredecisionsaremadeaboutthe

runningofindividualhomes.•Provisionofopportunitiestoparticipateinworkingpartieslookingatspecialistareasand

policies.

3 Peoplewereabletoconfirmtheoperationofthesemechanismsandthattheyareencouragedtobeinvolvedindecisionmaking.Commentsincluded:

•“Iamastaffrepresentative,soIdogetanopportunitytohaveasayandbeinvolvedintheJSCCdiscussionsthathaveanimpactoneveryoneatBelvedere”.

•“WeareprettymuchlefttorunthehomethewayweseefitaslongaswecomplywithBelvedere’spoliciesandstandards–IhavealotofflexibilityoverhowIdothings”.

•“Wehavelotsofworkingpartieslookingatdifferentareasofinteresttodowithcareprovisionandtheyhavearealimpactintermsofintroducinginnovativepractices”.

4 However,noteveryoneagreedthattheywereencouragedtotakeownershipandresponsibilityfordecisionsasthefollowingcommentsindicate:

•“Ijustthinkitisearlydays–themanagersarestilllearningandthatmeansthattheyneedtoletgoabitmore”.

•“Wecanbeinvolvedinthediscussionsbutitseemsthatdecisionsareoftenmadeforus”.•“Asastaffrep,I’mnottoosureabouttheJSCC,oftenactionsgetreferredbackto

managementratherthanallowingustotakethemforward”.

Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work �

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesC Indicator? ER

1 Belvedere’sseniormanagersexplainedthattheorganisationhasaclearpurposeandvisionsupportedbyastrategyforimprovingitsperformancewhichisdefinedinitsmissionstatementandbusinessplan.Theorganisation’smissionis“tomeettheuniqueneedsofindividualswithlearningdisabilitieswhilemaximisingtheirindependenceandautonomy”andisunderpinnedbyfivecorevaluesaddressingtheareasofsocialmodelofdisability.

2 Theseniormanagerswentontoexplainthattheorganisation’scurrent3yearbusinessplanhasbeendevelopedinlinewiththemissionandvaluesandclearlysetsouttheorganisation’sobjectivesforthethree-yearperiodaddressingareassuchasoperationalstructures,staffmanagementpractices,serviceexcellenceandprovision,communicationpractices,policiesandprocedures,administrationandfinance.

3 Inadditiontodevelopingtheorganisation’sobjectivesinlinewiththemissionstatement,theyarealsodrivenbyexternalfactorssuchaspolicyinitiativesfacingtheCareSector.ThesehaveincludedTheWhitepaper“ValuingPeople”(2001),TheCareStandardsAct(2000)andSupportingPeople(2000).

4 Planmoreexplicitly(thewhatratherthanthehow)andarecurrentlyupdatingthe3yearplanwiththisismind.

5 Intermsofthebusinessplanningprocess,Belvedere’sseniormanagersexplainedthattheyadoptaveryinclusiveapproachwhichinvolvesalltheorganisation’skeydecisionmakersincludingtheJointStaffConsultativeCommittee(JSCC)whichcomprisesstaffrepresentativesfromeachserviceandseniormanagers.

6 Inadditiontoconsultingthisgroupwhendevelopingthebusinessplan,seniormanagersexplainedthattheymeetwiththeJSCCbimonthlytodiscussandconsultonarangeofissuesincludingstrategy,developmentofservices,learninganddevelopmentandongoingorganisationalissues.Asaresult,theybelievethatagoodworkingrelationshipexistsbetweenmanagementandstaff.

7 Staffrepresentativesinterviewedconfirmedthattheorganisation’sbusinessplanandobjectivesarediscussedattheJSCCandthatitisahelpfulmechanismforensuringtwowaycommunicationthroughouttheorganisation.

8 However,althoughstaffareencouragedtousetheirstaffrepresentativetoraiseanygeneralissuesofconcernthattheymayhavefordiscussionandresolutionattheJSCC,staffdonotalwaystakeupthisopportunity.

9 Intermsofinvolvingpeopleinthebusinessplanningprocess,managersexplainedthatBelvedereholdsanannualstaffconferencewherebusinessplanningisthekeytheme.Thisapproachiswellreceivedbystaffwhoconfirmedthattheyappreciatetheopportunitytoinputtheirideastothebusinessplan.

10 Atamorelocallevel,managersexplainedthatpeopleareinvolvedintranslatingorganisationalobjectivesintoteamandindividualobjectivesthroughteamandindividualplanningmeetings.

� Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesC Indicator? ER

11 Theissueofcommunicationproducedalotofpositivefeedbackfromintervieweeswhoexplainedthattheyunderstandwhattheorganisationistryingtoachieveasaresultoftheallstaffconference,localbusinessplanningteammeetings,monthlybulletins,teammeetings,minutesofmanagersmeetingsandtheJSCC.Asaresult,staffwereabletoexplainBelvedere’soverallpurposeandkeyaims.Commentscentredonthethemeofprovidingaqualityservicetousers.

12 IntervieweesdemonstratedthattheyunderstandwhatisexpectedofthemintheirrolebybeingabletodescribewhytheirroleisimportantandhowitcontributestothesuccessofBelvedere.Thekeymechanismsforachievingthislevelofunderstandinghavebeen:

•Theinductionprocessandjobdescriptions.•Daytodayinteractionbetweenlinemanagersandindividualswheretheformerreinforces

rolesandresponsibilities.•Supervisionandappraisaldiscussions.•Teammeetings.•Copiesofallorganisationalpoliciesandproceduresineachservice.•StaffhandbookwhichsetsoutBelvedere’sstandards.

13 ThecombinationoftheseunderpinningcommunicationprocessesappearstobeeffectiveinenablingstafftomakeaclearlinkbetweenwhattheydoonadaytodaybasisandthesuccessofBelvedere.

Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work �

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesD Indicator? ER

1 ContinuousimprovementfortheultimatebenefitoftheserviceusersisakeyelementofBelvedere’sculture.Assuch,seniormanagershaveintroducedanumberofstrategiestocreateanenvironmentwhereeveryoneisencouragedtocontributeideastoimprovetheirownandotherpeople’sperformance.

2 Withregardtostaffbeingencouragedtocontributeideastoimprovetheirownperformance,opportunitiesoutlinedbyseniormanagersandconfirmedbystaffincluded:

•Discussionsat3and6monthprobationaryassessmentsforallemployees.•Supervisionandappraisalmeetingswhereperformanceisdiscussedandimprovement

opportunitiesidentified.•Provisionofinternaltraininganddevelopment.•Opportunitytoundertakeexternaltraininganddevelopment.•SupporttostudyforexternalqualificationssuchasNVQs,Masters,Diplomas.•Encouragementtoidentifyandtakeonadditionalresponsibilitiesviaactingup,promotion

opportunitiesandworkingparty/policy/specialinterestgroups.

3 Withregardtohowstaffareencouragedtocontributeideastoimprovetheircolleagues’performance,seniormanagersexplainedthatacultureofteamworkhasbeencreatedatBelvedereandpeopleautomaticallyhelpeachotheroutinordertogettheworkdoneandprovideaqualityservicetotheirusers.Inaddition,akeymechanismforenablingthetransferofknowledgeandskillsistheoperationofregularteammeetingswherestaffcandiscussimprovementideas.Staffconfirmedthatthemeetingsprovideanexcellentforumforstafftofeedbackandshareknowledgegainedfromaparticulardevelopmentactivitywhichmaximisesthepotentialbenefitandimpactoftheinvestment.Inaddition,theallstaffconference,JointManagerMeetings,coachingandmentoringsupportfornewjoiners/jobchangersareotherexamplesmentionedbyseniormanagersandstaffofhowBelvederefacilitatesthesharingofknowledgeandgoodpractice.

4 Onthethemeofperformanceimprovement,theseniormanagersexplainedthattheyunderstandthatimprovingpeople’sknowledgeandskillsisfundamentaltothefuturesuccessoftheorganisation.Akeyelementofthisinvolvesrecognisingthedifferentneedsofpeople.Asequalityofopportunityisanimportantprincipleunderpinningtheorganisation’sactivitiesintermsofhelpingserviceusersachieveequalityofaccessandopportunityineveryaspectoftheirlife,thisphilosophyextendstoBelvedere’scultureandthewayitmanagesanddevelopsitsstaff.

5 Asaresult,Belvedere’speoplemanagementstrategiesaredesignedtoensurethateveryonehasappropriateandfairaccesstothesupporttheyneedandthereisequalityofopportunityforpeopletolearnanddevelopinordertoimprovetheirperformance.Seniormanagersexplainedthatongoingstrategiestodemonstratetheircommitmenttothisfundamentalprincipleinclude:

•Theapplicationofthesupervisionandappraisalprocesstoallstaff.Thisensuresthateachindividualidentifiestheirdevelopmentneedswiththeirlinemanager.

•Thecommunicationoflearninganddevelopmentopportunitiestoallstaffviathelearninganddevelopmentstrategy,policyandportfolioandstaffmeetings.Thisensuresthatallstaffareawareofwhatisavailable.

•Theprovisionofcovertoensurethatparttimeandlocumstaffareabletoattenddevelopmentactivities.

•TheactiveencouragementofallstaffincludingmembersoftheBoardofManagementtoseek/takeupdevelopmentopportunities.ApplicationsfordevelopmentactivitiesarereviewedbytheLearningandDevelopmentManagertoensurethatnooneserviceisbeingunderrepresentedintermsoftheopportunitytodevelop.

10 Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesD Indicator? ER

6 Inadditiontoprovidingequalityofopportunityintheaccesstolearninganddevelopment,theSMThaverecognisedthebenefitstoBelvedereofrecruitingpeoplewithdifferentskillsandexperiencesandexplainedhowthishasbeenreflectedintheiractions.Asmentionedabove,inrecognitionofthefactthatmanypeopleapplyingforajobincareareunabletomeetthecriteriaforacareandsupportworker,BelvedereestablishedanewentrygradeofAssistantSupportWorker.AnewrecruitmentprocesscomprisinganAssessmentCentredaywasintroducedtogetherwithanassociated“fasttrack”developmentprogrammetobringnewrecruitsuptospeed.Connectedwiththis,theSMThavecommittedtoensuringthattheissueofbasicskillsisaddressedandoffersitsstaffliteracyandnumeracyskillstraininginordertoensurethateveryonefeelsabletocontributefullytotheorganisation.

7 Managersechoedthesentimentsofseniormanagersanddescribedthesupervisionandappraisalprocessesasthemainmechanismsforensuringequalityofopportunityasitisduringthesemeetingsthatdevelopmentneedsarediscussed,opportunitiesexploredandplansmade.Examplesofotherwaystheyensurethatequalityismaintainedincludetheprovisionofinformationaboutdevelopmentopportunitiesatstaffmeetingsandtheprovisionofcoverforparttime/locumstafftoundertaketraining.

8 However,intermsofmanagingadiverseworkforce,managerintervieweesacknowledgedthatdiversitytrainingwouldhelpthemfurtherunderstandhowtomanagediversitywithintheirteamsandensurethattheyunderstandandaddressbarrierstopeople’sdevelopment.

9 Asaresult,manyexampleswereprovidedofdevelopmentactivitiestakingplaceinallareasoftheorganisation.Intervieweesconfirmedthatthesupervisionandappraisalprocessesensurethateveryonehastheopportunitytohighlighttheirspecificneeds.Consequently,virtuallyallintervieweesbelievethatmanagersaregenuinelycommittedtoensuringthateveryonehasappropriateandfairaccesstothesupporttheyneedinordertoimprovetheirperformanceandthereisequalityofopportunitytolearnanddevelopinlinewithBelvedere’sobjectives.

10 Staffexplainedthatthetopichasahighprofile,particularlyatmanager,teamandsupervisionmeetingsandtheyfeelthatmanagementdemonstratetheircommitmentbymakingtrainingavailableandmeetingindividualneeds.Inaddition,theyfeeltheyreceiveahighlevelofsupportandencouragementandtherewasoverwhelmingsupportforthelearninganddevelopmentcurrentlyonoffer.

Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work 11

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesE Indicator? ER

1 BelvederehasfacedanumberofchallengesoverthelastfewyearsandwhilstthefocushasbeenonensuringcompliancewithCarelegislation,thishasbeenaccompaniedbyanumberofimprovementsinthewaytheorganisationmanagesanddevelopsitspeople.ThishasbeenhighlightedinBelvedere’srecentinspectionreport.

2 Examplesofimprovementsprovidedbyseniormanagersincluded:

•TheincorporationofLDAFInductionandFoundationunitsintheinductionprocessinordertoensurethatpeoplereceiveacomprehensiveintroductiontotheorganisationandtheirrole.

•TheintroductionofamoreuserfriendlyappraisalprocesswithintegratedtrainingneedsanalysisandPersonalDevelopmentProgramme.

•Theintroductionofadedicatedtrainingbudgetinordertoensurethattheresourcesareinplacetosupporttheorganisation’strainingplans.

•TheintroductionofanAssistantSupportWorkerlevelplusassociated“fasttrack”developmentprogramme.Theprogramme,designedtomeettherecruitmentcrisisfacedbythecaresector,lastsfor6monthsandprovidesafasttrackpromotiontocareandsupportworkerfollowingsuccessfulperformancereviewafteraminimumof6months.ItislinkedtotheLDAFandusesawiderangeoflearningmethodsincludingworkshops,discussiongroups,mentoring,selfmanagedstudyandassignments.

•TheintroductionofaSeniorSupportWorkerDevelopmentProgramme.

3 Managerswereabletoprovidethefollowingexamplesofimprovementsthattheyhadmadetothewaytheymanageanddeveloptheirpeople:

•Encouragementofindividualstoprepareapaperidentifyingthekeylearningpointsfromtheirlearninganddevelopmenttobesharedduringteammeetings.

•Actingmoreasacoachfollowingtrainingonthemanagementcapabilities.•Takingpeople’spreferredlearningstylesintoaccountwhendiscussingandplanning

learninganddevelopmentactivities.•Givingmorefrequentpublicrecognitiontothosepeoplewhoprefertobeappreciatedin

thisway.

4 Peopleconfirmedtheimprovementsmentionedbytheseniormanagersandtheirmanagerandhadthefollowingcommentstomake:

•“Iknowtheyhaveintroducedacompetencyframeworkformanagerswhichisbetterthanthewoollyjobdescriptionstheyhadbefore.Icanseemymanagergenuinelytryingtoliveuptheorganisation’smanagementstandards”.

•“Theapproachtothewholebasicskillsisnowmuchmoresensitivelyhandledandpeopledon’tfeelembarrassedtoadmittheyneedhelp”.

•“Ifitwasn’tfortheAssistantWorkerProgrammeIwouldn’tbehereandBelvederewouldhavemissedoutonanenthusiasticlearner”.

•“MymanagerismuchbetternowashegivesmemoreregularfeedbackandtakesintoaccounthowIliketolearn.

1� Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesF Indicator? ER

1 Belvedere’sLearningandDevelopmentStrategylinkstotheNationalStrategyforSocialCareandLearningDisabilitiesAwardFramework.Asaresult,muchofpeople’sdevelopmentislinkedtoexternalqualificationse.g.NVQsincareandmanagement,Mastersdegrees,DMS

2 Inadditiontoencouragingstafftoundertakeformalqualifications,managerswereabletogivemanyexamplesofhowtheyareensuringthatpeople’slearninganddevelopmentneedsarebeingmetthrougharangeofappropriateandcosteffectiveactivities.Specificexamplesincluded:

•CoachingofaSeniorSupportWorkercurrentlyinan‘Actingup’deputyrole.•Provisionofopportunityforacareworkertotrainasan‘Internaltrainer’todevelopher

expertiseinaspecialistarea.•AdvancedsoftwarepackagetrainingfortheHRofficer.

3 Peoplewerealsoabletoexplainhowtheirlearninganddevelopmentneedshadbeenmet,whattheyhadlearnt(knowledge,skillsandattitude)fromundertakinglearninganddevelopmentactivitiesandhowtheyhadappliedthisintheirrole.Commentsincluded:

•IwentonaMicrosoftPowerPointcourselastmonthandlearnthowtousethepackage.Asaresult,Iamnowpreparingpresentationsformymanager”.

•“Interpersonalskillsareseenasbeingreallyimportant,soIwentonanexternalcourseandlearntalotaboutmyselfandsomerealinsightintohowtointeracteffectively.TheserviceusersIworkwithseemtoberespondingwell!”

•“IhaverecentlytakenonsomeofthepersonnelresponsibilitiesandthecompanyissponsoringmyCIPDqualification.Ihavelearntalotaboutresourcingandemployeedevelopmentissuesasaresult.ThishashelpedmyworkonthedevelopmentoftheBelvedere’sLearningandDevelopmentStrategy”.

•“ThebasicskillstrainingthatBelvedereisprovidinghasreallygivenmealotofconfidenceaswellastheskillsIneedtodoabetterjob.Ievenfeelabletotacklethecomputer.I’msuremymanagerispleased.”

4 Thesupervisionprocesswashighlightedasthemainmechanismforestablishingobjectivesandexpectationsandforreviewingsubsequentlearning.Inaddition,thepracticeofsharinglearningatstaff/departmentmeetingswashighlightedanexcellentwayofreinforcingthelearningandreviewinghowitcanbenefittheindividual,theteamandtheorganisation.

5 Withregardtoinduction,thiskickstartspeople’sdevelopmentatBelvedereaspeopleareintroducedtotheorganisation,theirrolewithinitandtheircolleagues.Newrecruitsconfirmedthattheyreceiveda6monthinductionprogrammewhichincludedarangeofappropriateactivitiestoensurethattheywerefamiliarwiththeorganisationandtheirspecificrole.Theseactivitiesincludedhandoversfromthepreviousjobholder,1-1coaching,statutorytrainingandforsometheallocationofamentor.Peoplefeltthatthisenabledthemtoquicklysettleintotheorganisationandtheyfeltsupportedandnotdroppedinatthedeependwithplentyofopportunitytoaskforguidanceonunfamiliarissues.ThishighlevelofsupportisenhancedbyappropriatetraininganddevelopmentsuchasLDAFInductionandFoundationunits.Theinductionprocessisalsosupportedbya3and6monthprobationaryassessment.Peoplealsomentionedthattheissueofbasicskillswasraisedininductionandencouragementgiventoundertaketraining.

6 Intermsofthosenewtoarole,jobchangersconfirmedthattheyhadreceivedaneffectiveinductionwhichinvolvedhandovers,coachingfromtheirlinemanagerandprovisionofappropriateinternalorexternaltraininge.g.SeniorSupportWorkerProgramme.Thishadenabledthemtoquicklygettogripswiththeirnewrole.

Module oNe BusiNess iMproveMeNt through iNvestors iN people pre work 1�

Case studY: Belvedere hoMesG Indicator? ER

1 Asasmallorganisation,managersrecognisethateachindividual’scontributioniscriticaltoBelvedere’ssuccess.Theyexplainedthateachhomeisoperatedbyasmallteamsoitisverynoticeableifpeopledon’tpulltheirweight.Ontheotherhand,theyappreciatethatpeopleneedtofeelpartoftheteamandvaluedforwhattheydoonadaytodaybasis,particularlyasthejobcangetabitmuchattimes.

2 Asaresult,managersexplainedthattheytakeeveryopportunitytorecogniseandvaluetheeffortpeoplemake,primarilybythankingthemandgivingthempraisebothinformallyandformallyduringappraisalsandsupervisions.Encouragingpeopletotakeonadditionalresponsibilitiesviaactingup,promotionorparticipationinaworkingparty,offeringthemdevelopmentopportunitiesandtakingforwardtheirsuggestionsandideasforimprovementarealsowaysthatmanagersshowtheirappreciation.

3 Asaresultoftheorganisation’sapproachtorecognition,peoplebelievethattheiruniquecontributionisrecognisedandvalued.Theywereabletogivespecificexamplesofthepracticesmentionedbythemanagersandparticularlyappreciatedtheopportunitytocontributebytakingonadditionalresponsibilitiesandbeinginvolvedinthebusinessplanningprocess.Commentsincluded:

•“Everyonehasajobtodoandisanimportantspokeinthewheel.Themanagerstreatyouasindividualsandgenuinelyappreciatetheeffortyouputin–yougetplentyoffeedbackonhowyouaredoing”.

•“Iknowthattheyrecognisethecontributionwemake,themanagersareopentoanysuggestionsyoumighthaveandpubliclyacknowledgeanybrightideasthatindividualstaketothem”.

•“Everyone’sinputiswelcomedatteammeetingsbutIamoftenaskedtosharemyparticularexpertisewithmycolleaguessoIknowtheyvaluemyinput”.

•“MymanagerrecognisesthetimeandeffortIputinashealwaysacknowledgesmyinputinfrontofothers–thismakesmefeelvalued”.

4 AfewmembersofstaffalsomentionedthattheyhadbeenrecognisedintheMonthlyStaffbulletinforthecontributiontheyhadmadeandsomehadreceivedagifttokenforachievingaqualification.

5 PeoplewerealsoabletodescribehowtheycontributetoBelvedereandbelievethattheymakeapositivedifferencetotheorganisation’sperformance.Commentsincluded:

•“Itsgreattohaveasenseofwakingupinthemorningandknowingyouwillbemakingadifferencetotheserviceuser’slivesandthereforeBelvedere”.

•“Ifitwasn’tformeBelvederewouldnothavesetupitsowntrainingarm.It’sgoodtoknowthatI’vemadeapositivecontributiontotheorganisation”.

•“IamtheonlyexpertinthisfieldsoIknowmyvaluetotheorganisationandtheimpactthatIhavehadsinceIjoined”.

•“I’monlyanAssistantCareWorkerbutIknowthatwithoutpeoplelikemethecompanycouldnotprovidetheexcellentserviceitdoes”.

6 IntermsoftheSMT,itappearstobeworkingwellasateamwithmemberscontributioniswellreceivedandsupported.However,itwassuggestedtoconsiderhowtheyappraiseeachother’scontributionmoreformally.

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Case studY: Belvedere hoMesH Indicator? ER

1 Overthelastfewyears,Belvederehasexperiencedenormousgrowthandchangebutthroughoutitall,seniormanagement’scommitmenttolearninganddevelopmenthasnotwavered.Interviewswithseniormanagersindicatedthatthedevelopmentofstaffisseenasafundamentalactivitywhichunderpinsthesuccessoftheorganisation.Theseniormanagersexpressedastrongcommitmenttodevelopstafftoachieveimprovementsinindividual,teamandorganisationalperformancefortheultimatebenefitofitsserviceusers.

2 Inlinewiththebusinessplanningprocess,seniormanagersidentifythestrategicprioritiesforlearninganddevelopmentbyreviewingthetraininganddevelopmentimplicationsofthebusinessplanobjectives.Thisinformation,togetherwithanycommonneedsemergingduringsupervisionandappraisaldiscussions,isincludedwithinthe3-yearLearningandDevelopmentstrategy.

3 Aswiththebusinessplan,theLearningandDevelopmentstrategyiswritteninthecontextofexternalinitiativessuchastheNationalStrategyforSocialCare,theLearningDisabilitiesAwardFrameworkandtheCareStandardsAct.Asaresult,prioritiescontinuetoconcentrateonmanagementdevelopment,healthandsafety,employeeinductionandcarepractice.Thelatterincludesawholehostofunderpinningandspecialistknowledgeinareaslinkedtothecareofpeoplewithlearningdisabilitiese.g.autism,epilepsy,challengingbehaviour.

4 Asaresult,theseprocessesareeffectiveinensuringthatalldevelopmentactivitiesareaimedathelpingindividualssupportBelvedere’sachievementofitsoverallaimsandobjectives.Inaddition,ongoingreviewbytheSMTensuresthatlearninganddevelopmenttakesaccountofanychangesintheorganisation’sdirection.

5 Consequently,seniormanagerswereabletooutlinetheorganisation’skeyneeds,theplansandresourcestheyhaveinplacetomeetthemandhowtheselinktotheachievementofspecificobjectives.Ongoingplansandresourcesinplacetomeetpeople’slearninganddevelopmentneedsinclude:

•TheimplementationofanNVQstrategy(NVQsinCare–levels2and3andNVQsinCareandmanagementlevel4(RegisteredManagers’Award)).

•Theprovisionoftrainingfor“CertificatesinWorkingwithpeoplewhohaveLearningDisabilities”.

•TheprovisionofaSeniorSupportWorkerDevelopmentProgramme.•TheintroductionofanAssistantSupportWorkerlevelplusassociated“fasttrack”

developmentprogramme.Theprogramme,designedtomeettherecruitmentcrisisfacedbythecaresector,lastsfor6monthsandprovidesafasttrackpromotiontocareandsupportworkerfollowingsuccessfulperformancereviewafteraminimumof6months.ItislinkedtotheLDAFandusesawiderangeoflearningmethodsincludingworkshops,discussiongroups,mentoring,selfmanagedstudyandassignments.

•Basicskillstrainingforcarestaffinordertoensurethattheyhaveadequateliteracyandnumeracyskills.

•Theprovisionofacomprehensiveinductionprogrammetoensurenewjoinersreceiveappropriatedevelopment.

•Theuseof‘actingup’andteamleaderpoststoprovidedevelopmentopportunities.

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Case studY: Belvedere hoMesH Indicator? ER

6 Otherplansandresourcesmentionedbyseniormanagersincluded:

•TheemploymentofadedicatedLearningandDevelopmentManagerandprovisionofatrainingbudgettoensurenecessaryresourcesareavailable.

•Theimplementationofa3yearlearninganddevelopmentstrategytoensuretheprovisionofarangeofinternalandexternalprogrammes.

•Theoperationofmanagermeetingstoprovideaforumforsharingandlearning.•Theoperationofsixweeklysupervisionsessionsforallstaffwheredevelopmentneeds

areidentified.•Theoperationofregularstaffmeetingswheredevelopmentopportunitiesarediscussed

andlearningshared.•TheoperationofanappraisalprocesswithintegratedtrainingneedsanalysisandPersonal

DevelopmentProgramme.

7 However,althoughalotoflearninganddevelopmentisbeingplanned,seniormanagersacknowledgedthatwhilstthereisclearlinkagebetweentheorganisation’sobjectivesandthelearninganddevelopmentactivitiesthereisstillfurtherscopeforimprovementintermsofthespecificityandmeasurabilityofthedevelopmentactivities.

8 Intermsofteamlearninganddevelopmentneeds,theseareidentifiedbymanagersreviewingthetrainingimplicationsoftheirteambusinessplanandasaresultofneedsemergingduringsupervisionandappraisaldiscussions.Thistopdownandbottomupplanningprocessiseffectiveinensuringthatthereisaclearlinkbetweendevelopmentactivitiesandtheteamandorganisation’sobjectives.Asaresult,managerswereadequatelyabletodescribetheirteam’sdevelopmentneeds,theactivitiesplannedtomeetthemandhowtheselinkintoteamandorganisationalobjectives.

9 Atanindividuallevel,staffexplainedthatlearninganddevelopmentprioritiesareinitiallyidentifiedattheappraisalsessioninlinewithindividual,teamandorganisationalpriorities.Needsarethendiscussedonaregularbasisduringsupervisionsandappropriatelearninganddevelopmentactivitiesagreedupon.

10 Priortotheactualdevelopmentactivity,individualsandtheirlinemanagerdiscussthelearningobjectivesforthetrainingandcompleteanapplicationform.ThisprocessappearstobeeffectiveinensuringthatanydevelopmentactivityisfocusedonhelpingindividualscontributetoBelvedere’saims.Italsoensuresthatpeoplehaveclearexpectationsofwhattheselearninganddevelopmentactivitiesaresupposedtoachievebothforthem,theirteamandBelvedere.Asaresult,peoplewereabletodescribetheirinvolvementintheplanningprocessandgiveexamplesofplannedactivitiesandtheirintendedoutcomesintermsoftheimpactontheirperformanceandhowthiswouldaffecttheteamandorganisation.

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Case studY: Belvedere hoMesI Indicator? ER

1 TheSMTisfullyawarehowcrucialBelvedere’smanagersareinhelpingtheorganisationmeetitsobjectivesandincreatingthedesiredculturetosucceed.Assuch,significantefforthasgoneintodefiningthecapabilitiesrequiredofmanagersandensuringthatallmanagersareeffectiveinthewaytheylead,manageanddeveloptheirstaff.

2 SeniormanagersexplainedthatoverthelastsixmonthsBelvederehasdevelopedacompetencyframeworkwhichdefinesitsleadershipandmanagementrequirements.ThesecapabilitiesreflectBelvedere’sobjectives,thecultureitwantstocreateandsetsstandardsformanagerssothattheyareclearaboutwhatisexpectedofthem.Theyrelatetosevenkeyareasnamelyinspirationalleadership,creatingasharedvision,buildingteams,motivatingpeople,recognisinganddevelopingpotential,providingfeedback,andcoachingforperformance.Theseniormanagersexplainedeachcapabilityandhoweachonehasacleardefinitionandfiveleveldescriptors(showingpotential,demonstratingability,achievingexpertiseandexcellingasarolemodel).

3 Inordertoensurethatmanagersacquirethecapabilities,theseniormanagersexplainedthattheyprovidethefollowingsupportandresources:

•Supervisionandappraisaltrainingtoprovidemanagerswithagoodknowledgeofthepoliciesandprocessesandkeysupervisoryskills.

•MonthlyJointManagersmeetingstoprovideanopportunitytosharegoodmanagementpractice.

•ManagersBriefingNotestoprovidesupportandensureconsistencyofpractice.•Mentoringofmanagersbymoreexperiencedmanagerstoprovidesupportandguidance.•ProvisionofNVQsinCareandManagementtoensureallregisteredmanagershavea

recognisedqualification.•ProvisionofaSeniorSupportWorkerDevelopmentProgrammetointroduceseniorcare

stafftotheroleofmanager.•Supervisionofmanagerstoidentifytheirowndevelopmentneedsandmonitortheir

performanceasmanagers.•ProvisionofSkillsforLifetrainingsothatmanagersareawareofpotentialbarriersto

people’sdevelopment.

4 Inaddition,seniormanagersalsoactasexcellentrolemodelsbydemonstratingthecapabilitiesandencouragingmorejuniormanagerstodothesame.

5 However,itwassuggestedbysomeseniormanagersthattherecouldbeamorerobustrollingdevelopmentprogrammeformanagersincludingdiversitytrainingandamoreformalisedapproachtomentoring.

6 Interviewswithmanagersconfirmedthattheyunderstandtheknowledge,skillsandbehavioursrequiredofthemtolead,manageanddeveloppeopleeffectively.Referencewasmadetothesevencapabilitiesandkeyresponsibilitiessuchasidentificationoftraininganddevelopmentneeds,provisionoflearninganddevelopmentopportunities,coaching,monitoringandfeedbackonstaffprogressthroughsupervisionsandappraisals.

7 Managersexplainedthatthisunderstandinghasbeengainedthroughtrainingonthecompetencyframework,theprovisionofjobdescriptions,appraisalandsupervisiontraining,companypoliciesandsharingofideasatJointManagersmeetings.

8 Interviewswithstaffindicatedaninconsistentunderstandingofwhatmanagersneedtodotobeeffectiveinleading,managinganddevelopingthem.Minimalreferencewasmadetothesevencapabilitiesandmostpeoplejustmentionedtaskstheirmanagercarriesoutsuchasappraisal,supervision,coaching,identifyingtraininganddevelopmentneedsandmonitoringprogress,objectivesettingandevaluationoftraininganddevelopment.

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Case studY: Belvedere hoMesJ Indicator? ER

1 ItisclearthatBelvedere’sseniormanagersunderstandtheimportanceofmaintainingahighlycompetentandmotivatedworkforceinordertomeettheneedsofitsserviceusers.Assuch,BelvederehasadedicatedlearninganddevelopmentbudgetwhichisreviewedregularlyinlinewiththerequirementoftheNationalTrainingStrategyforSocialCarefororganisationstosetasideaminimumlevelofinvestmenttoprovidecarestaffwithtraininglinkedtoqualifications.

2 Inordertounderstandtheiroverallinvestmentinlearninganddevelopment,quarterlyreportsdetailingthelevelofdevelopmentactivityandassociatedcostsandresourcesincludingtimeareproducedfordiscussionbytheSMTandBoardofManagement.

3 Asaresult,seniormanagershaveagoodunderstandingoftheoverallinvestmentandbenefitsassociatedwithlearninganddevelopment.Theywereabletodescribehowmuchtimeandmoneywasinvolvedandtheresourcesthathavebeenused.Examplesgivenofthereturnontheirinvestmenti.e.theimpactithashadonBelvedere’sperformanceincluded:

•Newservices-SpecificplannedskillsdevelopmentintheareaofautismhasenabledBelvederetosetupitsfirstspecialistserviceforadultswithautisticspectrumdisorders.TheunitiscurrentlyworkingtowardsaccreditationwiththeNationalAutisticSociety’sAccreditationscheme.

•Incomegeneration-DevelopmentofinhousetrainersandworkshopmaterialshasledtothecreationofBelvedereLearningandDevelopmentSolutionswhichsellslearninganddevelopmentactivitiestoothercareproviderswhoneedtomeetthenewrequirementsoftheCareStandardsAct.

•Skillsshortage-ThedevelopmentandimplementationoftheAssistantSupportWorkerdevelopmentprogrammehasbeenahugelysuccessfulwayofdealingwiththeskillsshortageandfasttrackingpeoplewithnopreviousexperienceintheCaresector.

•Compliancewithlegislation(CareStandardsAct)–Thedevelopmentandimplementationofa3yearNVQstrategywhichcommencedinApril2002hasenabledBelvederetosuccessfullyprogresstowardsitstargetsofhaving50%ofdirectcarestaffwithatleastanNVQlevel2incareby2005andallitsregisteredmanagerswithanequivalentqualificationoflevel4NVQinbothmanagementandcareby2005.Asaresultofthissignificantinvestment,Belvederenowhasamorecompetentandprofessionalcareteam.

•Induction-InresponsetotherequirementsoftheCareStandardsAct,Belvedere’sinductionprocesshasbeenreviewedandnowincorporatestheLDAFinduction(SafePractitionerandLearningDisability)andfoundation(UnderstandPositiveCommunicationandUnderstandAbuse)units.Asaresult,BelvedereisabletocomplywiththeAct’srequirementsandallnewcarestaffarenowmoreeffectivelyinductedintotheorganisationtherebyenablingthemtoworkcompetentlywithserviceusers.

•Managementdevelopment–AdevelopmentprogrammelinkedtoLevel3inSupervisorymanagementprovidedfortherecentlyintroducedSeniorSupportWorkergradehasenabledthisnewtierofmanagerstogainconfidenceandmanagementcapability.IthasalsoenabledBelvederetodevolveresponsibilities

•Carepractice–Staffundertakingthe“Certificateinworkingwithpeoplewhohavealearningdisability”havebecomemorecompetentinthewaythattheyprovidecaretoserviceusers.ThishasenhancedboththeirownandBelvedere’sprofessionalismresultinginimprovementsinregistrationandinspectionreports

•Carepractice–CoursesinManualhandling,FirstAidhaveallensuredthathealthandsafetyproceduresareimplementedeffectivelyandtherearenomajorincidents.

•Servicequality–Anecdotalfeedbackfromserviceusersontheimprovedliteracyskillsofthecarestaffasaresultofbasicskillstraining.

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Case studY: Belvedere hoMesJ Indicator? ER

4 Asaresultofthelearninganddevelopmentapplicationandevaluationprocess,whereindividualsandtheirmanagerdiscusslearningobjectivesandimpactofdevelopmentduringsupervisions,managerswereabletogivetangibleexamplesofhowdevelopmentactivitieshaveimpactedontheirteam’sperformance.Theyincluded:

•Improvedknowledgeandunderstandingofautismasaresultof“AutismFocus”trainingforAutismservicestaffenablingthemtoworkmoreeffectivelywithAutisticserviceusers.

•Improvedknowledgeandunderstandingofhowtokeepsafeasaresultof“keepingsafe”trainingforSupportedLivingServicestaffreducingthenumberofincidents.

•InternalpromotionsfortwoAssistantCareWorkersfollowingdevelopmentactivitiesenablingthemtotakeongreaterresponsibilitiesandcontributemorefullytoBelvedere.

•Anemployeeundertakingnewresponsibilitiesasaresultoflearninganddevelopmente.g.financialreportingasaresultofformaltraining.

5 Asaresultofevaluationdiscussionsduringsupervisionmeetings,individualsunderstandhowtheirdevelopmenthasimpactedontheirperformance.Examplesofbenefitsofvariousdevelopmentactivitiesincluded:

•Epilepsy–abletodealwithpeoplehavingseizures.•Challengingbehaviour-abletodifferentiatebetweenautismandchallengingbehaviour,

recognisingearlysymptomsanddiffusingsituation.•Accountingsystemknowledge–abletoproduceMIreports.•Foodandhygiene–abletoensuresafetyofserviceusers.•Manualhandling–abletohandleuserssafelysothatnodamageisincurredtoeitherstaff

memberoruser.•PositiveCommunication–abletoworkinamoreprofessionalmanner.